Social Games vs. Traditional Games free essay sample

Nowadays many people all over the world make daily use of social networks like Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. A social networking service  is a World Wide Web platform in which you can meet your real-life friends, share information and news with them and develop social relationships of any kind. These electronic communication devices, along with the opportunity to keep oneself updated with the latest news, opinions, mundane events, etc. usually help individuals to develop and maintain human contacts overcoming the obstacles of real geographical distances. Apparently, though strangely enough, these sites hadn’t developed a series of videogames of their own for quite a long time, until the beginning of the first decade of our century. Until then, traditional videogames, that people use to play individually or, at least, in groups of real people playing together in the same room, detained the monopoly of popularity among electronic ways of entertainment. In an incredibly small amount of time videogames provided by social networking systems attracted interest from every part of the world and they seemed they could easily steal from traditional videogames their monopoly of popularity. We will write a custom essay sample on Social Games vs. Traditional Games or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Up to now, it is very difficult to say if social games are more popular than videogames or vice versa. The point is that, after a vertiginous raise that impressed and sometimes even scared traditional videogames producers, the number of social games players seems to be constantly reducing over time leaving us with the thought that that of the social games could just be a passing fad as many others in the past. In the present work, we will put our attention on the possible real users of both social and traditional videogames and we will try to find out whether they share equal popularity among people or not. Traditional Games Videogames, computer programmes for personal amusement, have a long history that remount to the second half of the 1970’s with the first arcade games for consoles, electronic devices that you could find in public places. Since then, there have been sensible improvements on almost all the aspects of the programmes such as graphics, whose aim is generally that to recreate eality as vividly as possible (although there have also been many videogames designers inventing completely different, fantasy worlds); or playability, that is to say, the opportunity for the videogame player to make a â€Å"real† experience while playing (joysticks, technical devices that are used to make virtual characters and objects move on the screen, represent a good example of it, p assing from being simple levers and knobs to sophisticated radio controlled sensors, real automobile steering wheels and gears, reproductions of airplane cloches). Nowadays, to be realised, traditional videogames may require years of production, with lots of expenditures to pay workers such as producers, designers, graphics and sound engineers, etc. , not to mention the costs deriving from promoting it on a large (usually worldwide) scale. For all these reasons, traditional videogames, with their high costs, are now suffering from smaller competitors like social games, which don’t require that amount of work behind them. Apart from that, it seems that young people, especially boys, in a range that goes from teenagers to men in their thirties, still prefer playing this kind of games rather than spending their time playing on social networks. Social Games Social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ usually host social games. Social games include various kinds of games but they present some common features like the need to share the game with other friends in a multiplayer session to be played, the presence of turns by which players don’t have to be simultaneously participating in the same session of the game, the reference to some kind of social activity like meeting friends, dating and so on; the absence of winners and losers as a means to convoy the maximum number of users (usually there are missions that need to be accomplished in order to pass one level after another). Moreover, these games are quite elementary in terms of programming requiring much less effort (and production costs) to be realised. Even for these reasons, social games have encountered the critics of those who denounce its most exploitative aspects. Anyway, the fact is that the number of social games users has progressively increased over the years (almost from 2007) only to know a first stop this year, but experts think this is due to the switch of platform: more and more people are playing social games on their mobile phones instead of playing them at their computers at home. According to the statistics, the number of women (of all age) who have already joined at least one social network it’s much higher than that of the men, so we may be able to derive, as a consequence, that women could possibly be a consistent part of the social games users. Researches seem to highlight the presence of middle aged people among the users of this new kind of game. Conclusions The decline of the traditional videogames appears to be constant and ineluctable due to the differences of costs with respect to those of the social network games. Despite the market seems to be subdivided in two ranges of users (young versus middle-aged people, men versus women) this is not a sufficient reason to think that traditional videogames will successfully overcome the strong competition of social games. Furthermore, the recent evolution of mobile phones can represent a very suitable platform for social games in the immediate future.

How to Combine Arrays in Ruby

How to Combine Arrays in Ruby What is the best way to combine arrays? This question is quite vague and can mean a few different things. Concatenation Concatenation is to append one thing to another. For example, concatenating the arrays [1,2,3] and [4,5,6] will give you [1,2,3,4,5,6]. This can be done in a few ways in Ruby. The first is the plus operator. This will append one array to the end of another, creating a third array with the elements of both. Alternatively, use the concat method (the operator and concat method are functionally equivalent). If youre doing a lot of these operations you may wish to avoid this. Object creation is not free, and every one of these operations creates a third array. If you want to modify an array in place, making it longer with new elements you can use the operator. However, if you try something like this, youll get an unexpected result. Instead of the expected [1,2,3,4,5,6] array we get [1,2,3,[4,5,6]]. This makes sense, the append operator takes the object you give it and appends it to the end of the array. It didnt know or care that you tried to append another array to the array. So we can loop over it ourselves. Set Operations The world combine can also be used to describe the set operations. The basic set operations of intersection, union, and difference are available in Ruby. Remember that sets describe a set of objects (or in mathematics, numbers) that are unique in that set. For example, if you were to do a set operation on the array [1,1,2,3] Ruby will filter out that second 1, even though 1 may be in the resulting set. So be aware that these set operations are different than list operations. Sets and lists are fundamentally different things. You can take the union of two sets using the | operator. This is the or operator, if an element is in one set or the other, its in the resulting set. So the result of [1,2,3] | [3,4,5] is [1,2,3,4,5] (remember that even though there are two threes, this is a set operation, not a list operation). The intersection of two sets is another way to combine two sets. Instead of an or operation, the intersection of two sets is an and operation. The elements of the resultant set are those in both sets. And, being an and operation, we use the operator. So the result of [1,2,3] [3,4,5] is simply [3]. Finally, another way to combine two sets is to take their difference. The difference of two sets is the set of all objects in the first set that is not in the second set. So [1,2,3] - [3,4,5] is [1,2]. Zipping Finally, there is zipping. Two arrays can be zipped together combining them in a rather unique way. Its best to just show it first, and explain after. The result of [1,2,3].zip([3,4,5]) is [ [1,3], [2,4], [3,5] ]. So what happened here? The two arrays were combined, the first element being a list of all elements in the first position of both arrays. Zipping is a bit of a strange operation and you may not find much use for it. Its purpose is to combine two arrays whose elements closely correlate.

Cases for Case Briefs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cases for Case Briefs - Essay Example Code Ann. Section 5-6-225 (e)(3) for hearing and writing to the Supreme Court for concrete evidence and conclusions of law. This case was initially tried on November 29, 1999 by the trial court, and the trial court verdict was in favor of employer/defendant (State Industries). This was because of employees failure to use a standard safety process. This is despite safety procedure and the training manual distributed to all employee by the employer (Courts, 2004). On July 15, 2002, the case was brought again before the same judge. On appeal, the Workers Compensation Panel voiced a new four-prong procedure to be applied when employers assert the affirmative defense of failure to use a safety appliance in the case of Wade Nance versus State Industries and ITT Hartford Insurance Company, 33 S.W.3d 222 (Tenn. 2). The four-prong test enumerated were:- The panel ruled that the employer had carried its burden of evidence on elements one, three, and four, and remanded the court case for a new trial on element two. On July 15, 22, the case was tried again before the same judge (Allen W. Wallace, Sr. J.) and the court determined State Industries, employer, had carried out a strict, continuous and bona fide enforcement policy (Courts, 2004). In addition, they further had training classes, and employee had received training on safety procedure. Evidence in this case showed that some employees did not use this safety procedure even though they had a device to initiate the procedure. The Case of Wade Nance v. State Industries originated from safety misconduct, On June 7, 1998. This case was a workers compensation appeal that had been passed on to the Special Workers Compensation Appeals Panel of the Supreme Court, as per Tenn. Code Ann. Section 5-6-225 (e)(3) for hearing. According to the events that led to the case, the employer required lock-out/tag out safety procedure and the employee

American Banking Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

American Banking Industry - Research Paper Example As a point of fact, banks are often and highly criticized due to being so driven towards profit maximization. Given this, banks often neglect its responsibility to the people as well as the environment. That is to say, banks may be directly or indirectly participating in harming the human beings and nature.   Review of Related Literatures This section aims at presenting an overview of the kinds of literature related to the topic of American banking industry. ... The expediency of this section is to help grasp an outlook on how to understand the topic under study. In this regard, this review of related kinds of literature is divided and categorized into the following segments which are: a) History of Banking Industry in America, b) The Role of the Banking Industry in the Social, Economic, and Political Setting of America, c) The Domestic and International Ethics, d) Ecological and Natural Resources, e) The Social Issues Faced by American Banking Industry, and f) The Corporate Stakeh olders Response to the Issues Confronting the American Banking Industry. a) History of Banking Industry in America According to Goyal and Joshi (2011), 2000 BC marks the earliest record of banking activity. During this era, the merchants lent money to the traders as well as farmers in Assyria and Babylonia. In this regard, it can be said that in the entire world, the industry of banking is among the oldest (Goyal & Joshi, 2011). In the United States of America, the earliest record of modern commercial banking industry had started in the year 1782 in Philadelphia (Mishkin & Serletis, 2010). According to Mishkin and Serletis (2010), the Bank of North America had been a success which triggered other banks to operate in America. On the one hand, 1791 marked the charter of Bank of the United States. This bank had functioned as a private bank and at the same time, a central bank that had an obligation to the economy of the whole society. However, its charter expired in 1811 which had lead to the establishment of another bank in 1816. Such charter of the Second Bank of the United States came to end in 1836 as Andrew Jackson rejected its rechartering.

Define Literary Realism and apply the definition to Fools by Joan Term Paper

Define Literary Realism and apply the definition to Fools by Joan Silber. Refer to Huck Finn by Mark Twain as comparison - Term Paper Example Realism is applied by literary critics in two diverse ways: (1) to identify a movement in the writing of novels during the nineteenth century that included Honore de Balzac in France, George Eliot in England, and Willian L. Dean in America, and (2) to designate a recurrent mode, in various eras and literary forms, or representing human life and experience in literature† (Abrams 258). Thus it is evident that realism exposes the reality in human life and the words of Abrams confirms it when he says, â€Å"realism is said to represent life as it really is.† Another significant thing regarding realism is its â€Å"artistic or literary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world† (Wheeler). In realism, the writers do not leave space for fantasy or adventure as in the case of romantic fiction, but they depict life in a matter-of-fact or straightforward way, dissuading the wide possibilities of imaginative coloring. While reading through a realistic fiction, it said that the common readers are taken to a realistic social world in which the characters resemble to them and the actions narrated have close association with their life situations. This makes the readers infer the characters as simply existing and there is probability for their actions to take place. When analyzing Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’— collections of short stories, on the grounds of American literary realism, one can see t hat her stories fulfill most of the propositions of realism. The characters in ‘Fools’ are life-like, and therefore the readers do not consider them as separate entities smacked with some supernatural powers. The proposed study aims to establish the fact that Joan Silber’s ‘Fools’ is an example of inherent realism through the depictions of ordinary characters, settings, themes and accents. A comparison of ‘Fools’ with Mark Twain’s,

Moral Decisions In Daily Life

Moral Decisions In Daily Life Moral decision making is something every human does on a daily basis, modifying their behavior to obey standards of society which are based upon a shared system of values. In its most simplistic form, moral decision making is done with ethical motives in mind, concerned with the distinction between right and wrong by each individual. Moral decision making models and theories provide specific guides and rules to help individuals unravel their moral deliberations. Two of the most well-known moral decision making models in philosophy are consequentialism and deontological theory, both of which have strengths and weaknesses. The two models do share some commonality but there are many issues at which they stand at opposition. All of this must be taken into consideration before choosing which moral decision making model best fits an individual. The consequentialist moral decision making theory states that an action is considered morally right provided that the consequences which result are more positive than negative. A good aphorism for describing the backbone of consequentialism is that the ends justify the means. Provided that a good outcome results from an act, that act is considered morally just. Consequentialism can be agent-neutral or agent-focused and the two approaches are worth discussing to better understand the moral decision making model. Agent-Neutral consequentialism ignores the specific affect an action has for any certain individual and instead focuses on the consequences benefitting all. Agent-Focused consequentialism, on the other hand, is when the results of the moral decision are concentrated on the needs of the decision maker. This means that the moral actor makes their decision so that consequences resulting better themselves and the welfare of those they care about and not just the general welfare of society. The deontological moral decision making theory is a different form of moral reasoning than consequentialism for a variety of reasons. As opposed to consequentialism, deontological moral theory states that the rightness of an action or decision is not solely dependent upon maximizing the good of society. Instead, deontological theory defines the morally rightness or wrongness of an action from the behavior of the action itself, not the behavior of the outcome. Deontological moral decision making provides distinct guidelines for morally right and wrong behavior for individuals to use when making day to day choices. This deontological moral guide places a higher value on the individual than on maximizing the good for society. In fact, deontology actually has constraints to stop an individual from maximizing the good if it hinders following the moral standards of the guideline. Deontology is more open to interpretation than consequentialism, however, because it remains flexible for self- interpretation. Consequentialism possesses strengths as a moral model that deontology does not. One of the strongest points in favor of consequentialism is actually another theory which resulted from it known as utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was founded by Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher, who believed that the best moral action would result in the greatest good for the largest amount of people. Following it allows for relaxed tensions in society ensuring that the most people feel pleasure, rather than a large amount of individuals on edge or in pain. However, consequentialism possesses weaknesses in its moral decision making too. Consequentialism causes irresolvable morality dilemmas as it requires correlating principles which cannot be compared against one another on the same scale. A resulting weakness of utilitarianism is that it is so focused on the interest of all that it overlooks the rights of the individual which can lead to injustice. The most unavoidable weakness of consequentialis m is that is does not provide any direction to its followers for which actions are right or wrong, morally. The wrongness of the action can only be determined by its consequences and by that time its too late to change the decision. Deontological moral theory also possesses its own unique strengths and weaknesses. One of the advantages of deontological morality is that it allows the individual to take into account their families, friends, and personalized plans when making ethical decisions, as opposed to consequentialism which tends to be alienating in its decision making module. By putting more stress on the self-worth and personal capital of the individual deontology results in a less flawed moral theory. Immanuel Kant, a well-known deontological philosopher, and his Kantian ethics are a strength of deontology as well because he stated that its not the consequences of the actions that are right or wrong but rather the motives of the person doing the action. This forces the agent to take responsibility for all parts of their moral decision making, not only the results. However, the biggest weakness of deontology is that it categorizes actions as right or wrong, black or white, leaving no room for any gray area despite the obvious existence of many moral gray areas. Deontology is also hard to follow because its stringency leaves its followers feeling unguided by their morals which lack prioritizing, ultimately causing confusion. These are only two moral decision making models in philosophy and neither are necessarily the ideal. It is my belief that the ideal moral decision making process must combine the strengths of consequentialism and deontology while attempting to compensate for their errors. The best decision making process must involve an individuals own moral beliefs combined with the knowledge that can be gained from studying a large amount of moral theories and opinions. Morals are subjective, meaning that each person or group of people may possess their own set which differs from those of others. This is why the ideal process must be personalized to meet the needs of the individual following it. This compensates for deontologys inadequate claim of unchanging principles known as universal law. However, it should include the aspect of deontology that forces a person to be morally responsible for their own actions as this is its best idea. By forcing an individual to take into account how their decisi on will affect them and their own rather than society, leads, I believe, to better moral decisions being made. This combination decision making theory will also make use of the principle of utility, the best idea of Jeremy Bentham, which teaches individuals to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people. This combined with deontologys focus on the individuals rights dissipates the danger of consequentialism justifying genocide, torture or violence as necessary means to a morally right end. The ideal moral decision making process is difficult to pinpoint, as morals vary by individual and are subjective to different opinions from one person to the next. However, there are aspects of modern philosophical theories, consequentialism and deontology, which can be studied and used to help create an ideal guideline. Consequentialism is important because it focuses on the results of an action for the good of humanity, something which cannot be overlooked in an increasingly globalized world. Deontology forces the moral agent to take responsibility for their own actions instead of relying on someone else to care, just as important to maintaining moral societal standards. Together the two create checks and balances, which, when combined with an individuals beliefs, allow for moral decision making to occur with limited room for error.

The Impact of Computers on Education :: Argumentative Persuasive Papers

The Impact of Computers on Education The introduction of computers in education has positively affected the school in terms of student achievement, administrative and teaching methods. Computers have significantly altered student achievement. The computers in schools today are equipped with educational software that greatly aids learning. From the first grade on, computers are a daily activity in students’ life. In the early grades, computer games are used to interest the young student to learn. In my tutoring experience at St. Mary’s Elementary School this year, I watched students play a variety of games. The games cover a wide range of subjects, and the learning is interpreted by the students as fun and is a great way to start off their schooling. A recent article, Using Computers to Create Constructivist Learning Environments: Impact on Pedagogy and Achievement, conducted a study of twenty-three high school physics classes and thirteen teachers. They were examined to determine the extent to which computers can altar pedagogy and student achievement. Results suggest computers can significantly alter both teaching methods and student achieveme nt. â€Å"Overall this study suggests computers can be used to help teachers create a more constructivist learning environment, albeitalthough challenging. Attempting to alter ones’ pedagogy and integrate technology into the classroom at the same time requires quite an effort on the teachers part, both philosophically and technically.† Computers have significantly impacted students’ capabilities for research. Expanding Access to Computers is an article that describes how local companies refurbish computers that are no longer needed for students who previously had no home computer. This took place in Stamford Connecticut and the program is called TechCycle. Computers provide the Internet, which is a key research tool and one of the best sources for any information imaginable. Before computers were introduced in schools, all or most of the research was done in a library, now even the library is run on the computer, which brings me to the administration benefi ts. If one were to look at Lake Superior State University, they can definitely notice how computers have positively impacted the operation of the school. In past years, if one wanted to find a book, they would have to search through the index catalogue manually. This was time consuming and a challenge to maintain by keeping index cards in their appropriate places.

Keep It in Classrooms Essay

When it comes to the topic of discussing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in schools, most of us will agree that the interactions between whites and blacks in the book cause many controversies. Where the agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of whether Huckleberry Finn should be completely banned in schools. Whereas some people believe that keeping the book in school systems and developing a new curriculum solve the problem better, other people maintain that all schools must ban the book. The controversy over race, shown in Huckleberry Finn, takes place when Huck uses the â€Å"n-word† casually to talk about all blacks that he knows including Jim. The controversy over racism, also shown when the king, duke, and Huck go into a town and leave Jim and paint him blue so he looks ridiculous, may be argued because the king, duke, and Huck seem not to care about what they put Jim through. Some believe that when Jim stays at the Phelpses’ plantation in a cottage with many live animals, Mark Twain uses prejudices against blacks meaning they do not have many characteristics of humans because Jim live in a cottage and he cannot think for himself because Huck thinks for him. When my class started reading Huckleberry Finn, having an introduction to the book helped while we tried to understand how Twain writes. We discussed racism in our classroom which made me learn more from the class altogether. Although I grant that reading Huckleberry Finn may cause controversy and some discomfort, I still maintain that students should carefully read Huckleberry Finn with extra discussion and introduction about Twain’s background, style of writing, and ideas about racism. I believe that though Twain starts out the novel with some racist comments, by the end of the novel Twain proves to the audience that he is not racist. Franek and NiiLampti disagree with me in their article â€Å"Shoot the Author, Not the Reader† thinking that Twain never stops his racist comments and situations and â€Å"Twain’s other ‘hero’ †¦ acts] so stupid, naive, and subservient† (21). Though this depiction of Jim may be the way that Twain characterizes Jim at the beginning of the novel, by the end of the novel the views of Jim change because he grows during the novel and Huck also grows by accepting Jim into the novel. Franek and NiiLampti believe that by having a black character described stereotypically, black students in the class will feel uncomfortable. But instead teachers should take advantage of the moment to discuss racism in the setting of the book. The turning point for Jim’s rowth occurs when he helps the doctor by watching Tom so that the doctor can fetch more help. The doctor realizes that â€Å"he ain’t a bad nigger† (Twain 214). Jim, a noble friend to Tom, helps Tom and even risks his life in order to help out his friend. Huckleberry Finn studied in classrooms, the classic must be examined carefully and taken within the context before the Civil War although Twain actually wrote the book after the Civil War. The use of the â€Å"n-word† must be discussed before students start to read the novel because of course if the students see the â€Å"n-word’ for the first time, the written word will shock them. Huck uses the â€Å"n-word† on many situations and he does not think twice about saying the â€Å"n-word. † Huck explains how everyone respects Jim by saying, â€Å"Niggers would come miles to hear Jim† but while Huck praises Jim, he still uses the â€Å"n-word† because back when Huckleberry Finn took place, although the â€Å"n-word† derogatorily explained blacks, the negative connotation associated with the â€Å"n-word† today had not surfaced yet, and so people uses the â€Å"n-word† more frequently (5). Teachers and school boards should not ban the book just because the use of the â€Å"n-word,† and Paula Leider agrees with me in her article â€Å"Does Huck Finn Belong in My Classroom? † by saying that â€Å"when Huck Finn is taught in my classroom†¦ it must be explored with sensitivity† (50). If students start to understand the background of the book then the confusion about race will clear up; Leider explains that she likes to talk to her students about why Twain uses prejudices and what the problem is with them. Some of the same prejudices that were in place in the setting of Huckleberry Finn are still depicted today and the reasons for the prejudices stay the same. Twain has a firm attitude that depending on the situation the use of the â€Å"n-word† enhances the context and meaning. To make a more worthwhile class for students, teachers must make the students engage in conversation and provide the students with background information by starting the unit with a history introduction. Along with considering the context of the novel, teachers must note that Twain strengthens the book by adding literary value. A lot of what Twain wrote about had to do with the life that he lived and dealt with; he wants to inform the reader by telling an intriguing story. Katherine Schulten agrees while explaining that Twain uses satire to criticize prejudices from after the Civil War. Twain uses the literary tool of satire to poke fun at certain groups of people by using irony, but his irony must be obvious so that his audience understands that he is not serious. Huck and Jim talk on the raft about French people and Jim says, â€Å"Is a frenchman a man?†¦ Why don’t he talk like a man† (60). Using humor to poke fun at French people, Twain plays with French people because Twain did not like anyone foreign. In Huckleberry Finn the use of satire, a great literary tool that Twain uses, adds light fun and humor to the novel along with provoking thought. Huckleberry Finn has great literary value; the book can not be banned just because of racism. Marge Kraemer agrees in Schulten’s article â€Å" ‘Huck Finn’: Born to Trouble†: â€Å"I’d rather change my approach to a novel than lose the right to teach it† because in her school system the teachers decided to make a curriculum that pleases both sides of the argument (59). I agree with the decision that the Cherry Hill school community made because by keeping the novel the students can still study the literary value of the book. Students should read Huckleberry Finn in schools because the book has a great literary value and teachers can use the time reading to book to discuss racism. Suggestions to teachers may include: discussion of racism in the setting of Huck Finn, racism today, and how we deal with racism. To strengthen race relations, teachers need to convey to their students that they can speak up and disagree at anytime with what is said in the book because that makes the students more active readers. Ernest Hemingway says in his book Green Hills of Africa that â€Å"all modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckleberry Finn. † I agree with his statement because the book leads all other books and if Huckleberry Finn is ban, future generations will not be able to study one of the greatest pieces of American literature.

Learning English Opinion Essary

———-Task———- The following statement was recently printed in a local newspaper: â€Å"English is the only foreign language worth learning. † Your teacher has now asked you to write a composition giving your opinion on this subject. ———-Compositions———- Nowadays there is an opinion that English is the most popular language and it is the only foreign language worth learning and I want to express the reasons for it.To begin with, English is an international language, which is known almost in every country, consequently it is used in different international negotiations, competitions, events as well as in airports and businesses. Furthermore, if you have a desire to be a successful and educated person it is better to learn English, due to the fact that when you are on a work, there are many international partners with whom you have to communicate and solve different problems. In addition to this, i f you know this language, you obviously have a perfect opportunity to occupy a position in a foreign company.Alternatively, it goes without saying that there are other languages worth learning. I believe that the importance of language depends on the economic development of the country, therefore nowadays the popularity of some other languages has grown, for instance Chinese. However, English continues being the most demanded. All things considered, if you know English you can not only easily cope with any difficulties in getting a job as you have an advantage over your counterparts, but also travel abroad everywhere you like.

The Oil and Gas Industry

The Oil and Gas Industry Background The oil and gas industry is the means for Nigeria’s economy. The upstream oil and gas industry remains the most important sector of the country’s economy.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The Oil and Gas Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Statistical Energy Survey by BP 2012 estimated that â€Å"Nigeria had oil reserves of 37.2 billion barrels at the end of 2011, equivalent to 41.4 years of current production and 2.25 % of the worlds reserves while the country produced an average of 2457.3 thousand barrels of crude oil per day in 2011, which represented 2.93% of the world† (MBendi, 2013). According the BP Statistical Energy Survey 2011, Nigeria had 5.29 trillion cubic metres of gas. However, a poor infrastructure has affected the distribution of the gas. It flares 75 percent and re-injects 12 percent of the gas produced. However, the country wanted a zero percent flare by 2010. The government also intended to increase revenues from export of gas by 50 percent. The country’s downstream oil and gas industry also has important roles in the sector. However, it faces a myriad of challenges, such as fire, poor management, corruption, sabotage, vandalism, and poor maintenance. As a result, such refineries have never â€Å"operated above 40 percent capacity† (MBendi, 2013). Therefore, the country cannot meet the internal demand for oil and gas, and it has turned to imports in order to supplement the shortage. The country has an active petrochemical industry based on its refining abilities and demands. The current situation of Nigeria is risky for production and proper management of the sector. For instance, Nigeria experiences political unrest, border problems, and inadequate funding from the government coupled with corruption. Such problems have affected the promotion of best practices in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria. Information techno logy in the oil and gas industry Technological developments in the oil and gas industry have transformed the sector in advanced areas like the US (NaturalGas.org, 2011). There are innovations that have changed the oil and gas industry in many OPEC member states. Consequently, the roles of technology in oil and gas industry, particularly in explorations and productions have had deep impacts on the potential of the sector.Advertising Looking for dissertation on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The applications of information technology (IT) and other innovations in exploration and production of oil and gas have equipped the sector with the required practices and equipment for continuous efficiency in production of oil and gas to meet the world demands. The aims of the IT and other innovations are to ensure safe exploration and production and environmental friendly practices. Usages of such technol ogies in exploration and production aim to mitigate challenges that arise from ‘unconventional’ sources of natural gas like shale rock. Specifically, agendas of IT in the oil and gas industry have been to provide superior and integrated database with high-end visualisation and communication capabilities for oil and gas information management. Such innovations are also useful in managing petroleum geological information and improving observation of the sector. The overall aim is to improve production through efficient drilling quality that protects the environment, and reduce costs. Some major oil and gas firms like Chevron, Shell, Mobil, and BP also work in Nigeria. They have applied information technology in their practices in the sector. The involvement and activities of these firms remain extensive and critical for the success of the country’s oil and gas industry. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the impact of information technology in the oil and g as industry in Nigeria. Study problems The cost of oil and gas exploration in Nigeria is high due to a myriad of challenges in the sector. For instance, there is a slow rate of gathering data that are fundamental for seismic activities, reservoir characteristics, and monitoring. Moreover, availability and sharing of data are also challenges in the sector. As a result, the cost of drilling has increased. However, IT in the industry should enhance efficiency, protect the environment, eliminate emissions, and improve identification, mapping, and understanding of source rocks.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on The Oil and Gas Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Objectives This study aims to indentify impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria. Specifically, the study shall show how adoption of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria has affected various area s. To investigate the effect of information technology on cost of production To assess the level of efficiency as a result of adopting information technology in the industry To highlight impacts of information technology on risk mitigation and management in the oil and gas industry To investigate effectiveness of information technology in production processes To assess the environmental impacts of adopting information technology the oil and gas industry of Nigeria These are the most critical considerations for the use of information technology in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Relevance of the research Limited data exist on the impact of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. However, data should be available in the volatile oil and gas industry of Nigeria that faces many challenges. Besides, the increase in demands for oil and gas has created opportunities for advanced practices in the sector. Studies in information technology can help in developing th e oil and gas industry in Nigeria by providing a basis for drafting technology policies and procedures for the industry. Therefore, the research shall provide useful information for oil and gas firms, government agencies, industry stakeholders, and researchers in the oil and gas industry. Review of available literature Studies about the use and impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry of Nigeria are rare. Currently, there has been growing attention for alternative energy that can replace fossil fuels. However, the oil and gas industry has changed its practices in order to meet challenges of providing clean and cost-effective energy. In this regard, the use of information technology has been the most important element in the dynamic oil and gas industry because it has assisted in mitigating the environmental impacts and increasing efficiency in exploration, production, and supply of oil and gas (Edwards, Ishaq and Johnsen, 2010).Advertising Looking for dissertation on environmental studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More At the global level, the oil and gas industry is diverse because of various government policies, uneven distribution, and technological capabilities of workers. Players in the oil and gas industry have expressed their concerns about external risks, which may disrupt the oil and gas industry. For instance, Thales notes that exploration and drilling activities have become dangerous in many oil fields, including Nigeria (Thales, n.d). Therefore, the need for advanced physical and data security is paramount. Moreover, field operations also need risk assessment in order to mitigate risks. The process needs recognition of potential risks, the creation of boundaries, evaluation of security consequences, and developing business recovery plan. The oil and gas industry participants also note that industry characteristics are important for planning. For instance, oil and gas firms require abilities to operate in volatile frontiers, they need new skills and knowledge, understand dynamic governm ent regulations, and the need for hydrocarbon fuels. Moreover, the changes and competitive industry has favoured national oil companies. As a result, multinational firms face challenges of energy source availability as focus shifts to new oil fields and emerging markets. A number of changes that affect the oil and gas industry require firms to act now in order to position themselves for future operations. Solutions to these challenges are in leveraging information technologies in order to enhance development of vibrant oil and gas resources, improve recovery from current fields, eliminate environmental challenges, and find alternative sources of energy. Clear strategies for mitigating such challenges require a focus on information technology. First, develop performance management in the oil and gas business units, costs, assets, and various processes based on best practices within the field. Second, the information technology should address the enterprise-wide risks by developing go vernance systems that can continuously recognise and control various risks in the firm and various locations. Third, information technology should address operational excellence in the industry. This can happen through creating value to the environment, enhancing quality, and enabling cost reduction strategies. Third, the solution should also focus on people management. The aim is to align the right personnel with the right goals, activities, and processes. Information technology has to enhance decision-making in these processes (Roge, Rydl and Simpson, 2004). Finally, the effective use of information technology should assist the industry to create adaptive business model, which can integrate various value chains, operation units, technologies, and partners. Research methodology This section provides the framework of collecting the required data to meet research objectives. Howe and Eisenhardt note that in the final analysis, â€Å"methodology must be judged by how well it informs research purposes, more than how well it matches a set of conventions† (Howe Eisenhardt, 1990). In this regard, these authors argue that the research methodology must provide data that answer the research questions, has coherent background assumptions, and methods applied work well enough to provide credible results. Research method We have various methods of addressing data collection in a study. These methods address both design and measurement challenges in a study. In this research, we shall apply both qualitative and quantitative methods to gather the required data. Qualitative approach shall address non-numerical factors of impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Thus, it shall provide descriptive and interpretative information. On the other hand, quantitative research shall address numerical information from quantitative research variables. It shall permit the researcher to have high-levels of confidence in making normal inferences (Tr ochim, 2006). Target of research This research targets managers in information technology departments in government agencies, private oil and gas firms, and industry stakeholders in Nigeria. This group has valuable information about the application and impacts of information technology in the oil and gas industry. Data collection method The study shall utilise a variety of data collection methods. Survey questionnaires shall provide the researcher with the flexibility of using telephone, mail, Internet, or paper to gather information from various respondents. In addition, there shall also be interviews by telephone where appropriate. The aim of the interview is to get information in in-depth about impacts of IT in the industry. The researcher may also use Web survey tools like e-mail or online in order to save costs and time. The researcher shall ensure validity of measurement tools i.e., all research instruments shall measure what they purport to measure. Thus, the study instrument s are specific to the study. The researcher shall use these approaches in order to gather data from sufficient respondents. Sampling This is a mixed research method. However, the method for sampling shall be purposive (non-random) sampling. The sample shall be large enough to allow the researcher to generalise where necessary. The large sample shall provide opportunities for hermeneutic analysis of gathered data (Bazeley, 2002). According to Bazeley, we can perform such analysis because of computer programmes that can perform data analysis from both qualitative and quantitative sources. Purposeful sampling will not attempt to gather data from the representatives of the samples. Instead, the researcher shall focus on respondents who can provide rich information on impacts of information technology on the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. Such data are useful for in-depth analysis of the study issue. Thus, the researcher shall purposefully focus on IT managers in oil firms and governme nt oil agencies in order to gather a great deal of data about the study purpose. Sample size The researcher shall rely on samples from ‘information rich’ sources in multinational firms. The sample size shall also include government agencies in charge of the oil and gas in Nigeria. The researcher is yet to identify the total sample size from the total target organisations. Data Analysis The researcher shall clean data after collection. They researcher shall organise the results based on themes of impacts of IT on the oil and gas industry. For qualitative data, the research shall code common themes, whereas quantitative data shall be numerically organised (Miles and Huberman, 1994). The researcher shall use SPSS data analysis software in order to analyse data from mixed sources (Pallant, 2005). This shall provide opportunities for the researcher to analyse qualitative data after coding. The researcher shall also present descriptive statistics for quantitative data and use analytical framework approaches for qualitative data (Wolcott, 1994). The researcher shall also ensure credibility of the data collected for analysis. This process requires the researcher to describe any factor that may the outcome of the study (Patton, 2002). This ensures internal validity in quantitative study. Likewise, the researcher shall ensure external validity of the study by ensuring transferability. The researcher shall describe research contexts and assumptions. The researcher shall then present the study outcome through presentations to the professors, institutions, students, and other related stakeholders. Ethical issues The researcher shall observe all principles of ethics in research as Beauchamp and Childress highlight (Beauchamp and Childress, 2001). The researcher shall also present the research to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval before the study. Moreover, the researcher shall gain informed consents of all research participants before the study begins (Pimple, 2006). The research shall not harm any human subject. The researcher shall ensure: Respect for the autonomous choices of persons Confidentiality Protection of all participants Not collection of personal information without the consent of the respondent Opportunity to withdraw Professional code of ethics of the university Research Timetable Time Schedule April April May June July Ethical Form Approval Literature Review Research Design Questionnaire formulation Pretest of research questionnaires Reviewing research questionnaires Data Collection, cleaning, coding and analysis Post-field study Data Analysis and interpretation of findings Presentation of research findings, conclusion and recommendation Reference List Bazeley, P 2002, Computerized data analysis for mixed methods research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Beauchamp, T Childress, F 2001, Principles of biomedical ethics, Oxford University Press, New York, NY. Edwards, S, Ishaq, O and Johnsen, Ø 2010, Oil and Gas 2030: Meeting the growing demands for energy in the coming decades, IBM Global Business Services, Somers, NY. Howe, K Eisenhardt, M 1990, ‘Standards for qualitative (and quantitative) research: A prolegomenon’, Educational Researcher, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 2-9. MBendi 2013, Oil and Gas in Nigeria: An Overview. Web. Miles, M and Huberman, A. 1994, Qualitative Data Analysis – An Expanded Sourcebook, Sage Publication, London. NaturalGas.org 2011, Natural Gas and Technology. Web. Pallant, J 2005, SPSS Survival Manual, Ligare, Sydney. Patton, Q 2002, Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd edn, Sage, Newbury Park, CA. Pimple, K 2006, Protection of human subjects in non-biomedical research: A tutorial. Web. Roge, J, Rydl, L and Simpson, C 2004, ‘Wireless Technology uses in the Oil and Gas Industry’, Issues in Information Systems, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 666-672. Thales. (n.d). Security Solutions for the Oi l Gas Industry. Web. Trochim, W 2006, The Research Methods Knowledge Base, 2nd edn, Atomic Dog Publishing, Cincinnati, OH. Wolcott, H 1994, Transforming qualitative data: Description, analysis, and interpretation, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Palm Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Palm Nadler-Tushman Congruence Model - Essay Example Thus managing large organizations which comprises of thousands of individuals and numerous groups is a mind boggling issue. This project tries to explore the performance and outputs of Palm Inc. and the way it operates to achieve its goals. The performance is measured at three different levels, organizational level, group level and individual level. Finally the project seeks to identify if the interactions of these outputs are congruent and whether the congruency is high, medium or low. Performance Analysis at three levels Organizational Level The major goal of the company is to design and create the latest technology that helps to attain the highest productivity. The company undertakes extensive research on the emergent merging technologies which enabled people to work in a comfortable and portable manner and while on move. The company uses its high end technological research and expertise for designing of the portable electronics, which are compatible, fast and better for offering their clients the convenience, speed and also compatibility. The products include computer like enhanced features which enables clients to use them with their computers or for performing computer-based functions. Such products can be considered to be organizational outputs of Palm. However, it must be noted that the company uses its research groups extensively for production and creation of such technologies. This also involves individual output of efforts of each and every person who are involved within the functional groups charged with design and production. The group design and research of electronics and also the accompanying software is considered to be one of the greatest group outputs from Palm Inc. (Nadler, Tushman & Hatvany, 2007, p.3). Group Level The company’s research groups are worth mentioning in this context. Palm Inc. employs extensive functional groups for attaining its goals and objectives. There are about 65,000 developers who are involved with the company and works on company’s software applications. The research work and development activities which have gone into the functioning of the organization have been effective in increasing its output by about ten times within a span of one year. Palm also intends to increase the number of users of its products by a large extent. In order to achieve this purpose a huge sales force is used for the same. Palm intends to increase its number of users from 6 million by more than 75% of the market. Palm also uses selling mediums like the internet, wireless channels, online stores etc. (Palm-a, 2010).This would amount to more than 60 million numbers of users. In order to make this possible the company has employed a large sales team which is responsible for developing and expanding the present market (Info World, 2000, p.77). The company has also aligned with the leading providers of the mobile field sales solutions (Palm, 2000, p.1). Palm was able to ship a total amount of 823,000 smart p hones units during the first quarter of 2010, which represented a 134% increase from the last quarter of fiscal year of 2009. Individual Level One of the primary requirements of the company would be an experienced research team which would focus on the creation of advanced level technologies and solutions to cater the user’s requirements. Moreover, a sales team would responsible for expanding on the present market of the company. Most importantly the team of software engineers and developers

Source Selection and Ethical standards Applied on the Supply Chain Essay

Source Selection and Ethical standards Applied on the Supply Chain Performance - Essay Example This generally involves having a budget for the items needed, selecting the supplies intended in this bandages, needles, medical equipment etc. This is followed by the bidding process where the bidders are invited to tender for the supplies. The selection of the most viable and convenient supplier is chosen, implementation is done and further follow up is carried out. Triage approach is one the suggested ways that thoroughly looks at a systematic evaluation of individual suppliers then gives them categorical differences (Robert et al, 2008). This process enables you to get the best deal in inventory management process by assessing the suppliers’ dealings. It also customizes the product needs according to specifications let alone the strategic location that is convenient for you. The opportunity presented here is in product specification delivery. There is often a team that is liable to undertake the whole process. The sales lead oversees everything to the customers’ fin al detail. The procurement team and the technological advancement team plus the consultant team work hand in hand to meet the customers’ target. The team will always be ready to make any amendments and give suggestions towards vital changes that would be beneficial to the hospital. The location as well the timing is all put in consideration. The price at which the customer is willing to pay is negotiated and the fairest price reached. This saves on time as well the costs involved in other modes of procurement. This is because a shortage of inventory is not felt as well as the stock levels are maintained at the recommended levels. No one time will you experience out of stock of your supplies since your target is at the core of the supplier chain manager. The whole source selection caters for production, delivery, inventory management, locality aspects, and providing information where need be. The advantages of the source selection are so beneficial to the hospital. Insourcing is recommended than outsourcing. Outsourcing of the source needs would and might incorporate all the clientele needs. The small details that are vital in such a process may be overlooked leading to failure of the whole process. The cost involved in getting a consultant to outsource may also be quite high as the work is tedious. On the contrary the outsourcing of the source needs may be beneficial in that it will not consume time for the management. The whole process is left to the consulting company. The final decision however rests with the management. Insourcing of the source needs is recommended due to the fact that the needs are clarified along the way. Any changes that need to be made are done quickly saving on time. The best opportunity can easily be identified as the direct involvement is between the supplier and the hospital. A thorough analysis can be made before the selection process is reached for clarity and the way forward needed without further consultations. Ethics po licy for the purchasing department: Personal integrity and professionalism – each and every individual who will be involved in the supply chain should be honest, have due diligence and be caring. Respects should be portrayed towards the clientele as well as to their colleagues. The entire group should maintain confidentiality in their work. Information shared to the public should not be outside the context that is allowed by the hospital management. Accountability and transparency –