Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

Is a science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick first published in 1968. The main plot follows Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter of androids, while the secondary plot follows John Isidore, a man of sub-normal intelligence who befriends some of the androids. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future, where the Earth and its populations have been damaged greatly by Nuclear War during World War Terminus. Most types of animals are endangered or extinct due to extreme radiation poisoning from the war. To own an animal is a sign of status, but what is emphasized more is the empathic emotions humans experience towards an animal. Deckard is faced with â€Å"retiring† six escaped Nexus-6 model androids, the latest and most advanced model. Because of this task, the novel explores the issue of what it is to be human. Unlike humans, the androids possess no empathic sense. In essence, Deckard probes the existence of defining qualities that separate humans from androids. The book's plot served as the primary basis for the 1982 film Blade Runner. Setting Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? takes place in 1992 (2021 in later editions), years after the radioactive fallout of World War Terminus destroyed most of Earth. The U. N. ncourages emigration to off-world colonies, in hope of preserving the human race from the terminal effects of the fallout. One emigration incentive is giving each emigrant an â€Å"andy† — a servant android. The remaining populace live in cluttered, decaying cities wherein radiation poisoning sickens them and damages their genes. Animals are rare and people are expected to keep them and help preserve them. But many people turn towards the much cheaper synthetic, or electric, animals to keep up the pretense. Rick Deckard owned a sheep, but it died of tetanus, and he replaced it with a synthetic sheep. The main Earth religion is Mercerism, in which Empathy Boxes link simultaneous users into a collective consciousness based on the suffering of Wilbur Mercer, largely an endless walk up a mountain in which stones are thrown at Mercer, the pain of which the users share. The television appearances of Buster Friendly and his Friendly Friends, broadcast twenty-three hours a day, represent a second religion, designed to undermine Mercerism and allow androids to partake in a kind of consumerist spirituality. It is revealed that neither Mercer nor Friendly are actual humans despite popular belief. edit]Androids Androids are used only in the Martian colonies, yet many escape to Earth, fleeing the psychological isolation and chattel slavery. Although made of biological materials and physically all but indistinguishable from humans, they are considered to be pieces of machinery. Police bounty hunters, such as Rick Deckard, hunt and retire (kill) fugitive androids passing for human. Often, Deckard's police department will collect and analyze the corpses of suspected â€Å"andys† to confirm that they are, in fact, artificial. Earlier androids were easier to detect because of their limited intelligence. As android technology improved, bounty hunters had to apply an empathy test — the Voigt-Kampff — to distinguish humans from androids, by measuring empathetic responses, or lack thereof, from questions designed to evoke an emotional response, often including animal subjects and themes. Because androids are not sympathetic, their responses are either absent or feigned, and measurably slower than a human's. The simpler Bonelli Test, used by another police department in San Francisco, measures the reflex-arc velocity in the spinal column's upper ganglia, but is very painful to the subject, as well as the results taking longer to produce. Plot summary The novel follows bounty hunter Rick Deckard through one day of his life, as he tracks down renegade androids who have assumed human identities. The novel begins with Deckard feeling alienated from his wife who, he feels, is misusing her mood organ by choosing inappropriate moods, like depression. Deckard meets Rachel Rosen when travelling to Rosen Industries to test the validity of an empathy test on the new android type: the Nexus 6. Rachael is an attractive female android Deckard initially believes to be human. Rachael believes herself to be human as she has memories implanted from the niece of her manufacturer. She attempts to turn Deckard away from bounty hunting. Deckard becomes confused about humanity, morality and empathy. He is arrested after attempting to retire the second android and taken to what appears to be a fully functional and publicly accessible police station—but it is not a police station Deckard knows about. Deckard escapes with fellow bounty hunter Phil Resch after deducing that the station is staffed by androids. His moral quandary deepens after working briefly with Phil Resch, who Deckard learns is a particularly callous fellow bounty hunter. Deckard's story is interwoven with that of J. R. Isidore, a driver for an animal repair shop who cannot qualify to leave Earth due to his low IQ. Isidore lives alone in a nearly entirely empty apartment building with little outside contact other than his Empathy Box. Pris Stratton, an android identical in appearance to Rachel, moves into the building and the lonely Isidore attempts to befriend her. Pris and her friends get Isidore to help them trap Deckard as he comes to retire them. Once Deckard realizes the size of the challenge ahead, he enlists Rachel to help him, and they proceed to have sex. By Deckard's having sex with her, Rachel hoped to stop him from bounty hunting, but he will not and drops her off. Deckard nevertheless succeeds in killing the androids, causing Isidore to break down from the loss of his only friends, and earning him a citation for the record number of kills in one day. He returns home and his wife reports having seen Rachael Rosen kill his real pet goat. He understands that Rachael was taking revenge and is thankful that the loss is only financial; the android could instead have killed his wife. He travels to an isolated desert to meditate and has an epiphany. He also finds a toad, thought to be extinct and considered to be Mercer's favorite animal. Deckard brings it home, where his wife discovers that the toad is in fact synthetic. Deckard is not glad but â€Å"prefers† to know the toad is artificial.

The Leadership Styles of Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem

A close look at the history and background of Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem allows one to analyze what may have made the leadership skills of each a success or failure. Both were patriotic and wanted the same thing for their country and that was for Vietnam to remain undivided. Yet their backgrounds were quite different and may have had some influence in their ability to inspire, motivate and transmit a hope for change and betterment. Evaluation of Leaderships Ho Chi Minh had a strong background in Vietnamese culture and history.Born in simple humble beginnings in the late 1800’s he experienced first-hand French colonization in some if its early stages. He was rebellious and radical like his Father who was a strong Vietnamese nationalist and passed his belief about Vietnam’s independence to his son. He even saw his Father resign his official position in protest against French domination. Eventually, Ho Chi Minh spent years traveling Europe and the Western world experien cing both worlds’ cultures and politics.But he aligned himself with other nationalists which developed his political outlook and defined his philosophy for Vietnam independence. By the time he returned to Vietnam he was a seasoned revolutionary and passionate about the goal of his country’s independence. What may have prepared Ho Chi Minh most was his ability to relate to the common Vietnamese people. He regularly visited villages and towns and was fond of dropping into schools to chat with the children.Vietnamese people had affection for him and he was universally called â€Å"Uncle Ho. † He was admired for his simplicity, integrity and determination. He knew the Vietnamese way of life, philosophy and religion; he did not assimilate to the European or Western cultures or religions. He resisted any efforts to compromise his move for Vietnam’s independence. He was so passionate about Vietnam’s independence that he explained patriotism not communism was what inspired him (Karnow 1998).On the other hand Ngo Dinh Diem was born into a more privileged wealthy family. His ancestors had converted to Christianity and he was a devout Catholic; this may have created distress for the predominantly Buddhist Vietnamese people. He was not assessable to the common people. His wealth, religion and the fact that he had worked for the colonial French government may have caused many Vietnamese to look at him distrustfully. Diem lacked compassion for the common people who made up 85% of the rural masses of South Vietnam.Instead he viewed them as potential enemies who must be kept under surveillance and tight administrative control. He was not sensitive to the majority but engaged in biased and religiously oppressive policies. An example of this is when nine unarmed Buddhists civilians were killed as they protested Diem’s government ban on flying the Buddhist flag in commemoration of Buddha’s birthday. He was known to be a difficult man to reason and work with. He micromanaged even the pettiest details so much so that he appeared incapable of seeing the larger view.He trusted no one except a few family members, refused to broaden the base of his government, and refused to negotiate with any of his many rivals (Moss 2010). Diem’s political philosophy and authoritarian methods of governing created opposition and preventing him from achieving the support he so needed. Conclusion Ho Chi Minh and Ngo Dinh Diem each manifested an individuality that characterized their leadership. Both were intelligent, hardworking and patriotic. Ho Chi Minh’s background helped him to succeed in affecting the Vietnamese people.He engaged their cultural, social, and economic issues; he was passionate and determined to make the nation self-sufficient with a strong internal infrastructure. On the other hand Diem, who also a nationalist lacked the background of the Vietnamese people and while he wanted self-rule he was finan cially dependent on U. S. aid and interests. His religious favoritism, his repressive attacks on those that opposed him alienated the majority of Vietnamese people. You can read countless books and articles on both men. It is interesting that even those who oppose communism admire the leadership skills of Ho Chi Minh.

EEG and Epilepsy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

EEG and Epilepsy - Essay Example In the brain, there is a three-dimensional volumes of cortex from which the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal is generated. Each dimension of the cortex produces unique signal and hence three different potential signals are are produced within the brain. Two of the signals are recorded from the surface of the scalp where they are recorded as two-dimensional fields against the voltage. This technique is accomplished by determining the physical and functional components of the EEG cortical generators. After determining the nature and the location of the EEG fields, the signal of the pd is characterized and graded according to inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) and excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) According to the various tests that have been conducted on EEG fields, Epileptic spikes are negatively charged in nature. This is mainly caused by the depolarization of the superficial laminae. After the depolarization cycle, the subsequent repolarization cycle brings about the recurrent excitation and inhibition among laminae. This causes a sequence of negative spikes that normally translate to a negative wave detected by the electrodes. The Committee of the International Federation (CIF) of the body governing Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology (IFSECN) have made the recommendations that the placement of a specific system of electrode under standard conditions for use in all medical laboratories. The system, branded as the international 10-20 system, gives specific measurement parameters from bony landmarks and hence used to determine the nature of electrodes. Anatomical landmarks are useful in this technique as they give specific measurements made, and then approximately10% to 20% of a specified distance is useful in the electrode interval. The specific measurement enables the consistently in replication over time and between laboratories and hence the system is very reliable. However, a lot of vigilance

Social Interaction of Those with Genius IQs Essay

Social Interaction of Those with Genius IQs - Essay Example In the course of the research, varying and opposing definitions of genius were arrived at. The term genius was at first referred to as a "man endowed with superior faculties" referring to some popular figures as the famous author and lexicographer Dr. Samuel Johnson, Albert Einstein, Immanuel Kant, Abraham Lincoln, Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci and many others. It was also referred to as a quality, "that everyone possessed, an animating spirit that represented one's character and interests as much as one's ability". Through time, there were changes in the understanding of the term and was then associated with "one's natural ability or talent, and eventually with the special ability of a few". (Benet, 2005) In some other references as in the article of David Every, he insinuated to link genius to insanity, and gave a definition "an abnormal IQ, to the point where the person is 1.5 times as "logical" as the average person, or basically testing beyond the 98th percentile (3rd or 4th deviation)". (2006) Genius was also linked to psychoticism as some form of madness, "associated with an above-average level of psychological disturbance, though in combination with high general intelligence". (Brand, n.d.) However, in the more recent century, when the interests shifted to psychometric methods of assessment, the term genius became associated with the quantitative concept "Intelligence Quotient or IQ". Intelligence Quotient Intelligence Quotient or IQ is "the ratio of an individual's estimated mental age and chronological age multiplied by 100". Alfred Binet, a French psychologist developed the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale in 1905 that measured the intelligence quotient. The initial IQ classification geared a scale of, IQ -140 and over as genius or near genius, 120-140 as very superior intelligence, 110-120 as superior intelligence, 90-110 as normal or average intelligence, 80-90 as dullness, 70-80 as borderline deficiency, 50-69 as moron, 20-49 as imbecile and below 20 as idiot. The classification changed in 1997 by the David Welcher - the Adult Intelligence Scale, which classified IQ -130 and above as very superior, 120-129 as superior, 110-119 as high average, 90-109 as average, 80-89 as low average, 70-79 as borderline and 69 and below as extremely low. Welcher's terminologies used were noticeably more considerate and humane and avoided type casting. The term genius was not used anymore. (Benet, C lassification n.d.) Intelligence and Genius The conflicting issue is that studies did not show clear relationship with IQ and the popular meaning of genius. It was noted that IQs of popular personalities were approximated in the above 130 or genius level. But the concept used is that of popularity. The word genius was derived from the Latin word, "gignere" which meant to beget or to produce. The reference to genius is one's ability to create something, which, the IQ tests did not measure. Albert Einstein was, according to sources, not an achiever as a child. The development of his speech was delayed and he dropped out of his early school years. He was also report to have failed in the college admission test in Zurich. But Einstein was recognized

Philosopy- Death penalty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosopy- Death penalty - Essay Example Igor Primoratz, in Justifying Legal Punishment and Ernest Van den Haag, in On Deterrence and the Death Penalty agree with abolitionists in part. Both admit that flaws in the system exist but submit that these issues could be diminished or eliminated. Each author presents compelling philosophical reasoning for continuing the death penalty. Of course, justifying a wrong does not make it right. The pursuit of justice is universally perceived a moral endeavor therefore, according to Primoratz, punishment must be considered moral as well. His theory of morally condoned retribution, the retributive theory, draws credibility by using a quote from the Bible which encourages use of the death penalty. (Primoratz, 1989). There are many quotes from the Bible that seemingly condone retribution for murder, the often quoted ‘an eye for an eye’ for example. Those that subscribe to retribution as justification for the death penalty often invoke this particular Bible reference. Aggression must be met with aggressive punishment. Interestingly, those that use the quote from the Old Testament to justify the use of the death penalty as a moral punishment either overlooked or ignored the passage in the New Testament where Jesus rebuffs this statement explicitly then reminds his followers to instead to ‘turn the other cheek.’ Keeping the debate in the arena of the religious who validate their own bias by pulling from the Bible, the term retribution is a simile for revenge. Those that oppose capital punishment believe that every life should be valued and that imprisoning a person for life without the possibility for parole is adequate punishment. Opponents also think that revenge is wrong and ultimately more destructive to the value system and very fabric of society than is the crime itself. In addition, opponents feel that outlawing the death

Multple choice take home test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Multple choice take home test - Essay Example because they are all Muslims, Asian families are larger than both White or Afro Caribbean families - 75% have 5 or more members - patrilineal and patrilocal. There is little variation between sub communities and women are mostly confined to the home and "homework". basically, deficit theory says that some people are just stupider than others - ie they lack intelligence - and reproduction theory simply builds on this, arguing that schooling has to be organised around such manifest and unalterable differences. deficit theory reveals the fact that lower socio economic groups are systematically disadvantaged with respect to educational resources, and reproduction theory shows how these disadvantages have persisted as a result of policy failure. deficit theory reveals the fact that lower socio economic groups are systematically disadvantaged with respect to educational resources which implies the problem could be fixed by switching resources to areas of need, whereas reproduction theorists, like Murphy, insist it is not a resource, but a motivational problem, and lower socio economic groups are just not interested in more schooling! deficit theory assumes that currently "failing" kids could succeed if only they adopted the requisite - ie middle class - values, skills and motivations etc, whereas Reproduction Theory insists that since schools are set up to "reproduce" class privilege, such kids will always "fail". Goldthorpe shows that the number of "branching points" in educational decision making are critical in the reproduction of class differentials, comprehensive education, favoured by the Swedes, reduces the number of branching points. Educational differentials reflect class differences in cost benefit evaluations of educational options. The example of Sweden is significant because there the reduction of class educational differentials was accompanied by

THE ACTIONS OF DRUGS ON THE GUINEA-PIG ISOLATED ILEUM Lab Report

THE ACTIONS OF DRUGS ON THE GUINEA-PIG ISOLATED ILEUM - Lab Report Example Q2 (ii): When testing the agonist action of the morphine-like drugs, it is observable that, through the depressant action of the morphine-like drugs, it was difficult to assess the potencies because the tachyphylaxis developed rapidly. In this case, it is important to use small doses of the drug while exposing the gut to the drugs at the intervals that do not go below 30 minutes. The inhibitory effect of morphine on the twitch of longitudinal muscle was induced by the coaxial stimulation, hence leading to the dose-response curve of order ââ€" . Upon sing nalorphine-like drugs, the depressant action of the N-allyl analogue of the morphine was having the similar order to that of morphine. However, tachyphylaxis development was much more rapid with nalorphine than with morphine. When testing the antagonist action of the morphine-like drugs, tachyphylaxis was able to develop with all compounds tested, which was a strong indication on the possibility of exhibiting antagonist action under suitable conditions. In this experiment, techyphylaxix was able to develop more rapidly than compared to using the agonist. Basing on the agonist activity of the antagonists, the conventional method used for testing antagonism did not yield the decisive results. The antagonism through low concentrations of morphine of the inhibitory effect of morphine upon twitch of the longitudinal muscle was able to induce coaxial stimulation. Q3: Through using the experimental protocol or two log curves, there is a possibility of an error occurring. To avoid such errors, the formula can be modified into that of the critical ratio approach (CR). The CR is the concentration of agonist at the presence of the antagonist required for producing a fixed response to the linear part of the concentration. It is thus advisable to use the equation that relates CR to KB, which is expressed

GM Strategic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GM Strategic - Essay Example GM has made purposeful commitment to the environment i.e. to make continuous development as well as improvement by decreasing the harmful impact of environment which includes the issues like greenhouse gas releases and fuel economy in its broad assortment of quality vehicles (General Motors, 2012). From the perspective of the environmental issue with regard to the aspect of fuel economy, the valuable engineers belonging to the company are reinvesting as well as restructuring the various technological advancements for the purpose of enhancing the fuel economy, ensuring less release of greenhouse gases and most importantly diminishing its reliance on petroleum. In relation to the factor of the enhancement in fuel economy, it has been apparent that the company is consistently enhancing the competence of its gasoline-powered vehicles by the application of enhanced technological advancements which include dynamic fuel management, insertion of direct fuel and variable valve timing (General Motors, 2012). From the viewpoint of the other important environmental issue i.e. the release of greenhouse gases, the company has showed its deliberate commitment towards implementing the alternative fuels as well as the bio-fuels in order to decrease petroleum dependence along with lowering the release of greenhouse gases. In this context, it has been viewed that the company is the worldwide leader in the production of Flex-Fuel vehicles which operates on gasoline and E85 ethanol. This particular technological advancement of Flex-Fuel vehicles of the company can be observed in the cars as well as the trucks of the company (General Motors, 2012). There lie several strategic reasons for GM to emphasize upon the environmental factors which comprise the aspect of fuel efficiency and the release of greenhouse gases. One of the imperative reasons is about the deliverance of long-term value of the investments to the

Monopolies - Gas and Electric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Monopolies - Gas and Electric - Essay Example Government’s intervention leading to monopolization of the gas and electric sectors of the given country will have positive and negative implication to the general economy. Government’s intervention in such businesses will ensure that consumers receive better services from the traders of the particular product (Tucker, 2011). Government will also help consumers exercise maximum sovereignty without any form of manipulation by the individual traders. In addition, government’s intervention in monopoly of gas and electricity will help in ensuring that consumers get quality products and that traders comply with the safety standards. According to Rittenberg, et al (2008), the negative experience that will occur when government intervenes, forming monopolies in gas and electricity sectors will include high cost of production as the producer will be unable to pass the costs to consumers. When costs of production rises, producers will strive to limit the use of raw materials and this may compromise innovation. Furthermore, government’s intervention in monopoly of gas and electricity may lead to skyrocketing of prices of the products due to the raised standards of services, which will have adverse effects to the lower economic class (Rittenberg, 2008). Moreover, government’s intervention in monopoly trade of gas and electricity will also derail research process and spirit that a company may have to develop other ways of producing the particular

Literary Criticism of Edna St Vincent Millay Research Paper

Literary Criticism of Edna St Vincent Millay - Research Paper Example The poem appears straight-forward, however, the words seem to have greater meaning than one can comprehend easily. Moreover, St. Edna experiments in this poem by giving it a title, â€Å"Love is not all†: This gives the poem its tone. From a mere point of view, one may think that this poem describes a person suffering from depression of love by asserting that love cannot assist a person in times of difficulty. However, in the middle of the poem, St. Edna posits that Love is basically not adequate to live with and one may even sell it during periods of difficulties. In the last stanza of this poem, St. Edna says that she does not think she would sell her lover; this gives its readers the idea that some people may sell their love for material things such as food, while others may not. Another strategy employed by St. Edna to explicate the theme of love in her work is through application of a simple approach, though not simplistic. Her works i.e. â€Å"Love is not all†, leaves its audiences doubtless. This is facilitated through her simple ways of communication, basically ensuring that her works are enjoyed and appreciated. Taking an analysis of â€Å"love is not all†, St. Edna does not appear to take one decisive stand; that is, she does not encourage men and women to lose all their material and emotional possession in the name of love. Some critics have asserted that â€Å"Love is not all†, by St. Edna is basically a timeless statement in the sense that love cannot provide one with food and shelter (Maduxx et al, 11). On the other hand, some critics have asserted that St. Edna’s work are simple merely because they do not appear as if they are politically instigated or meant to achieve certain political objectives (Milford et al, 6). St. Edna was considered one of the traditional poets that were heavily disturbed by the existence of death as well as the idea of dying. In this regard, she has placed emphasis on wordplay as well

African American Musuem Essay Example for Free

African American Musuem Essay The African Museum in Philadelphia is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, the AAMP is located in historic Philadelphia, a few blocks away from the Liberty Bell. Charles H. Wesley was a noted African American historian, educator, and author. He was the fourth African American to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard University. An ordained minister, Wesley’s distinguished career included 40 years of leadership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1976, he served as Director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, now known as the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Programs The African American Museum that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has some interesting education programs. These education programs focus on arts, culture, and heritage education. They place a major emphasis on the interests of the students, educators, artists, historians, scholars, and community organizations. These programs offer diversity with scheduling. The programs explore various African forms of cultural expressions. In these programs there are literary performances, hands on demonstrations, workshops, and storytelling performances as well. The African American Museum in Philadelphia feels its programs can be a vital link between the permanent and visiting collections for the many communities they serve. Exhibitions The exhibitions in the African American Museum in Philadelphia can some to be pleasing to the eye and stimulating to the mind. According to the African American Museum of Philadelphia these exhibitions invoke a deep collection of emotion ranging from pride and passion to excitement and enthusiasm. When visitors enter the museum they will come to Gallery 1, which includes a interactive timeline, images draw from historical record, that spans 100 years of history. In Gallery 2 there are full size video projections in which visitors can in engage in them. Once they are activated, a monologue about life in Philadelphia will begin. Some other aspects of the exhibit include an experience where you can walk the streets of Philadelphia through a large scale map, which is located between galleries 1 and 2 .

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Example for Free

Enabling a Remote Workforce. Essay Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? 1 Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? 2 Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? 2 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? 3 Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? 3 Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? 4 Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? 5 Technical Issues 5 Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? 5 Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? 6 Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? 7 Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? 8 Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? 9 Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? 9 IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? 10 Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? 10 Conclusion 11 Introduction There are a number of good reasons why companies should consider supporting a remote worker program including an expanded labor pool, reduced traffic congestion costs (late arriving/stressed out employees), improved recruitment and retention of staff, facility cost savings, reduced parking costs, reduced sick leave and improved worker productivity. Conversely, there are some disadvantages that companies should also be aware of including an isolated work force, family turf problems, lack of social interaction with other employees and the fear by remote workers that they will be overlooked for promotions. Companies obviously have a lot to factor in deciding whether or not to implement a telecommuting program. Thus, the goal of this paper is to provide consideration points to many of the common questions facing such companies. The questions and discussion herein are divided into two primary categories: technical and organizational. They are intended to provide more generalized information that decision makers can use to enhance their understanding of telecommuting issues. Organizational Issues Productivity Are employees who telecommute more productive than their traditional office colleagues? In general, remote workers appear to be more productive than traditional office workers. In an October 1995 survey of Fortune 1000 managers, 58% reported increased productivity by employees who telecommuted. Also, according to the State of Californias Telecommuting Pilot Program, companies that implemented a remote work force experienced productivity increases ranging from 10 30%. Further, telecommuters working for American Express produced 43% more business than their office-based counterparts1. Clearly the case can be made that remote workers are indeed more productive. The primary explanation for improved productivity is a quieter work environment, which offers fewer interruptions. Certainly the remote worker also faces interruptions in their daily work, such as family business, neighbors, chores, television, etc. However these interruptions are generally much fewer than those experienced by the traditional office worker. Savings What types of savings from a telecommuting program should employers expect? The biggest savings for companies result from reduced absenteeism costs and reduced real estate costs. Oftentimes when employees need to take care of personal business such as doctor visits, car repair, tending to children, etc. they call in sick for the entire day. However, remote workers can take care of personal business and still accomplish some or most of their work tasks from home. The International Telework Association Council estimates that employees who telecommute can save their employers $10,000 each in reduced absenteeism costs2. According to PC World, telework can cut corporate real estate costs from 25 to 90%, which can result in substantial savings for employers. In fact, ATT saves $25 million per year from employees who are full-time telecommuters3. Many companies who have implemented a successful telecommuting program have instituted hoteling systems in their offices. A hotel is essentially an empty cubicle that is set up with a phone, network connections and basic office supplies that any employee can use, often by making a reservation with an office administrator. Hoteling offers telecommuting employees a place to work in the office when necessary without employers having to provide them with a full-time workspace. Planning What kind of planning does an organization need to do to properly implement a successful telecommuting program? Without doubt one of the most important keys to implementing a successful telecommuting program is proper planning. And since every organization has their unique differences (i.e. size, industry, complexity, culture, locale), there is no single formula for such planning. However, successful telecommuting programs should address the following at a minimum: * Perform an initial assessment * Consider organizational strategy and culture * Consider the role of management * Consider the need for staff input * Determine which staff tasks are most amenable to telecommuting * Consider regulatory compliance and legal issues * Determine technology needs * Prepare a cost-benefit analysis and/or ROI analysis4 Eligibility How do managers determine the eligibility of employees for telecommuting? According to Langhoff, tasks that are most appropriate for telecommuting are jobs where a person works alone, handling information such as reports, proposals, data or research. Writers, salespersons, accountants, programmers, graphic artists, researchers, engineers, architects, public relations professionals all are prime candidates for telecommuting5. In determining eligibility for telecommuting, managers should first consider whether the employees tasks can be performed remotely. Second, an examination of the individuals level of performance should be made (i.e. are they hard working and self-motivated or do they need constant supervision and coaching?). Of course it can be tricky selecting who can and cannot telecommute; therefore companies should be aware of the potential legal implications stemming from employees who wished to work remotely but were turned down. Social Interaction What types of social limitations do remote workers experience? Too often companies only view telecommuting as providing benefits to them and to their employees; however, there remains potential downsides. One potential downside is the lack of social interaction between employees. Employees who work at an office setting spend a considerable amount of their day interacting with other employees. These water-cooler discussions foster a camaraderie that translates into value for companies when the same employees work on projects together or are in need of support from each other. Also, the camaraderie indirectly benefits the company when management is trying to achieve buy-in on various initiatives. Lastly, having close relationships allow employees to maintain a healthy mental balance at work resulting in an overall higher level of morale. Once telecommuting is introduced into the mixed, some or all of those relationships are lost. Analysis of past telecommuting research shows that the most cited problem associated with negative impacts of telecommuting is the feeling of isolation and loss of morale6. Although isolation feelings and loss of morale (and the resulting decrease in a companys value) are difficult metrics to measure, some workable solutions have been devised to combat these negative issues. Other solutions have included limiting telecommuting days and making sure to include telecommuting employees in company events7. Communication Limitations Are organizations disadvantaged due to communication limitations with remote workers? The office environment offers some benefits that telecommuting cannot provide. Most important amongst these benefits is the companys ability to communicate to its employees. Most offices display signs of the companys direct communication whether it is embodied in mission statements, annual goal and targets, or newsletters. Indirectly, the company communicates with corporate color schemes, promotion company clothing, and other branding material such as coffee mugs. All of these communications are omnipresent throughout the corporate office setting and help to build company pride, employee loyalty, and a sense of corporate culture. Employees who tend to work remotely are only exposed slightly to this communication through email, conference calls, and other mailed material. This lack of corporate communication may lead to low motivation, lack of identification with the company, and reduced company loyalty8. The solution to the communication challenge is to ensure that corporate communication includes channels to the remote worker. In fact, companies should recognize that off-site employees need more direct and indirect communication such that employees do not develop those negative feelings. Also, companies should make a concerted effort to limit telecommuting days and to include all telecommuting employees in company events9. Management How do managers successfully manage and support remote workers? Another challenge with telecommuting employees revolves around their direct management. Not only do managers find it much more difficult to monitor the productivity and effectiveness of their telecommuting employee, but they are also challenged by having to change their management style to incorporate the limitations brought about by telecommuting10. Managers who have telecommuting employees are also faced with more potential issues such as family conflicts arising from their employee working from home. These conflicts cross the boundary of work and personal life, and almost always negatively impact productivity. Lastly, it is the role of managers to provide organizational support to the telecommuting employee. With the employee being off-site, the manager is usually limited to email and telephone to support his employee. This limitation further restricts a managers effectiveness and typically utilizes more of a managers time in sorting out support logistic11. Solutions to the managers challenge involve setting up a detailed action plan between manager and telecommuting employee. This action plan should be supplemented with an active communication plan12. Once expectations for both parties are clearly outlined in the action plan, both parties can then communicate progress or support needs more efficiently. Moreover, managers can adapt their management styles to telecommuting employees by setting results-based milestones and orienting tasks into projects such that managers still retain control of certain processes13. Technical Issues Network What are the security, bandwidth, and infrastructure implications for the company network to support remote access? Before considering the strategy to deploying remote access for a company, a survey should be done of the existing network and current remote access configurations. Once a complete analysis of the current configuration and future needs are assessed, then the following issues need to be included in your strategy of preparing and deploying the company network for a remote force: security, bandwidth, and infrastructure.14 Table N1 3 Areas of Security15 Internal Network Usually the most secure of the three, but still should be reviewed for any fallacies. External Network Must secure the PC in the remote location (i.e. firewalls, RSA encryption, etc) to prevent unauthorized access and snooping from the remote location. Remote Worker Least secure, must require security policies to be followed about passwords, where to connect, and who to trust. With more remote workers, there will be an increased demand of bandwidth on the network. Will the remote employees be productive with the current infrastructure that your network can provide? Perhaps considerations for upgrading from16: From To Dial-up (56K) ISDN (128K-256K) ISDN (128K-256K) T1 (up to 1.5M) T1 (up to1.5M) T3 (44.736 Mbps) With the increase demand more infrastructure will be required for allowing an increasing number of remote workers to connect to the corporate network (more servers, security hardware, and routing hardware). Hardware/Software Needs What are the hardware, home infrastructure, and software licensing needs for the remote user? For the employees who travel often, they are usually provided some mobile computing solutions and they have found ways to work from remote locations. However the new generation of employees, the remote worker will work from the comfort of their home. Working from home brings a new set of issues in to play. HARDWARE * Can the employee keep work and personal items separated? * If not, should the company provide additional hardware? * If the company does NOT provide additional hardware, then how much of the employees hardware can be expensed if upgrades are necessary? * The employee may need/require a fax machine, an additional phone line, or other office equipment. SOFTWARE * Software licensing has be clear-cut as far as how many computers can use the same license, however what about home workers? * The companys site licensing may not cover home computers and will require the company to pay extra for these licenses. INFRASTRUCTURE * For someone at home who has a DSL, Cable, or Dial-Up connecting, how much of that should the company pay for? * Support, Support, Support. Who will provide the maintenance and support? * Is the home PC secure? If not, who will provide the hardware/software in order to secure it? Also consider how much of the companys data should be on the personal machine. What happens if the home PC is hacked? Telecommuting Variations What are alternative solutions or variations for telecommuting programs? Outlined in this paper is the most common setup for a company to develop telecommuting options for their employees. However most of these configurations allow the employee to use limited resources over the Internet (access to shared folders, documents and e-mail). Depending on the size, the costs of setting up an infrastructure for telecommuting workforce could be unaffordable. The following are other options available to companies who wish to have a telecommuting workforce. Citrix Remember or heard about the mainframe days? Well, history tends to repeat itself. As more PCs were becoming powerful, we moved away from the mainframe days. However with the Internet, the paradigm of sharing resources has returned and now software applications and operating systems have the enhanced ability to handle more than one user concurrently. Citrix17 allows concurrent remote users access to a single server that will give a separate session for each user. Each user will have access to the same set applications on one machine. This solves the software licensing issues of working from a remote location as well as reduces amount of maintenance of hardware/software for the IT department. Satellite Offices Companies are opening satellite offices to reduce commute times for employees and help alleviate city traffic and parking congestion problems. This will result in reduced land costs since these centers are away from the city where the cost of living is lower.18 Telework centers are similar to a satellite office, but operate by independent parties. Unlike satellite offices, numerous employees use them. Think of these options as outsourcing building/infrastructure issues. Connectivity What are the tools and considerations to accommodate remote network access? In todays information environment, connectivity has become essential for a significant portion of the workplace. Access to email, network resources, server applications, and the Internet is a continual activity for the white-collar professional. At a minimum, companies would be well served to support webmail. In much the same vein as portal email (Hotmail, Yahoo), mail is maintained on the company server. This server is then linked to a website, and employees can gain secure access to the company server via any browser. Once logged in, an individual has the full functionality of their account to compose, receive, store, and delete email without explicitly needing to connect to the company network. However, there will be a resulting lack of security employees need to be encouraged to create and regularly modify complex passwords, and to close public web sessions. That said, the security risk is only to an individual email account; not the company network as a whole. A second logical step for an IT department is to enable Virtual Private Networking (VPN). This will allow employees to connect their remote machines to the company network after establishing an Internet connection through an ISP. This machine then behaves just as a networked office-located computer. For users maintaining both an office and remote computer, this solution requires any desktop applications be maintained on both systems. To avoid this duality, many users will first establish a VPN connection and then emulate their office computer with built-in Windows 2000 and Windows XP remote desktop tools or 3rd party tools such as VNC19. In essence, the remote machine then acts as a terminal or monitor to the office computer, and the user can run the applications found on that machine without any needs for secondary software. The downside to this solution is that emulation is only as good as the connection speed. Communication How do you allow your employees to communicate electronically and verbally from home? Todays telephone solutions for the telecommuter generally consist of providing an office phone with call-forwarding features to an employees business cell phone an often times reimbursed expense. This avoids some of the problems associated with using a home line for a combination of business, personal, and dial-up use. The office system simplifies contacting an individual (Simply dial an extension and press 7 to connect to the forwarded line rather than maintaining a constantly changing set of employee contact information). A home line alternative is a distinctive ring system multiple phone numbers (home, office, fax) use a single line with each producing a unique ring that can be directed to an appropriate voice mail box or machine (PC, fax). A second alternative consists of an off-premise-extension (OPX) or foreign exchange (FX) system. While more expensive, these systems truly mimic the office with a separate home line that is identical to an office extension20. Electronic mail is a requirement for most remote users. IT departments can help support employees using multiple computers to access their email by allowing mail to be retained on the company server rather than downloaded to the individual PC. (As an unrelated benefit, this provides much greater redundancy in the event of a computer hard drive crash). Please see the discussion on web mail for more on remote e-mail use. A less intrusive substitute to phone conversations is instant messaging. While this has potential for both misuse and unproductive use (where conversation is more efficient), this is often times an ideal mechanism for sharing small tidbits of information and is especially valuable for troubleshooting. A more extensive tool would be the newsgroup in combination with a company intranet. Here, employees can develop an extensive knowledge base of processes, questions and answers. Collaboration What are the tools that foster communication? At the lowest end of the technology spectrum, there is the traditional conference call a virtual audio meeting with many parties. In an effort to fight the inherent isolationism of remote workers, the videoconference personalizes the conference call as participants better identify with the visual image than the audio. To implement, however, youll need additional webcam hardware, videoconferencing software and a fast Internet connection. Chat rooms (a variation on the aforementioned instant messaging) are suitable for short discussions or as supplements to a meeting (agenda, minutes, links, data, follow-ups) Web conferencing often includes both videoconferencing and chat room features, but distinguishes itself in that it allows a moderator to emulate his/her desktop to the attendees. Among the forefront of the software leaders in this area is WebEx21. IT Support What are the options and challenges to providing remote employees with technical support? One of the drawbacks to working remotely is the absence of immediate technical support for both trivial and complex hardware and software issues. Given that troubleshooting is often a hands-on activity, solving problems for telecommuters is likely to be frustrating and time-consuming. However IT managers can take a number of steps to reduce downtime. * Standardize the equipment and installation. The more alike your users systems are, the better positioned you will be to reproduce and diagnose problems. * Maintain an inventory of back-up equipment in the same way that a car repair shop offers loaner cars. * Set up remote users so their desktops can be emulated by technical support in this way an IT department can provide step by step demonstrations to fix problems * Maintain an easily accessible FAQ and update it with each new problem and solution Managers may also want to consider outsourcing their technical support requirements. Companies like Voyus22 provide 24 hour help desk support and web-based support applications. Cost How much does deploying a remote workforce cost? The decision that the companies face is how much ownership the company will take for each of the types of telecommuters. For an occasional telecommuter, the employee will more than likely take on the costs. For a heavy telecommuter, the company will probably need to cover the costs to the employee. Telecommuter Type Frequency Implementation Costs Involved Occasional Infrequently Dial-up, Web-based applications Regular Scheduled intervals Remote Connection, 3rd Party Software, Laptop, Firewall, Router. Heavy Frequently to Full Time Provide second computer, VPN connection, ISP costs, other office equipment, maintenance. It is not the technology costs that make or break the telecommuting decision, but its the organizational issues that should benefit the company if deployed properly. Conclusion Telecommuting seems to be the answer to the increased workload versus work/personal life balance issue that many companies are seeking. While there exist many challenges towards implementing a successful telecommuting plan, there also seem to be many practical solutions. The real issue seems to stem from whether a company will change its processes and standards to allow for telecommuting to co-exist with office employees. Such a decision, as this paper has outlined, is not as simple as providing remote employees with an internet connection. Rather, the decision has significant technical and organizational ramifications that need to be well thought out before implementation; otherwise, the company is doomed to make the mistakes of many companies that have haphazardly gone down this path. 1 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 2 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 3 http://www.youcanworkfromanywhere.com/infocenter/facts.htm 4 http://www.tfw.org.uk/teleworking/contents.htm 5 http://www.langhoff.com/faqs.html 6 Pinsonneault, A. (1999). The Impacts of Telecommuting on Organizations and Individuals: A Review of the Literature, Cahier du GreSI, 99(9). 7 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 8 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 9 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 10 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 11 Kirvan, P. (1995). How to Manage Systems for Remote Workers, Communications News, 33, 67. 12 Guimaraes, T., and Dallow, P. (1999). Empiracally Testing the Benefits, Problems, and Success Factors for Telecommuting Programs, European Journal of Information Systems, 8, 40-54. 13 Davenport, T.H. and Pearlson, K. (1998). Two Cheers for the Virtual Office, Sloan Management Review, 39(4), 51-65. 14 Ascend Communications, 2002, Telecommuting Network Guide: A Resource for Planners, Excutives, and Information Managers, http://users.skynet.be/teletravail/PDF/solut_technique.pdf 15 Jessica L. Hirsch, 2000, Telecommuting: Security Policies and Procedures for the Work-From-Home Workforce, http://www.teleworker.org/articles/telework_security.html 16 Bandwidth Savings, 2003, Services In Detailed, http://www.bandwidthsavings.net/servicesdetail.cfm 17 Citrix.com, 2003, Home Page, http://www.citrix.com 18 Hall, Aric, Bilski, Alicia, Wadman, Scott, 2003, Ways People Telecommute, http://members.tripod.com/~trom/page3.html 19 http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc 20 Wrobel, Leo A., February 1997, Helpful Hints for MIS Managers Supporting Telecommuters and Nomadic Users -Part I: Voice Communications, http://www.rewireit.com/articles/w0297.pdf 21 http://www.webx.com 22 http://www.pcsupport.com/

Do Mergers and Acquisitions Fulfil Desired Objective?

Do Mergers and Acquisitions Fulfil Desired Objective? Do Mergers And Acquisitions Fulfil Their Desired Objective? And How People Are Affected By the Result of These Mergers? Dissertation Table of Contents CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND Restructuring of a firm has become a major area in the financial and economic environment all over the world. A company may grow internally, or externally. The aim of the management is to maximize the profit. Most firms grow through internally which take place when firm’s existing divisions grow through normal capital budgeting activities.(S.Vanitha 2007) The industrial restructuring has raised important issues both for the business and for public moreover merger and acquisitions may be critical to the strong expansion of business firms as they evolve through successive stages of growth and development and most important for new product markets by a firm may require M and As at some stages in the firm’s development . The successful competition in international markets may depend on capabilities obtained in a timely and competent fashion through M As. (M Selvam 2007) Merger and acquisitions continues to experience dramatic growth. Record breaking mega mergers have become popular in the world. In the last ten years and onwards some of the largest mergers and acquisitions took place in Europe. This was underscore by the fact that the largest deal of all time was a hostile acquisition of a German company by a British firm.(Beena P.L 2000) Since the start of twenty first century the nature of merger and acquisition even more common in the economical growth. It becomes even more global especially in Asia, Latin and South America. Over the past quarter of the century we have noticed that merger waves have become longer and more frequent in between shrunken as well when these trends combined with the fact that MA has rapidly spread across the modern world, we see that the field is increasingly becoming as ever more important part of the worlds of corporate finance and corporate strategy. (Canagavally , R.2000) Merger and acquisitions are plays very important part in corporate strategy. They are the interesting and controversial tools if the firm do not want to grow internally by capital investment and it can affect the shareholders wealth of both the firms (Legare.1998). The management of the target companies is worried about their jobs that can be affected; the cost reduction strategies consists of reduction in labour force (Gould, 1998) the strategies at both local and national levels are important and concerned at transactions in their industries. e.g (defence utilities etc.) Customers and suppliers are interested , as they want to know who they will be dealing with in the future (Buono. 2003). All the big deals are therefore reported in the media, receive a large coverage, and get the attention of the public as well. People are very important part of any organization but due to the increasing numbers of mergers between the companies they are largely affected and most of them get caught up in a merger or acquisition-by chance, Many of the people after working four –to five years period are losing their jobs and facing severe reductions in status and responsibility and, in general, being confronted with major questions about their careers, As a result , at times we are unsure whether our own feelings about what is happening to these individuals are biasing our interpretation of what is going on. In this project the writer going to research on mergers between the professional services firms. According to Steven et al (2000) mergers and acquisitions decisions that are undertaken based on financial analysis, influence and legal positions , However , it has been proved by a number of researchers that factors like informal power, low productivity , poor quality , reduced commitment , hidden costs and voluntary turnover prevent the combined banks from reaching expected performance levels (Legare 1998). This is the reason that many companies face difficulties then they pass through their post-integration processes (Buono 2003) According to Catwright Cary (1995) that mergers and acquisitions should be seen like marriages where both parties will is very important for the success of new entity. At the time two different companies decide to come together as a result of MA activity, then the levels of instability in the macro and micro environment of both companies is challenged. So it is therefore been recommended that companies should chose the most appropriate merger and acquisition process and strategy. However Buono (2003) has suggest that each possibility has its own strengths and weaknesses and therefore context of MS and its main objectives play important role. Cartwright and Cooper has pointed out that MA depends upon combination of related functions like integration of people, systems, practices and culture. The critical review of the literature has recommended that most of research has been focused at studying single characteristics of MA in isolation. Moreover the dynamics of MA variables that impact on success and failures ratio has not been undertaken in the literature and there is a gap for research. This study will be focus to explore the major drivers and variables and their effect on the success of merger and acquisitions across industries from a corporate strategic perspective. 1.2 Rationale behind Research: Mergers and acquisitions is one of the common strategies in today’s business world. Gould (1998) has conducted a survey involving 12000 managers from different countries and according to the result of his survey more then 1000 companies were involved in acquisitions or a merger in two years between 1995 and 1997.moreover merger and acquisitions has become the leading strategic options. However, the performance of the combined companies has been lower than expected. According to Buono (2003) the basic drivers of MA only involved in financial, operational and strategic aims and objectives. So therefore my main area of focus of this research is to explore the major drivers and variables and their effect on the success of merger and acquisitions across industries from a corporate strategic perspective. 1.3 Aims and Objectives: The basic aim of this project is to understand whether mergers and acquisitions always fulfil desired objective. The aims specific areas are as follows. To explore the major variables that impact on the success of merger and acquisition different industries from a corporate strategic perspective To explore the corporate strategy in achieving desired results from MA activities To evaluate the impact of the mergers on an employees and examining the programmes for dealing with separation anxiety for employees. 1.4 Dissertation Structure: The official Structure of the dissertations is being applied which is provided by the university and analysis has been done which suit the theme and the objectives of the research. The structure of this report is summarized as follows: Chapter 1 Introduction of the research topic and lays the basis for the rationale of selection of the theme under scrutiny. It introduces the effect of MA on business and effects that they expected. The chapter also summarizes the rationale for selection of topic and states the aim and objectives of this research. Chapter 2 Consists of review of the literature that has been produced in the domain of mergers and acquisitions and their desired effects for companies. It has highlighted some of the highly respected literature in the field of aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 3 Provide the methodology and strategy adopted by the researcher to undertake this research. It points out the strength and weaknesses of using different data collection mechanisms and has shown how they fit in the larger context of aims and objectives of this research. Chapter 4 very important chapter consists of analysis and findings regarding the importance of strategic alignment within a merger or an acquisition activity with the help of a range of case studies. The chapter developed recommendations for companies under the light of macro indicators, theories and qualitative data gathered through this research. Chapter 5 provides a comprehensive conclusion from this research and gives a list of recommendations for companies that can be drawn from this focused research. Chapter 2: Literature Review In this chapter an attempt has been made to briefly review the research already undertaken and methodology employed moreover the study has been produced in the domain of aims and objective of the project and it has been divided into number of different sections so that reader understand with ease. 2.1 Overview: Concept of Merger and Acquisition: Over the last few years different companies have engaged in domestic and international mergers and acquisitions to match the macroeconomic trends operating on a worldwide scale in the market place. Up till now the ultimate success of a company’s global strategy may depend on how well it manages the dangerous human resource â€Å"fit† issue associated with strategic customer cantered decisions and strategies. The literature presents the understanding and resolving interpersonal management issues that result from organization, team, and individual misalignments. An actual merger and acquisition integration project is used to discuss the application of this approach (Thomas L. Legare in his paper â€Å"Understanding and Managing Human Resource Integration Issue†) M A defined by Arnold (2002) as â€Å"combination of two firms of roughly equal size on roughly equal terms and in which the shareholders remain as joint owners† M A activities in late 20th century: In 1960’s Mergers and acquisitions first became an important topic within the organization management meetings. It is usual to consider merger and acquisition in terms of the extent to which the activities of the acquired organization are related to those of the acquirer. The most common classification proposes four main types (Walter 1985; Hovers, 1973; Kitching ,1967). These being: 1- Vertical The process in which two organizations combined within the same industry. 2- Horizontal The process in which two similar organizations combined within the same industry 3- Conglomerate In this process acquired organization is in completely different field of business activity 4 Concentric In this process the acquired organization is in a different but related field in to which the acquiring company merge its business. According to Schweiger and Ivancevice, 1987 mergers and acquisitions can be considered to differ in terms of Motive and transactional type The envisaged degree of integration Common objectives behind M Activity According to Napier (1989), in a review of the literature, draws the distinction between financial or value maximizing motives, and managerial or non value maximizing motives. Mergers known as financial or value maximizing motives when the main objective is to increase the profit and decrease the risk involved in business moreover non value maximizing motives relate to merges which occur primarily for other strategic reasons ( Halpern, 1983). Moreover according to handy (1993) creation of shareholder’s value is the underlying aim behind any MA activity. However , there is a range of strategies involve to improve financial performances and consequently increase shareholder’s value. According to Marks, (1988b). There is lots of risk involved in activity like Mergers and acquisitions involving the collective annual investment of billions of pounds and affecting the working lives of millions of employees. It has been recommended in future that 50 to 80 percent of all mergers are considered to be financially unsuccessful (Marks 1988b), most probably in financial return, represent ‘at best an each way bet’ (Lorenz, 1986) The popularity of Merger and acquisitions is still strong despite of the fact that it has been frequently fail to achieve the financial growth (Hovers 1973 Farrent 1970; Jemison and Sitkin, 1986). Indeed there is lots of evidence that Britain and the USA are currently experiencing an unprecedented wave of merger activity (Morgan, 1988; Hughes, 1989). In the last 10 years , there have been over 23000 registered acquisitions in the USA , and before the end of this decade one in four of the Us workforce will have been affected by merger activity ( Fulmer, 1986) with the approach of 1992 , a similar trend is predicted for Europe. The Merger and acquisition is facilitated by number of factors. Market Conditions Market conditions are changing day by day and in this environment there is a need to consolidate or capture new market so strategic mergers and acquisitions become more attractive and expedient alternative response to the setting up new outlets, and at the same time provide a tool to finish the competition ( Meeks , 1977) Increasing Availability of Capital Mergers and acquisitions activities has been increased because the organization and financial institution may need of capital from outside countries because of low interest rate. More companies for sale. There are lots of companies come in to the market because of number of reasons like successful entrepreneurs of the post war years reach retirement age , because of families issues and there is not natural successor within the family. The Easing of Regulations. According to McManus Hergert, 1988. Gartrell Yantek suggested that acquisition activity is related to political climate in that right of centre administration stimulate activity. The Need to share Risk Mergers and acquisitions is very important if u need to share risk like new product development often results in the formation of joint ventures , mergers and other types of strategic alliance. The existence of complex Indivisible Problems All of these can be considered to be logical economic and marketing factors, which make possible the decisions to acquire, These conditions , particularly the need to share risk and problems solving, have also contributing to the increasing trend towards the formation of joint ventures and Mergers (Harrigan, 1988) (vii) Unrecognized Psychological Motives According to Levinson (1970) suggests one such motive to be fear of risk McManus and Hergest (1988) suggest that the decisions happens when ‘CEO is bored and wants to find a new game to play’ or to create some excitement amongst senior managers (Hunt, 1988) 2.2 Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions Merger and Acquisitions have the prime aim to maximise the firm’s profit and shareholders wealth like any other strategic growth option, but there has been a risk of failure so the debate in the literature among theorists and practitioners as to the real strength of the strategy in creating shareholder’s value worth the risk of failure. The review literature that surrounds different prospects like shareholders, acquirer , targets has been studied on short , medium and long term value creation through the MA activity . The following different categories of studies can be highlighted. Affect of MA Activities on People The Human Side of Mergers and Acquisitions is about to impact that mergers and acquisitions have on people in the workplace: the psychological difficulties that people experience, the culture clashes that can emerge in organizations that can emerge in organizations during the post –merger integration period, and the ways in which these problems can manifest themselves –such as communication breakdowns a â€Å"We-they† mentality between the component organizations in a merger, lowered commitment , drops in productivity , organizational power struggles and office politicking , and loss of key organizational members. We adopt primarily and organization development (OD) perspective on mergers and acquisitions: given the myriad problems (Thomas L Legare) The Existing evidence on the effects of mergers and acquisitions on efficiency or value comes from two basic types of large sample studies: event studies and performance studies Event studies consider the returns to the shareholders of targets and acquirers in the days before and after an acquisition announcement .These studies consistently find that the combined returns to acquirer and target stockholders are unequivocally positive .These positive returns imply that the market anticipates that acquisitions on average will create value. These studies and reactions do not, however, provide insight into the sources of the value changes in mergers or whether the expectations of value changes are ultimately realized. Furthermore, the combined returns cover a broad range of responses from very positive to very negative. Cross sectional analyses of event period returns provide some evidence that the broad range of combined announcement period returns reflects the market’s ability to forecast an acquisitions success. For example both Mitchell and Lehn (1990) and Kaplan and weisbach (1992) find the there is a relation between (1) acquirer and combined returns and (2) the ultimate outcome of the acquisition. Other studies examine a number of different determinants of the cross-sectional variation in returns associated with acquisitions. (see e.g Lang , Stulz, and Walkling 1991 . Maloney , McCormick , and Mitchell 1993; morock, Shliefer , and Vishny 1990)These Cross-Sectional analyses of event –period returns provide some understanding of the nature of the market reaction to acquisition announcements.They do not , however , examine whether the anticipated value creation or improved productivity materializes, Nor do they have a great deal to say about the organizational mechanisms and manage ment practices that drive acquisition success or failure. Studies of post merger performance attempt to measure the longer-term implications of mergers and acquisitions using both accounting and stock return data. Studies of accounting data fail to find consistent evidence of improved performance or productivity gains. (see e.g, Healy , Palepu, and Ruback 1992 and Ravenscraft and Scherer 1987) similarly , studies that focus on acquirers long term stock performance find mixed results abnormally negative stock returns after the acquisition ( agraqwal , Jaffe, and Mandelker 1992), no abnormal returns (franks , Harris , and Titman 1991) and negative abnormal returns only for stock mergers (Mitchell and Stafford 1996) Like the announcement period event studies, longer term performance and event studies document substantial cross sectional variation in performance , but do not study the sources of value changes in mergers and acquisitions. In sum , there are a number of questions that the existing economics and finance literature on mergers and acquisitions leaves unanswered , Existing work provides mixed results on the average impact of mergers and acquisitions More importantly , existing work offers little insight into the determinants of an acquisitions success or failures. Research on the basis of Capital Market Capital market is one of the research category used as central information point. According to Healey (1992), the stock market data reflects the effects of MA as it reflects future profits and dividends expected by the post integration entity moreover these researchers believe that the result has been found swayed by the researcher’s personal orientation an hypothesis. It is been analyse that majority among studies that have been covered lower then desired effects created through analyses based on capital market data. Event Study Methodology According to data et al (1992) have indicated that these studies are based on the hypothesis that markets across the industrialized world are highly well-organized and therefore soon after the MAn announcement moreover it depends on the future financial benefits or losses. The result of such studies have highlighted the majority of MA activities do create affects that can range from significant to normal (Sudarsanam 2003) but the people working along with the field and many other critics have argued that the methodology is only affective for small projects to obtain the desired affects and does not represent long term desired affects in the medium to long term. Short Run Objectives: A large number of organizations plan for financial gains within a short period of time when the merger date is finalized they are looking to achieve this objective, 30% and 10% abnormal returns have been found for the target shareholders Sudarsanam et al (1996) Long Run Objectives According to Agarwar (1992) the organizations long term desired affect through MA activity that has gained an increasing interests among researchers after the data is available for the last wave of MA in the 1990’s. There has been a mixture of results as- 10% abnormal returns over 5 years MA periods; Fama French (1993) showed positive 9% abnormal returns for the acquired and negative -4% abnormal returns for the acquirer; and sudarsanam Mahate 2003 showed a range of negative -18% to positive+1% abnormal returns in MA situation. Although it has been found out that many of these studies have used different models, benchmarks and organizational data, but there is a general consensus that MA abnormal desired affects in the long term. Operational Planning Research: The best way to analyse the affect of MA activity is to study the operational performance of the firms involved. The operational data consists of accounting data like cash flow and profit and loss statement are used by such studies (Healey 1992) Herman and Lowenstein (1988) used these technique on data gathered during 1975 to 1983 and found that no significant improvements in the performance of post MA entities. Healey et al (1992) found a meagre 3% operational performance among companies analyzed. However the same data was later analyzed under improved methods and found no operational performance. The results show large number of failures in creating substantial desired affects through operational analysis. Recent Merger and Acquisitions trends In the above table shows the recent trends in the field, let us being with our full dissertation of the subject of MA. This will be begin with a discussion of the basic terminology used in the field. 2.3 MAJOR STRATEGIC ISSUES: According to Cartwright and Cooper (1995) in order to get the desired objective during the MA activity the internal environment of firms should be synchronized. It can therefore recommend that integration of people, their systems, procedures, practice and organizational culture is extremely important in order to get the desired objective. Mr David (2007) suggest that the internal aspects of firms that are going to merge can be divided into two core competencies that can help to minimize the factors involved the failure of MA strategies. These core competencies lie in the field of corporate strategy which usually lack coordination during MA activities. The main limiting aspects of MA in terms of strategic importance that can play a vital role by using their core competencies have been highlighted as follows Organizational culture The cultural differences is the single largest cause of lack of proposed performance, achieving the desired target and objective and time consuming issues in the running of successful business ( Bijilsma frankema , 2001) according to him culture plays a important part in employees motivation in the development to new business he says that cultural clash is the most dangerous factors when two companies decide to combine moreover the things like styles , values and missions is the part of factor influencing the MA. According to (Covin et al, 1997) the employees required five to seven years after the merger to feel truly incorporated. Due to the multitude of these changes many problems arises like loss of job, also financial debt and fears of jobless.(Mirvis and Marks 1992) moreover he says that after merger the new team is also distressing and anxiety for the people other fear include the loss of effective and close team members, as well as the uncertainty about the new team members and supervisors to be inherited the employees when forced to deal with new team members and managers they may develop fears of taking risks and raising sensitive subject. This may adopt us verses them thinking, where trust for the new team members will be minimal (Mirvis and Marks, 1992).Management facing this kind of behaviour may have to pay the high price of loss of coordination and initiative among the employees of the new business combination. Moreover the issues and disagreement will be more difficult to resolve, so the time after the merger is the most difficult time for the management and new team members to move forward as a whole. Appelbaum etal, (2000) Stress According to (Datta et al , 1992) the process of merger and acquisitions consists of biggest change at the individual and organizational level in the history of organizations because of this the process is stressful. When one culture combines with another the employees feel as through they have lost control over important aspects of their loves, and in an attempt to regain control, they often withdraw. So it creates stress within individual , i.e reduced performance and job satisfaction . ( Berger and Ofec 1996) According to Schweiger Denisi (1991) the employees after the MA go through a time of increased anxiety uncertainty and stress. They are concerned about their new position it will create more stress in them so communication plays the vital role during the merger so that employees know what is going on and how they might be affected during and after the post integration period. Thus it can be suggested that while negotiations have been compared to flirting before marriages , and the closing of the deals to forming a new family , employees reaction can be associated with â€Å"bereavement† (Katinka , 2004) Organizational change and resistance Changes after merger announcement like stress, symptoms, work related factors, health status, and lifestyle. Personal characteristics were composed of age, sex, height, weight, and marital status in both surveys. Moreover stress related symptoms like anxiety, impatience and depression were dichotomized by either having a complaint or not so following a MA , a complex set of organizational , managerial and personal changes or inevitable. Jensen Rubock (1983) claim that in order to cope with the changes and resist with the changes there is a way to select a strategy and a set of specific approaches for implementing an organizational change effort. It is very important for managers to implement changes successfully in order to cope with the changes. The researchers have introduced six different strategies in order resist the changes after the merger and four major reasons why peoples resist changes. Image, Identity and confidence According to (Ravenscraft and Scherer 1988) image , identity and confidence of the human resource may reduced after the combination process it has been send that most of the employees will feel uncertain and will need some relaxation environment . It can be recommended that the peoples effected by this process can prove dangerous for the management they can change the ownership moreover the employees who are affected by the process tend to protect their identity and confidence through tolerance and humble and hence they try to maintain their status and confidence with experience that they are the part of new entity, if the cultural factor is not adequately taken into account at this stage of the merger , there will be so less time to contain it after the merger. Weston et al (2001) discuss the fear and stress associated with a merger. Schwert (1996) argue that when the objectives after the merger are not met , the managing teams of both companies are the employees of the acquired company enter a â€Å"cycle of escalating and distrust†. In other words, managers of the acquiring company press for increased control, while employees of the acquired company resist and demand their autonomy. Others view mergers and acquisitions as power games , which create some excitement fro bored CEOs. Communication Tompkins (1984) defined organizational communication as â€Å"the study of sending and receiving messages that create and maintain a system of deliberately corresponding activities or forces of two or more persons† Organizational communication is the exchange of messages through collective creation maintenance and transformation of organizational meaning. Members develop commonly understood patterns of expectations of organizational action through communication. Moreover communication with the employees is a very important factor throughout the entire MA process and creates a positive effect on employees through the trying time. According to John et al (1999) that communication plays a vital role in the combination of different and various cultures. The cultures can be at conflicting ends and therefore should be understood by the top management during integration period moreover according to Richard et al (1999) the human resource department should plan for the change in organization and they should know before this process that what going to happen with the company when two cultures combine as the result of merger. So in the process of merger only decision is not enough but the proper communication of these decisions among the company is very important moreover management works horizontally and vertically through leadership, control and organization.(Sudarsanam and Mahate, 2003) FLOW OF CASH Despite of the fact that many people loss their job in the process but the same time high rate of voluntary turnover linked with the process moreover it includes substantial outflow of talent and expertise. According to Ravenscraft and scherer, 1988) report executive turnover rates as high as 75% in the first three years of post acquisition period. Unplanned personnel losses are not necessarily confined to the more senior levels of the organization. Typically, acquired or merged organizations experience on overall rate of staff turnover of at lest 30% in the first two years post merger period (Cartwright and Cooper 1995) 2.4 Success and Failures A large number of mergers and acquisitions are unsuccessful .Over the last fifteen years, 23% of all merged firms worldwide reported lower profits than comparable non-merged firms (Gugler et al.(13)) Daimler Chrysler, the effect of the largest industrial merger ever, for example , has only posted low or negative profits since its birth in 1998-including the biggest loss in German business history in 2001. The disappointing results of mergers have been puzzling commentators and academics alike. In the management literature, poor merger performance has often been connected to unsuccessful addition of different corporate cultures. Cultural differences, however, are not enough to explain failures. First, firms seem to be aware of organisational difficulties when taking merger decisions. DaimlerChrysler, for example, anticipated post –merger Challenges. Second, mergers between partners with closer corporate cultures sometimes perform worse ( Morosini et

Alzheimers Disease Essay -- essays research papers fc

Alzheimer 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is inevitable that eventually each of us will grow old and begin to face more and more health problems as our age rises. Elderly people are challenged by many illnesses and diseases that unfortunately, are incurable. One disease that becomes more common as people age is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s a common cause and a form of dementia and can severely damage a patient’s cognitive functions and can ultimately cause death. Living with Alzheimer’s disease can be saddening for both the sufferer and the family. Family and friends will find it very hard to cope when a loved one begins slipping away and losing memory of who they are.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease comes from the last name of a neuro-psychiatrist from Germany, Alois Alzheimer. The disease was first diagnosed when a woman in her early fifties began experience memory problems. â€Å"Alzheimer recounted the now famous case of ‘Auguste D.’ a 51-year-old housewife who had been failing mentally for several years. As a result she had been admitted to his care in the Asylum for the Insane and Epileptic†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Maurer and Maurer 1). After her death, he continued to examine her brain to find causes and explanations for her behavior. He discovered â€Å"†¦classic neuro-pathological signs of plaques and tangles† (Maurer and Maurer 1). â€Å"Plaques are chains of amino acids that are pieces of the amyloid precursor protein†¦tangles are aggregates of the protein tau† (Secko 1). As plaques develop they produce tangles and â€Å"these two abnormalities ultimately lead to loss of cognitive function† (Secko 1) Alois Alzheimer’s research has allowed many specialist to conclude that the apolipoproetein E gene may contribute to the disease. Alzheimer 2 The occurrence and deposits of these proteins in the brain and in the body may ultimately lead to whether or not someone will be susceptible and diagnosed with Alzheimer disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alzheimer’s disease is rising at a very high rate. â€Å"The number of new cases per year is estimated at 360,000 equating to 980 new cases per day or 40 new cases every hour† (Cummings and Cole 1) This evidence shows that an increasing number of people will discover the effects of a cognitive impairment that will most likely be due to Alzheimer’s disease. As people age, their risk of being diagnosed with this disease increases ... ...† (Cummings and Cole 1). This astounding figure should encourage people to become aware of the disease and its signs and symptoms so that they are able to seek help and medical treatment in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease in attempt to live and cope with this condition. Works Cited Cummings, Jeffrey L., Cole, Greg. â€Å"Alzheimer Disease.† Journal of the American   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Medical Association. May 2002: 287-18. Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  College Lib. 15 Apr 2005. . Maurer, K., and Maurer, U. â€Å"Alzheimer: The Life of a Physician and the Career of a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Disease.† Journal of the American Medical Association. February 2005: 293-6.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica College Lib. 15 Apr 2005. . Santacruz, K. S., and Swagerty, D. â€Å"Early Diagnosis of Dementia.† American Family   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Physician. February 2001: 63-4. Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica College Lib.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 Apr 2005. . Secko, David. â€Å"Alzheimer’s Disease: Genetic Variables and Risk.† Canadian Medical   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Association Journal. March 2005: 172-5.

A Case of Murder by Vernon Scannel is a poem which deals with a very Es

A Case of Murder by Vernon Scannel is a poem which deals with a very unusual topic; the murder of a cat by a nine year old boy. The poet brings the poem alive by using different writing techniques e.g. line lengths. â€Å"A Case of murder† by Vernon Scannel Critical response to literature by Gregor Baird â€Å"A Case of Murder† by â€Å"Vernon Scannel† is a poem which deals with a very unusual topic; the murder of a cat by a nine year old boy. The poet brings the poem alive by using different writing techniques e.g. line lengths, no rhyme or pattern this holds my attention more and stops the rhyme merge into one tone. He also uses writing techniques such as Repetition, Figurative language, structure & rhyme. In the poem the boy has been left with a cat in a basement flat and the cat is just sitting buzzing away. This really annoys the boy and the hatred that has gathered up in the boy. This results in the boy hitting the cat then prodding the cat then crushing the cat in between the door. In result to this the boy cries and decides to get a shovel from the cupboard under the stairs and he shovels the cat into the cupboard under the stairs. Although the cat is dead he thinks the cat is growing in the cupboard and the cupboard is going to split. The boy in the poem is very annoyed about the cat â€Å"He hated that cat; he watched it sit a buzzing machine of soft black stuff† because the cat gets all the attention and he is left out, therefore the boy is jealous of the cat. From the poem it tells us that the boy is insecure with his parents â€Å"He was only nine, not old enough to be left alone in a basement flat† because they left a nine-year-old alone with a cat in a basement flat with no one. This also tells us that h... ...re isn’t something the poet wants to commit to in this poem. It doesn’t have an order of regular size in each stanza a variety of length of lines. Unclear pattern allows us to see the change in the boy’s emotions. The theme of this poem is all to do with guilt, which has been mentioned in the essay. Hate is the main emotion between boy and cat, conscience a thing, which the boy does have, power that has been swapped from cat to boy and anger which has built up in the boy. In conclusion to this critical response to literature I have 1covered the techniques in the poem, the emotions, the situation between the boy and the cat and the very unusual topic. It has been described how the poet brings the unusual poem alive for us. We have discussed the character and how he changed during the main incident and in depth about the emotion and feeling of the boy.

The Negative Impact of High Stakes Standardized Testing Essay -- Stand

Standardized testing is not a new concept; it has been in use since the mid to late 1990’s. However the â€Å"high stakes† focus on standardized testing is. The practices that accompany standardized testing have long been in debate. Those in favor of standardized testing will argue that the testing creates a system that increases grades and accountability among teachers, students and school districts across the country. On the other hand those that oppose standardized testing will argue the ill effects that standardized testing can have on students, teachers, and schools. There are numerous ways in which standardized testing has gravely impacted education, some of which are high stress levels of students and teachers, the hindrance on educational instruction, high monetary costs of testing as well as inadvertent discrimination and bias. Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota stated â€Å"Far from improving education, high-stakes testing marks a major retreat from fairness , from accuracy, from quality and from equity.† High-stakes standardized testing greatly impacts the environment in which students learn. When such a huge emphasis is placed on these tests and scoring well on them, it often creates, in excess, unnecessary anxiety and stress. In Florida alone the number of different standardized tests given to students spanned across kindergarten through 12th grade has increased to over sixteen. Often students are faced with the harsh realization that not scoring well can mean the difference from a pass and fail grade. That kind of pressure can lead to a complete shutdown of their learning. Although students are heavily impacted by the pressure and anxiety that accompanies standardized testing, they are not the only ones. Teachers not unli... ...Child Left Behind has laudable goals, but it's too narrowly focused on just test scores, To just constantly boil everything down to standardized test scores doesn't tell the whole story.† - Catherine Sullivan Works Cited Kohn, Alfie. "Standardized Testing and Its Victims." Education Week. N.p., 27 Sept. 2000. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. Moon, Tonya R., Catherine M. Brighton, Jane M. Jarvis, and Catherine J. Hall. "State Standardized Testing Programs: Their Effects on Teachers and Students." The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. University of Connecticut, 2007. Web. 05 Feb. 2015. Steinberg, Jacques. "NATION'S SCHOOLS STRUGGLING TO FIND ENOUGH PRINCIPALS." New York Times 03 Sept. 2000: n. pag. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. Strauss, Valerie. "How Standardized Tests Are Affecting Public Schools." Washington Post 18 May 2012: n. pag. Print.

J.J. Thomson †Discovery of the Electron

CHE003 Chemistry Individual Assignment J. J. Thomson – Discovery of the electron Table of Contents Introduction2 Biographical information3 Background information4 Experimental information5 Impact6 Conclusion7 J. J. Thomson – Discovery of the electron Introduction The discovery of the electron is affirmative and justly credited to the English physicist Sir Joseph John Thomson (Weinberg, 2003). He had found and identified the electron in Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge in 1897. From many experiments, Thomson had certified that cathode rays carry negative charge and identified the cathode rays inside vacuum tubes as being electric currents composed of these tiny electrons (Hamblin, 2005). It was the crucial first step in the development of the twentieth-century concept of the atom (Simmons, 1996). In the following paragraphs, I will introduce the Thomson’s life and his important achievements. Biographical information J. J. Thomson was born at Cheetham Hill, a suburb of Manchester, England on December 18, 1856. His father Joseph Thomson was a publisher and book dealer; his mother was Emma Swindles, a housewife. The family’s environment was not good for learned, but he was excellent in study and had an exceptional memory. When Thomson was fourteen in 1870, he enrolled in Owens College and had been taught by the physics professor, Balfour Stewart. Then he entered Trinity College in 1876, as a minor scholar. In 1880, Thomson became a Fellow of Trinity College, when he was Second Wrangler and Second Smith's Prizeman; he remained at Cambridge for the rest of his life, and becoming lecturer in 1883. In 1884, Thomson was named Cavendish Professor of Experimental Physics at an exceptionally young age (Simmons, 1996). On April 30, 1897, was his first time announced preliminary discovery of electron during lecture in Royal Institute, England. In 1903, Thomson published a summary of his work; Conduction of electricity through gases, and he created the â€Å"plum-pudding† model, which is the first model of atom. Thomson won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1906, a knighthood in 1908, and the Presidency of the Royal Society in 1915. He was also a member of the Board of Investigation and Research, which served Britain in World War One (Weinberg, 2003). After that, he resigned from the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919 to become Master of Trinity College, until died on August 30, 1940 (Hamblin, 2005). In addition, he married with Rose Elisabeth in 1980, they had one son; George Paget Thomson; also won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1937, and one daughter. Background information In the end of nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century were exciting and revolutionary time for physics (Franklin, 2004). They began to investigate the behavior of electricity in evacuated tubs. The conduction of electricity through a near vacuum appeared to produce a kind of â€Å"ray†, lighting up the inside of the tube. The cathode rays appeared to be like light, and thus some physicists concluded that they were wave but other evidence proofed that the rays were in fact material in nature. During 1894 to 1897, Thomson was investigated the phenomenon of cathode ray, which had been discovered in 1858 (Ne’eman& Kirsh, 1997). In 1897, he made a significant discovery that the â€Å"rays† were indeed built up of particles and that they were the constituents of all atom. Thomson believed that his experimental evidence, by electromagnetic deflection and measuring the kinetic energy of the ray, had proven it. In the first, he did not initially call it electron, but chose the word â€Å"corpuscle† to emphasize the material nature of the particle. Thomson had found the new particle was very much matter, and he believed that it was the fundamental form of matter in atoms (Hamblin, 2005). Moreover, Albert Einstein introduced his special theory of relativity, which fundamentally changed our concepts of space and time in 1905. Follow by this discovered, people also had changed the way to think about nature and formed an integral and important part of the physics of the time (Franklin, 2004). Experimental information The purpose of Thomson’s experiments in 1897 was to investigate the nature of the then recently discovered cathode rays. He was tried to decide between the view that rays were negatively charged, material particles and the view that they were disturbances in the â€Å"Aether†, the medium through which physicists believed that light waves traveled at the time (Franklin, 2004). In the first of several experiments, Thomson wanted to proof that the cathode rays carried negative charge. He placed two metal plates, connected to a battery, inside a cathode tube, creating a magnetic filed through which the rays would have to pass (Simmons, 1996). The rays were emitted from the negative electrode â€Å"the cathode† and caused a glow when they impinged on the glass or a plate coated with Zinc Sulphide fixed inside the tube. There is another physicist, William Crookes, has been published that the cathode rays were a stream of particles carrying negative charges substances in 1897 (Ne’eman& Kirsh, 1997). Thomson certified this by showing that the rays could be deflected from their straight path by a magnetic or an electric field, and that their behavior under the influence of these fields was exactly what would be expected of a stream of negatively charged particles. By measuring the deflection of the rays in combined electric and magnetic fields of different strengths he was able to calculate the speed of the particles and the ratio between the charges carried by each particle (e) and its mass (m), but no way could be found to calculating the charge and the mass separately. The ratio e/m of the particle was found to be independent of the type of metal of which the cathode was made or residual gas in the tube. Thomson repeated these experiments and found that the particles, which the light knocked out of the metal surface, were identical to the particles constituting the cathode rays. Thus he got the conclusion that these particles were present in all matter, and that by means of an electric voltage or irradiation with light they could be extracted from certain substances (Ne’eman& Kirsh, 1997). The particles were given the name â€Å"electrons† (corpuscle). Impact Firstly, the electron was not only the first of the basic particles to be clearly identified but also by far the lightest of the elementary particles (Weinberg, 2003). Secondly, as a consequence of its lightness, charge and stability, the electron has a unique importance to physics, biology and chemistry. The heat of our sun is produce by the electrons participate in the nuclear reaction. In addition, every atom in the universe consists of a dense core, was surrounded by a cloud of electrons. For chemistry, the chemical differences between one element and another one, depend almost entirely on the number of electrons in the atom, and the chemical forces that hold atoms together in all substances are due to the attraction of the electrons in each atom for the nuclei of the other atoms (Weinberg, 2003). Lastly, the cathode ray tube that we used in television screen and computer monitor today, was developed from experimental apparatus. It is basic from a glass tube plugged by metal electrodes, with the air evacuated and some specific gas pumped in. When the electrodes are connected to a battery with enough voltage, the cathode rays strike the opposite end of the tube and glow or fluoresce. The rays are streams of electrons, not light rays (Simmons, 1996). Conclusion In conclusion, Thomson had constituted one of the important milestones in physics: Cathode rays consist of particles that are elementary and found in all matter. Because of his famous experiments, the Cavendish Laboratory was already became a paradise for physicists at that moment, and number of his students also won the Nobel Prize. With change through time, there are nearly sixteen types of elementary particles have been known so far, but only one particle type has always remained on the list: the electron (Weinberg, 2003). Therefore, the achievements of J. J. Thomson were still having influence in the world. Bibliography List Dahl, P. F. (1997). Flash of the cathode rays: A history of J J Thomson's electron. USA: Institute of Physics Publishing. Franklin, A. (2004). Are there really neutrinos? : An evidential history. USA: Westview Press. (pp. 17-21). Hamblin, J. D. (2005). Science in the early twentieth century: An encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA, USA: ABC-CLIO, Inc. (pp. 18-20, 96-98, 320-321). Hollow, R. & Morgan, A. (1990). History of ideas in physics: Gravitation and atomic structure. Australia: Brooks Waterloo. (pp. 54-56). Ne'eman, Y. & Kirsh, Y. (1996). The particle hunters (2nd ed. ). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 2-5). Simmons, J. (1996). The scientific 100: A ranking of the most influential scientist, past and present. USA: Carol Publishing Group. (pp. 152-155). Weinberg, S. (2003). The discovery of subatomic particles. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. (pp. 9-11).