The Secret Sharer Essay Example For Students

The Secret Sharer Essay The Secret Sharer written by Joseph Conrad, centers around a character of a sea captain. Its title and opening paragraphs forecast a story of mystery, isolation, duality, darkness and silence. The novel proves true these predictions reveling thematic and image patterns directly proportional to them. The opening of the novel further reveals dialectics in the novel. The clash between the private and the public world or man versus society, in other words is the primary dialectic. The journey theme or the rite of passage theme also reveal themselves. We see a young and inexperienced captain grow and explore himself and the world around him, and in the process becoming a functional member of a society. The novella may be only fifty pages long but its words speak volumes. We will write a custom essay on The Secret Sharer specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The first indication of a course that a novel may take is its title. The three little words contained in the title give rise to many interpretations. An image generated by the title could be that of a gossip. Since a gossip is someone who tells peoples secrets, or in other words is a secret sharer if the word secret is taken for a noun, it is a possibility that this image might come to mind. Another image is that of a person who shares in secrecy, therefore becoming a secret sharer, if the word secret is taken for an adjective. This could be an image of a miser, who generally does not share his wealth, but does so only in secrecy. A secret sharer could also be an imaginary friend. It would be a person who is secretive, and you share your thoughts with them. A Biblical interpretation of the secret sharer could be that of the snake in the garden of Eden. Since the snake shares the ultimate secret of knowledge with Adam and Eve, it could be considered a secret sharer. The connotations of the two main words in the title show a contradiction. A secret has a mysterious somewhat evil connotation, while a sharer has a benevolent and good connotation. This gives rise to a possibility of a good and evil dialectic. The denotation of secret is something kept private, sharing is, however, a public act. This brings to light the dialectic of the public versus the private world. The opening paragraphs bring to life the world of the work. The place where the characters move and have their being is a sail ship in this novel. The laws that define the character behavior are similar to the laws of a standard ship operation. There is a chain of command that must be respected. Also, there are rules and regulations to the liberties of the shipmates. This is evident in the greetings between the lower officers and the captain. Also, captains commands must be respected, as they were when he sent the night watchmen away. The laws of the ship do not permit violations. There is a great need for order for a ship to function. Therefor one can assume since the setting is a ship, that the laws will not permit violations. Later on, we find out of Laggetts predicament. There is punishment for breaking a law. Likewise, captain will face punishment if found to be harboring a criminal. Therefore laws do not permit violations. As for deity, there is little influence of God in the n ovel, so one is not able to judge if the laws permit the belief in God. There are definite links between cause and effect. Captains are obeyed. The effect of his first order is mistrust from the crew in his abilities. The world is both real and fictional. It is real in the fact there are no supernatural elements, but fictional in the fact that it came from the authors imagination. The world is highly structured due to the fact that it is a ship where there is a clear hierarchy and laws. Furthermore, the world is restricted to a place, but not time. Specific circumstances tie the world to the ship, but time plays no role in it. .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .postImageUrl , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:hover , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:visited , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:active { border:0!important; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:active , .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8efd28aeb3c5cde75423970b16ea1d5a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: College vs. High School EssayThe archetypal elements found in the opening paragraphs and throughout the book reveal the hidden meanings and intentions of the author. The two small clumps

How to use action verbs to make your resume stand out

How to use action verbs to make your resume stand out Take a look at your resume. What words jump out at you? If you’re like most people, phrases like â€Å"was responsible for† or â€Å"worked on† are probably in there somewhere. And those phrases are totally†¦fine. But if you want to make your resume stand out from the rest of the people who were responsible for X and worked on Y, one of the easiest places to start is to make your language sparkle a little. Using strong, specific action words can help make your accomplishments seem even more impressive. Using next-level verbs in your resume shows the reader that you put particular care and effort into crafting your resume- your resume should show what you do and indicate to the reader how active and dynamic you are as an employee. Strong action verbs can also help you with non-human readers, or Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), as the software may be programmed to look for particular words as indicators of experience. Weak or ordinary verbs will just slip rig ht by the automated eye.This is not to say that every word in your resume needs to be straight out of a thesaurus. If every word is a five-dollar word, that gets repetitive as well. It can also seem very stiff and formal. Instead, use key verbs to punch up your resume writing. Your experience bullets are the best place to use varied words to show what you’ve done. This is where you can really take ownership of your experience and accomplishments, by using active verbs instead of passive ones.For example:I was tasked with organizing the large annual holiday party.orI coordinated a large annual holiday party. They’re similar, but look at the perspective here. In the first sentence, you were following someone else’s orders. In the second, you’re taking control. The only real difference here is the verb; sentence one is passive, while sentence two is active. And yet you don’t need to rewrite every word, just replace the main one.When you’re rewr iting your resume with power verbs, you should go for specificity and relevance over flashiness. Let’s look at some replacements for common resume words.Leadership VerbsIf you’re trying to demonstrate leadership, instead of words like â€Å"led† or â€Å"managed, try one of these:ChairedCoachedDirectedCultivatedEnabledCoordinatedExecutedService VerbsService verbs show how you work with clients, bosses, team members, or other people. Teamwork is a metric that’s more and more important to hiring managers, so be proactive about using them. Instead of words like â€Å"communicated with† or â€Å"dealt with,† try words like:LiaisedConsultedFacilitatedCollaboratedAnalysis VerbsAnalysis verbs show how you handle information or situations. Instead of words like â€Å"analyzed† or â€Å"determined,† try words like:ResearchedAssessedAuditedEvaluatedInvestigatedQuantifiedCommunication VerbsCommunication verbs are some of the most importa nt ones in your resume. Just about every job calls for good communication skills (verbal and written). What better place to show your stellar written communication skills than by picking the exact right words to show how well you communicate? Instead of words like â€Å"communicated,† try words like:ConveyedCorrespondedCampaignedBriefedConcludedPresented  Innovation VerbsInnovation verbs convey your creativity and ingenuity. Many employers are looking for forward-thinking employees who can help get new things accomplished. Instead of words like â€Å"improved† or â€Å"organized,† try words like:PilotedOptimizedCustomizedCreatedGeneratedOne of the trickiest part of your resume is showing, not telling, so the more you choose words that highlight your most important accomplishments, the more you’ll be able to convey to any reader in a limited space. Your resume has limited real estate, so make the most of it!

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Private School

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Applying to Private School Applying to private school is an exciting but demanding process. There is a wide range of schools to apply to, and its hard for the first-time applicant to know how to manage the process. To ensure a smoother process, try to start early, leave time to visit the schools, and look for the school that fits your child best. Here are common pitfalls to avoid when applying to private school: Mistake #1: Only applying to one school Parents often become enamored of the vision of their children at a very prestigious boarding or day school, and there is no doubt that the top boarding schools  have amazing resources and faculties. However, its important to make sure youre being realistic. Many of the top private schools have competitive admission cycles, and accept only a small percentage of applicants. Its always a good idea to have a top choice and at least one or two back up schools, just in case.  Ã‚   In addition, when looking at schools, consider more than just how the school is ranked, or where many of its graduates attend college. Instead, look at the entire experience for your child. If she loves sports or other extracurricular activities, will she be able to participate in them at that school? Consider how well she is likely to fit into the school, and what her quality of life (and yours) are likely to be at school. Remember, you are not just looking for prestige; you are ideally looking for the right fit between the school and your child. Mistake #2: Over-coaching (or under-coaching) Your Child for the Interview While there is no doubt that the private school interview can be very stressful, there is a line ​that  parents must walk between preparing their children  and over-preparing them. Its beneficial for a child to practice speaking about herself in a poised way, and it helps if the child has researched the school she is applying to and knows something about it and why she might want to attend that school. Letting your child wing it without any preparation is not a great idea, and can jeopardize her chances for admission. Showing up to an interview asking basic questions that can easily be found online or saying that she doesnt know why shes applying, isnt a good first impression. However, your child shouldnt be scripted and asked to memorize pat responses just to impress the interviewer (who can usually see right through that stunt). That includes coaching the child to say things that arent really true about her interests or motivations. This type of over-coaching can be detected in the interview, and it will hurt her chances. In addition, too much preparation will make the child often feel overly anxious instead of relaxed and at her best during the interview. Schools want to get to know the real child, not the perfectly poised version of your child that appears for the interview. Finding the right fit is important, and if youre not being genuine, its going to be hard for the school, and for your child, to know if this is where she needs to be.   Mistake #3:  Waiting for the Last Minute Ideally, the school selection process starts in the summer or fall the year before your child will actually attend the school. By the end of the summer, you shouldve identified the schools you are interested in applying to, and you can start to arrange tours. Some families opt to hire  an  educational consultant, but this isnt necessary if youre willing to do your homework. There are plenty of resources available right here on this site, as well as several others, to help you understand the admission process and make the right choices for your family. Use this calendar to organize your school search process  and check out this awesome spreadsheet that will help you organize your private school search.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Dont wait until the winter to get started with the process, as many schools have deadlines. If you miss these, you might jeopardize your chances of getting in at all, as the top private schools have limited spaces available for incoming students. While some schools offer rolling admission, not all do, and some will close their application to new families by February. These early application deadlines are especially important for families who need to apply for financial aid, as funding is usually limited and often given to families on a first come, first served basis.   Mistake #4: Having Someone Else Write the Parents Statement Most schools require both older students and parents to write statements. Though it may be tempting to farm out your parents statement to someone else, such as an assistant at work or an educational consultant, only you should write this statement. The schools want to know more about your child and you know your child best. Leave time to think and write about your child in a candid, vivid way. Your honesty enhances your chances of finding the right school for your child. Mistake #5: Not Comparing Financial Aid Packages If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to compare the financial aid packages at the different schools your child to which your child is admitted. Often, you can convince a school to match another schools financial aid package or at least get an offer increased slightly. By comparing financial aid packages, you can often manage to attend the school you like best for the best price.    Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski

Shifts in the Economic System from Building Real Capital to Building Research Paper

Shifts in the Economic System from Building Real Capital to Building Credit - Research Paper Example This paper demonstrates how the values of the economic system have shifted from amassing real capital or wealth to building credit. Building credit is presently revered in all sectors and industries, areas including transportation, entrepreneurship and real estate. This is primarily because good credit good credit is essential, not only to getting loans and credit cards, but more and more firms and societies are making the case that individuals must possess good credit prior to extending products and services to their customers. The issue of the shifting values, in the economic system, towards building credit is an important topic of discussion since it not only demonstrates the evolution of economic rhetoric, but also helps anticipate future trends in economic system. The modern economic environment is such that credit is a greater determiner of wealth accumulation than real capital The accumulation of real capital, which encompasses both financial capital and wealth essentially, refers to the accrual of ownership claims on labor and other forms of capital. Real capital can be epitomized in financial terms, for instance, having financial securities characterized by the ownership of massive funds to get hold of wealth and capital. Therefore, accumulating capital encompasses amassing objects of value by concentrating wealth or capital, for instance, financial capital, natural capital, social capital and human capital. However, in the modern day, credit is what dictates the wellbeing of the financial world. This is the case, not only among first-time home buyers, but Fortune 500 companies that significantly affect national economies (Guseva, 2005). Lenders, whether local, national, regional or global make decisions concerning the credit worthiness of their borrowers on the basis of their credit histories or scores. At present, having a strong credit history is a major determining factor for one’s access to wealth, for instance, homes and cars since credit scores and histories influence access to loans, mortgages and other forms of financial investments. The shift in economic value from building real capital to building credit has been influenced by the microeconomic environment in which organizations and individuals are increasingly shunning physical money in favor of credit. Today, one does not require physical money to make purchases since credit cards allow for exchange of goods and services by swiping credit cards. This occurrence in the microeconomic environment has, in tur n, resulted in the shifts in economic values and ideologies in the macroeconomic environment. The real meaning of building credit is to meet the requirements lenders establish. The macroeconomic theory presently integrates credit and banking by appreciating the role of both banking and credit in shaping the overall economy (Heijdra & Ploeg, 2002). The present economic system appreciates the macro mechanisms that link the real economy to variables inherent in the environment, for instance, climatic changes and

Evaluation of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the Marketplace Essay

Evaluation of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in the Marketplace - Essay Example The indexing of information provides an easy way of getting the information to the consumers on Twitter. Indexing of the information again provides the updates about the products to be got by the customers in real time. Again the method of indexing on twits can help consumers to search for more information about a particular product instantly. Twitter has improved its strategies for marketing in the business world. That is an indication of success in its development. Second, Twitter also provides new business ventures for its users. For instance, the speaker states that some users find Twitter convenient to follow states agency publications. Further, Conan indicates that there is no limitation on the number of persons to follow on twitter. In addition, it is not very necessary to follow an individual to get his or her twits. An individual can follow another user but do not follow the person and the person can read your twits. Twitter can, therefore, give one unlimited space to follow more and more Twitter accounts. In a case where one wants to explore the marketplace for business, and then the persons can understand the very diverse business area of interest. The advantages of the use Twitter, therefore, indicate the success of Twitter in the future in the marketplace. It will give a space for one to understand very diverse market area through twitter. That is an evidence of the success of Twitter in the marketplace. According to Lucy, the monthly traffic web traffic indicates that Facebook is posing much more threats to LinkedIn (1). In most of the blog posts, almost a half-dozen blogs show that Facebook is gaining dominance over Myspace in the made-up social media war. Twitter and Facebook have been integrated by their founders such that one can synchronize both Facebook and Twitter account as just update on one account, and the other account would automatically be updated.

Infrared Thermography System Requirements

Infrared Thermography System Requirements As the use of advanced materials continues to increase in the aerospace community, the need for a quantitative, rapid, in situ inspection technology has become a critical concern throughout the industry. In many applications it is necessary to monitor changes in these materials over an extended period of time to determine the effects of various loading conditions. Additionally, the detection and characterization of defects such as delaminations, cracking, corrosion, etc, is of great concern. 1.1 Thermographic inspection of materials Thermography is particularly adapted for non-destructive testing and can be used on different materials: carbon-epoxy, lightweight metallic alloys, thin metal skin on honeycomb structure (like aircraft doors), epoxy resin with glass fibre reinforcement GFRP, and panel skins with CFRP (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic) like helicopter blades. The control contributes to highlight the most prominent types of discontinuities seen in aerospace materials including: porosity, which reduces the compressive load carrying capability, water ingress or moisture which can degrade the mechanical properties of some resins or lead to freeze inside the part causing more and more damage, disbond or delamination or cracking resulting from low strength or failure, impact damage during the taxi or caused by bird strike or by a dropped tool during maintenance, and inclusions which can reduce strength by kinking the fibres around the inserted material. Thermographic methods are those in which the presence of flaws is determined by monitoring the flow of heat over the surface of a structure after some external introduction of a temperature gradient. The presence of flaws disrupts the normal pattern of heat flow that would be expected in a sound structure. The method is more sensitive to flaws near to the surface. Modern thermographic systems commonly use infrared (IR) cameras to detect radiated heat and are controlled by TV video electronics which sample the field of view at a typical rate of 50Hz, allowing temperature variations on a 20ms time-scale to be resolved. The camera is sensitive to temperature changes of about 0.005 °C and covers a chosen range of temperature, 4 °C and 8 °C being commonly suitable, although operation is possible between -50 °C and +100 °C. Liquid crystal coatings and pyroelectric detectors have also been used [3.1] to detect IR radiation. Infrared thermography has proved to be an effective tool in the inspection of materials. By providing either a single-sided or a two-sided inspection, the presence and growth of defects in aerospace structures can be evaluated and used to estimate the remaining life of these materials. Thermography can be performed using a variety of heat sources including flash heating (short pulse), step heating (long pulse) and spatially shaped heat sources, thus providing an inspection tool that is applicable to a wide range of material properties, thicknesses and defect types. The principle of infrared thermography (IRT) for non-destructive inspection (NDI) consists in highlighting the relevant differences or gradient disturbances of temperature due to imperfections and deteriorations of the inspected structures. They become visible on the surfaces of these objects. The domain of infrared thermography is quite recent and covers vast fields of applications. In the industrial context, infrared thermography is used either by the passive approach (by simple observation of the isotherms on the surface of interest) or by the active approach (by stimulating the thermal response of the specimen). Thermography has many advantages over more traditional inspection methods. For example, ultrasonic (UT) inspection methods typically require the use of a coupling medium (either water or some other fluid), which can present difficulties for some materials and can make in situ inspection significantly more complicated. Further, UT inspections consist of scanning a small diameter transducer over the surface of the structure; this requires expensive, automated scanning equipment and can be quite time consuming. Thermography, on the other hand, can rapidly image large areas of the structure with little or no surface preparation. As it is mentioned in [3.2], in a typical inspection it is possible to image a 1m2 area in approximately 20 seconds. 1.2 Thermography sensors specifications The IR or infrared portion occupies roughly the region between 10 to the minus 4 to 10 to the minus 3 centimetres, or, from about 1 micron to about 100 microns. But most commercial equipment comes designed to operate in portions of the region, for a number of reasons (lower atmospheric absorption of IR radiation -or IR atmospheric windows, detector availability at reasonable cost). Commercial IR thermography equipment comes in in the following wavelength bands and their filtered sub-bands. Common jargon follows approximately the terminology listed below [3.3]: the near IR region and band is from about 0.7 to 1.7 microns, the short wave or SW band is from about 1.8 to 2.4 microns, the medium wave or MW band is from about 2.4 to 5 microns, and the long wave or LW band is from about 8 to 14 microns. Depending on the selected wavelength, there are a number of performance requirements that must be properly defined to ensure high-quality inspection results. An overview of them is given in the following whereas a more detailed definition will follow in the next subsections of the deliverable. An infrared detector response greater than 5 microns and less than 15 microns with the spectral bandwidth encompassing the 8-10 micron region. Accurate data repeatability in temperature value and location. A direct linear correspondence between the distance travelled, anatomic location and the displayed temperature values. Controlled infrared beam collimation to prevent sensor cross-talk. A sufficient number of infrared samples must be taken in order to maintain an adequately detailed graph resolution. The number of samples taken should be equivalent to the minimum standards of acceptable camera systems. Repeatability and precision of 0.1 °C detection of temperature difference. Accuracy of +/- 2% or less. Ability to perform accurate quantitative differential temperature analysis. High-resolution image display for interpretation. Ability to archive images for future reference and image comparison. Software manipulation of the images should be maintained within strict parameters to insure that the diagnostic qualities of the images are not compromised. Having decided that a thermographic (infrared) inspection will provide the kind of information which will satisfy an inspection need, the next decision is to select a thermographic sensor. The technical specifications are lengthy and full of abbreviations and jargon. A full comprehension of the meanings and implications of the specifications is essential to making a correct equipment selection. The following information regarding the critical parameters in thermography inspection tasks has been taken from [3.4]. Operating Band, emissivity Correction, instantaneous Field of View (Spatial Resolution), measurement of Field of View, spot Size Ratio, noise Equivalent Temperature Difference, minimum Detectable Temperature, thermal Resolution, accuracy, zoom (optical and digital), lenses and Filters, frame Rate, field display, and non-uniformity Correction. The consortium has decided to avoid thermographic sensors with cooled detector types whose their cost can exceed 100,000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ per sensor. In case the performance of the uncooled thermo- cameras is not satisfying, the consortium will decide for the possible use of cooled thermography sensors. The technical specifications of the thermography sensors for the three wavelengths considered are analytically given in the following Table 3.1. Table 3.1: Technical specifications of the three operating bands in IR systems NIR MidWaveIR LongWaveIR Detector  type Uncooled microbolometer Image  format à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 80 x 80 pixel Pixel  pitch Spectral  range 0.9  µm à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1.7  µm 3.5  µm à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 5  µm 8  µm à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 13  µm Range  for  measuring/ visualization -20  °C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ +80 °C Temperature  resolution NETD Measurement  accuracy  ± 2 K (0  °C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 100  °C) Dynamicrange 16 bit Imagerate > 30 frames per second Field  of  view > 15 ° x 15 ° Interfaces USB or Giga-Ethernet or CameraLink or IEEE-1394 (FireWire) or S-/-C-Video or RS-232 OR VGA or WLAN Power  supply 12VDC à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 24VDC Operating  temperature -15  °C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. +45  °C Storing  temperature -25  °C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ +50  °C Humidity Relative humidity 10% à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 95%, non-condensing Shock Operational : 25 G, IEC 68-2-29 Vibration Operational : 2 G, IEC 68-2-6 Weight Options Radiometric calibration -40  °C à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. + 300  °C High temperature calibration up to 1,200  °C Image processing functionalities Image capturing software 1.3 Active thermographic techniques and excitation sources Active infrared thermography [3.5] is a non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDTE) technique requiring an external source of energy to induce a temperature difference between defective and non-defective areas in the specimen under examination. A wide variety of energy sources are available, the most common types can be divided into optical, mechanical or inductive, although many other sources can be employed. Figure 3.1 shows typical examples of heat sources of these three excitation types. Figure 3.1 Heat sources/excitations examples: (a) optical: flashes (b) mechanical: ultrasonic transducer (c) inductive: electromagnetic coil 1.3.1 Proposed experimental setups for the thermographic techniques Regardless of the excitation mode being used, three thermographic techniques (pulsed, step and lock-in) will be employed. The experimental setup, along with some theoretical aspects, is given in the following. Pulsedthermography:Pulsed thermography (PT) is one of the most popular thermal stimulation methods in active thermography. One reason for this is the quickness of the inspection relying on a short thermal stimulation pulse, with duration going from a few milliseconds for high conductivity material inspection (such as metal) to a few seconds for low conductivity specimens (such as plastics). Figure 3.2: The proposed experimental set-up using pulsed thermography in reflection with optical excitation. Brief heating will be employed here where both the heating phase (while the pulse is applied) and the cooling phase will be observed. There is no interest in observing the thermal changes during the excitation since these images are often saturated. More importantly, this early data does not contain any information about the internal defects yet. In pulsed thermography, the stimulus will be applied with a xenon flash lamp for a flash pulse and alternatively with a halogen lamp in the transient case. Solving the Heat Conduction Equation tells us that the thermal propagation time to the depth of 2 mm to a subsurface defect is about 40 ms in aluminium and for 2 mm of graphite epoxy is about 30s. This means halogen lamps will be preferred here since flash is better for materials of high thermal diffusivity, e.g., metals. Materials with a low thermal diffusivity, e.g., composites, have a long thermal propagation time, which limits flash thermography to the detection of shallow defects. Stepheatingthermography:Step heating will be also investigated using a larger pulse (from several seconds to a few minutes). The temperature decay is of interest; in this case, the increase of surface temperature will be monitored during the application of a step heating pulse. Variations of surface temperature with time are related to specimen features as in PT. This technique is sometimes referred to as time-resolved infrared radiometry (TRIR). Lock-inthermography: Lock-in thermography (LT) will be also employed, (known as modulated thermography), where the specimen is stimulated with a periodic energy source, Figure 3.3. Sinusoidal waves of different frequencies will be used, although it is possible to use other periodic waveforms as well. Internal defects, acting as barriers for heat propagation, are expected to produce changes in amplitude and phase delay of the response signal at the surface that will permit the detection of defects in higher depths (>3mm). Figure 3.3: The proposed experimental set-up for lock-in thermography in reflection with optical excitation 1.3.2 Types of excitation sources Halogenlamps:mainly used in synchronously stimulated thermography as a radiation source for generating heat radiation with smooth time characteristics. Variations of active thermography with these lamps are popular under the names or Lock-In or phase sensitive (so named by analogy with the principle of operation of the Lock-In amplifier) and frequency- modulated (can be seen as a superposition of the Lock-In thermography). The use of halogen lamps as an energy source is necessary due to their relatively high efficiency, simplicity in use and possibility of control by amplitude modulation of conventional power units. Pulsedlamps:this type of source is mainly applicable to the methods for determining the time thermal transmission properties of materials by means of a generator as a source of excitation. There are used the methods of the optical pulse thermography where the studied structure is heated by short (single) thermal energy waves from xenon flash that create energy density to 100 kJ/m2 for a period of a few ms to a few s. The method is known as active thermography inspection by heat wave and is mainly used to determine the transient thermal response of the object. Non-opticalexcitationsources:ultrasound It is used in the thermo-vibration systems. For this purpose, a source or sources of ultrasonic waves are used which, in their distribution in locations of inhomogeneity or defect create acoustic friction. Thus, heat is generated which affects the surface of the material and is visible to the thermal camera. A typical application of ultrasound sources and vibration-thermography is for inspection of materials with very low thermal conductivity. The application of synchronous vibration-thermography allows increasing the resolution of this method and study of thin thermal layers in places with difficult access. As mentioned before, non-optical excitation sources are out of the scope and will not considered in the proposed experimentation. The required specifications for the excitation sources considered in the proposed experimentation have been identified and are given in the Table 3.2Table 3.4. Table 3.2: Flash lamps specifications Standard  flash  head Ringflash Energy max. 6000 J max. 3000 J Flash  frequency ~  ¼ s Power  connection 110-230 V / 50-60 Hz Accessories Lamps, reflectors, filters Table 3.3: Halogen lamps specifications Single  lamps Power consumption 500-1000 W / lamp @ 230V Lightoutput 37.000 350.000 cd axial Modulation frequency Sensible up to max. 1Hz Accessories Reflectors, filters, robot mounting Halogenlamparray Power consumption 4 x 650 W or 8 x 650 W Description Compact housing with air cooling and heat protective glass Table 3.4: Hot/cold gun specifications Heating  hose  supply 230 V / 50 Hz, compressed air approx. 2 bar Achievable  air  temperature Approx. 250  °C 1.4 Conclusions The specifications for the three IR sensors and the excitation sources have been identified. Especially, all the critical parameters in thermography inspection tasks were presented and the technical specifications of the thermography sensors for the three wavelengths were specified so as to meet the requirement of the problem. All the well-known excitation sources were also analytically presented and the technical specifications of the selected sources were determined.

Infosys Case Analysis Essay

? Case analysis – infosys document structure We have approached the case by first analyzing the identified issues, and then associate root causes to those issues. Further to it we have used two frameworks, â€Å"Web of Change† and â€Å"Hewitt Best Employer Characteristics†, to theoretically assess the weaknesses in Infosys Human Resource and Change Management policies. These frameworks can be used by organizations to better plan their change management and human resource management initiatives. We have used â€Å"Hewitt’s Best Employer Survey†, to identify the key initiatives which Infosys should undertake to enable it to reach its target of â€Å"Best Employer† by 2011. Further to it we believe that â€Å"Best Employer† and â€Å"Best Performer† are complementary goals, and it’s difficult to achieve one without the other, and hence we have identified the key initiatives which can help Infosys to achieve â€Å"Best Performer† target without compromising on its â€Å"Best Employer† objective. about infosys Infosys is the second largest Indian IT software services company. Infosys has reached pinnacles of success in short span of 20 years, through innovative business strategies and human resource practices. Currently it is facing challenges around balancing between business growth and employee satisfaction. About its business Model Infosys delivers IT services to its clients globally in a model called GDM (Global Delivery Model). The main characteristic of this model is that it decouples client location and project execution. Project is executed in locations which provide best combination of cost and talent. Project teams are spread across client site and offshore development centers in countries like India, China, and Mexico etc which provide rich availability of talent at competitive cost. Usually teams at client site document requirements and manage client relationship and offshore team manages delivery. This is a human resource intensive industry and the challenge is exacerbated by the fact that most of the resources are highly skilled professionals (engineers, MBAs, computer scientists etc). Being an industry where human resource is your only asset and your only competitive advantage, managing, ssues and Root Cause analysis In this section we’ll analyze the issues identified in the case and will attempt to identify root causes which led to employee dissatisfaction. After our analysis we believe that issues mentioned in the case is symptomatic of gaps in general principles of leadership, change management and HRM. Policies are not written in blood and stone, and they change ov er the lifetime of organizations. What should not change are basic organizations principles around human resource management. Our assessment is that policy changes in Infosys were reflective of external environment and business imperatives. However, diverging from the basic principles of Change management, leadership, communication and employee development in implementing new policies is what led to its fall in Best Employer ratings. â€Å"Stock Options started lacking luster to the new employees and created equity imbalance among employees† Stakeholders involved New Employees Discontentment Impact Inequity of income/wealth effect in the company which created tension between employees. New employees who had seen Infosys from outside as an organization committed to fairness, equity, and employee wealth creation got disenchanted. Root Cause Failure to Manage Expectations This issue primarily arose because of incorrect expectation setting of new employees. Infosys kept on using stock options and the millionaires’ stories as branding activity, even when stock options were no more an incentive to new recruits. Company should have made it very clear about its new compensation philosophy when it discontinued ESOPS. 1. Managing scale and attrition risk Stakeholders involved Employees Managers Discontentment Impact Infosys was growing at a speed where it was doubling its organizational strength every 1-2 years. However organization was plagued by high attrition rate. Employees felt lack of motivation, due to repetitive process tasks, which the business model demanded. Due to high growth, a lot of employees moved up the managerial ladder, but lacked proper training and orientation and hence couldn’t connect to employees Root Cause Lack of Employee fulfillment ( from the job ) Detached Lleaderships To stress on the need for the above two, we’ll give two examples from Indian public sector. Indian Railways Indian railways has recently transformed itself into a highly profitable organization, and according to the officer on special with Railways, single most critical factor which contributed to this success is involvement and commitment of employees of railways despite having a poor compensation structure. Employees of Indian railways take great pride in their work, since they believe they are contributing to the running of the country’s biggest infrastructure and are responsible for transporting of 2 crore customers every days. This association with organizational goal and pride in your organization is what makes an organization for perpetuity. Due to changing business needs, Iinfosys couldn’t connect to its employees in motivating them. Indian Army A unit commander in the army is able to inspire its soldiers to give up their life, compensation etc notwithstanding. The only reasons soldiers are so committed, is their immediate leader. It depends on the unit commander’s ability to connect to his soldiers, motivate them and show a genuine concern for their wellbeing, is what motivates the soldiers to do the unthinkable for their leader. According to research in human resources field, people leave managers and not companies. The leadership skills of managers are the greatest source of employee fulfillment at work. Lack of engagement and commitment of managers towards their subordinates, was probably the single biggest reason for high attrition rate at Infosys. 2. Strong formalization and process orientation, which came as part of growth, took away bandwidth to innovate from employees. Stakeholders involved Employees Discontentment Impact Employees who were used to getting the thrill and satisfaction from using their skill on technical challenges were feeling cocooned because of new process driven and re-use methodology. Similar impact was observed in people policy issues. All personal policies were getting more and more formalized. Root Cause Lack of employee Motivation Resistance to change One of the basic principles of organization design is that you don’t use strong formalization from highly skilled agents (employees). Formalization is for low skilled repeatable tasks. Infosys should have come up with business models aimed at high end, value added services much earlier. This would have kept its inherent talent not only motivated but better utilized for higher margins. In 1990s moving away from body shopping to GDM provide this opportunity, but in early to middle 2000s, Iinfosys couldn’t reinvent itself. Formalization in organizational policies when it grows out from entrepreneurial stage is inevitable. It’s actually needed to ensure consistent implementation of policies and create a sense of equity and fairness among employee. Dissatisfaction on this front could be attributed to resistance to change, and hence effective change management principles should be employed for disruptive changes. 3. Introduction of variable pay Stakeholders involved Employees Senior Management HR Department Discontentment Impact Variable pay was received with a lot of skepticism by the employees, fearing that it was introduced to reduce their compensation Root Cause/s Change Management Failure Lack of Leadership engagement Communication Failure This was probably one of the most disruptive changes introduced by Infosys. The amount of skepticism and distrust displayed by employees was a first in Infosys. Immediate reaction of employees was that this policy has been introduced to cut employee costs to satisfy shareholders demand for higher and higher profitability. The fact that a vast majority of senior management were shareholders in the company added to employee distrust. There was no clarity among employees how this policy will pan out. A lot of employees were not comfortable in linking their performance to factors outside their control (market conditions, decision taken by management etc). Also since the amount of variable component was high (more than 50% for project managers and above), employees could not understand how much their monthly take home were. This is a classic case of failure in change management and involvement of leadership at every level. Infosys data on variable payout shows that most of the time company has delivered 100% payout and even higher percentage to high performers. So employee skepticism bore from lack of clarity and communication on this policy. Lack of clarity, communication and involvement of employees was to such an extent that even middle management was taken by surprise by this policy. Many managers, who couldn’t appreciate the policy implementation, were reluctant in communicating the changes to the employees. For an employee first point of contact for clarification is his/her immediate line manager, hence it’s important to fully equip leadership at every level with information. To understand the role what leadership plays in motivating, retaining employees, we should look at armed forces. Unit commanders are able to motivate their employees to give their life, despite the fact that compensation package of soldiers is one of the lowest. This commitment in subordinates comes because of total commitment of their leader in engaging with them and motivating with them. Immediate line managers are the biggest reason employees leave an organization and are also the main reason employees go beyond their capabilities to outperform. 4. Retaining Organizational Culture with fast track growth Stakeholders involved HR Department Employees Discontentment Impact Due to business growth imperatives, and its business model, Infosys was doubling its employee strength every 1-2 years. To accommodate this type of growth, it had to lower its hiring standards and quality and culture was a victim of this. Root Cause/s Lack of Employee on boarding ( orientation) planning This issue had an impact on multiple facets. It led to a feeling disenchantment in existing employees, as they felt their brand equity in the market was getting diluted. New employees, who were not able to appreciate infosys inherent culture, didn’t felt comfortable and had a feeling that the organization is biased toward old employees. Root cause of this issue was that although organization had changed its selection criteria, it didn’t change its employee orientation strategy, or training methodology. Infosys should have changed its orientation program to be more customized offering for similar group of employees and using existing employees as mentor to help develop organizational culture and values in new employees. Similarly if you are hiring for quantity and not quality, it should have modified its training plan to be more exhaustive. 5. Broad Banding and promotions Stakeholders involved Employees Discontentment Impact Lack of faith in the organization Chaos and confusion in employees minds Root Cause/s Change Management Communication Leadership This policy again created a lot of employee discomfort since they didn’t knew the details of change. It’s again a classic change management failure. Although the policy was designed to bring more clarity in role structure and bring equity amongst similar roles, across the organization, poor communications created fear and scientism in minds of people. We can observe from the reinvention of Indian Railways, one of the reasons organization could progress on the growth trajectory, was employee commitment to the cause of Indian Railways, despite of low compensation. Employees felt proud to be part of the world’s biggest railways and were motivated to excel. Some of the senior managers lacked clarity about policies, hence they were apprehensive of clarifying the policy. This shows a major organizational failure in terms of change management and engagement of leadership with people. Similarly as discussed above, since employee appraisal parameters were not clearly defined, an employee could not appreciate how his/her appraisal going to impact promotions? Web Of Change – Change Management Framework To do substantiate our above understanding of issues at Iinfosys, we used â€Å"Web of Change†, a change management framework to understand the change management issues at Infosys. â€Å"Web of change: is the framework proposed by Stephen Thomas. This model defines 8 change elements as shown below and the web of change helps us to see how the values of each element changed during the Organization Change process in Infosys. The baseline score is the value of the Change elements in Infosys during the glory years of 1990’s and the re-assessment scores the value of the same change elements in the 2000’s when Infosys was going through the â€Å"Growth pangs†.