Dispersed Team Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dispersed Team Dynamics - Essay Example The effectiveness of studies on the dynamics of the teams has influential merits for the management students as they can convert their individual skills to collective enthusiasm at their prospective workplace. This essay will focus on the summative evaluation of the different elements of virtual team management and the practical utility of the methods applied in the course structure and identify the questions for future exploration. The course design for the topic of dispersed team dynamics has successfully covered the different theoretical aspects associated with the virtual team management applications. The basic learning from the course encompasses the technical and scientific knowledge associated with the formation of virtual teams and their functions. The lectures and practical sessions of the course effectively address the essential features of operational management, communication and the principles of collaboration in order to empower the learners to develop their employability at the challenging job market conditions. The course literature evidently focuses on the technical and personal competencies required for the virtual team managers. The current tendencies of the global HR environment of collectively demand the management students and leadership aspirants to explore their own potentials on the basis of the required adaptability skills essential for coping up the change-inflicted challenges. Accord ing to Lpesinger and DeRosa (2010), the emphasis of envisioning the changes as part of virtual team management functioning is essential for team leaders because of the importance of visions in strategic planning and decision making (p.93). As part of the course, the virtual team has taken a definition for the students as they realize the scope of this HR practice device across the multi-cultural and diverse employment

Higher Education in Contemporary Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Higher Education in Contemporary Society - Essay Example With more and more businesses turning to overseas labor, the job market in America is suffering. We need a public that is educated and capable of contributing significant economic skills to the development of our systems and institutions. More competition in any given market means that candidates for positions need to be knowledgeable and capable of ingenuity. As globalization spreads, jobs are demanding more than primary education can offer; a key factor in obtaining a well paying career path is obtaining some form of higher education. Employees and applicants need to be ahead of the times, ready to interact with people of different languages and customs in a business manner and achieve successful relationships. Entrepreneurial engagement is also important to a society, it allows for new markets to open up and eventually new jobs to come about. Higher education is essential to the success of any entrepreneurial business especially in today's rapidly growing marketplace. Another reason that higher education is so important today is the simple fact that without an educated public, democracy cannot thrive. Believe in or not those fancy schools and education institutions were founded in service to us as citizens of a free country. They may fuss and moan about reputation and status; but when you get down to it they are here to allow us the pursuit of knowledge. A pursuit that is not only a human right but also a civic responsibility; "The schools of a country are its future in miniature." Tehyi Hsieh, a Chinese philosopher said that and has proven to be true. From the ancient Maya and Egyptians to the Greeks and Romans every outstandingly powerful and accomplished society has had a well developed education system. As funding for primary public education dwindles and its accomplishments seem less profound with every year, higher education may be our only option to pursue knowledge within an institutional setting. Aristotle said, "To learn is a natural pl easure, not confined to philosophers but common to all men (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, 2007 pg. 267)." Let us uphold this idea and consist ourselves of well educated, adaptable and resourceful people. "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" Neil Armstrong's famous quote as he stepped onto the surface of the moon drives home my next point. Higher education is important in contemporary society because it is important for our country to push technological and scientific boundaries. In one year we made it from just breaking free of our earths atmosphere to landing on the moon and returning successfully as the fist country to accomplish the task. America would never have been eligible for this position without higher education. With diseases like Aids and Cancer growing out of the control; global warming threatening to change life on earth forever and populations rising into the billions it is important more than ever for us to be experimenting with new ideas. We need to attempt to right some of the environmental wrongs we have done our planet; we need to find alternative fuel sources and ask why our globe is heating up. The questions of why, where,

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay

The Rise Of Green Vehicles Marketing Essay Introduction A green vehicle is a motor vehicle that has less dangerous and less deadly effects to the environment than any regular gasoline or diesel powered vehicles. The major inspiration of the development of alternative fuels and green engineering are to reduce the harmful environmental impacts and to create the mentality of reducing dependency to oil. Based on what customers majority demand in automobile industry: low fuel consumption, low cost, low noise pollution, state-of-the-art technology, and environmentally friendly, manufactures are significantly are transforming their technology to the green vehicle technology. Green vehicles are powered by alternative fuels and include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Latest trend of the green vehicles popularity was significantly caused by the rise of oil prices. People are trying to find other ways to save their money from purchasing gas for their gas/diesel powere d cars. Tax saving also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity in various countries such as United States and European Union. According to IRS website, The Energy Policy Act of 2005 replaced the clean-fuel burning deduction with a tax credit. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total amount of federal tax owed, thus reducing or even eliminating the taxpayers tax obligation. The tax credit for hybrid vehicles applies to vehicles purchased or placed in service on or after January 1, 2006 (www.irs.gov). This paper will answer several questions that people might be curios about. First, I will discuss the causes of the booming market of green vehicles in the last decade. Secondly, I will discuss the controversies of GMs electric vehicle EV1 and its relation to the conspiracy theories with Oil Company. Background As mentioned before, green vehicles include hybrids, electric cars, ethanol, hydrogen cars, natural gas, plug-in hybrids, biodiesel, and air powered vehicles. Hybrids combine two or more different propulsion systems, typically a gasoline engine and one or more electric drive motors. Most hybrids on the road today compliment their gas engines by charging a battery when breaking. Engines running on diesel or other alternative fuels can also be used in hybrids. A hybrid drive is fully scalable, which means the drive can be used to power everything from small commuter cars to large buses and even locomotives. Hybrids get more MPG or miles per gallon than most non-hybrids, and usually have very low tailpipe emissions (greencar.com). Electric cars produce zero localized emissions since theyre propelled by electric motors that run on batteries charged at home, or special electric vehicle charging stations. Electric cars are extremely efficient and run for pennies per mile, much cheaper than any other alternative fuel. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. As a fuel, ethanol can be used in more than 30 flex fuel vehicle models that have been designed to run on alcohol, gasoline, or any combination of the two fuels from the same tank. Most ethanol today is produced from corn or sugar cane, although this will change as cheaper cellulosic ethanol made from fast growing woody grasses and other biomass becomes a reality. Hydrogen cars perhaps the cleanest of all alternative fuels, burning with nearly zero emissions in an internal combustion engine and with emissions of only water vapor and heat in an electro-mechanical fuel cell. Natural gas, the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, is being used by an increasing number of medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles like refuse trucks and delivery vans. Natural gas is stored and used in its liquefied or compressed states. It is most commonly abbreviated as LNG for Liquefied Natural Gas, a nd CNG for Compressed Natural Gas. While a variety of light-duty natural gas cars were once available, the only factory-produced natural gas car made today in the U.S. is Hondas Civic GX. Plug-in hybrids boast great potential for improving fuel economy. Plug in hybrid technology allows gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles to be recharged from the grid and run many miles on battery power alone. A gas engine provides additional driving range as needed after the battery power is gone. Plug in hybrids may never need to run on anything but electricity for shorter commutes. The combination of gas and electric driving technologies can already achieve up to 150 mpg. Biodiesel is a renewable alternative fuel made from various sources ranging from waste vegetable oil to soybeans. It can often be used seamlessly in diesel engines of all kinds. Biodiesel is a cleaner fuel than standard petroleum diesel. Since it can be produced locally, biodiesel has the potential to decrease our dependence on for eign countries for oil, and enhance local economies where biodiesel production is taking place. Air powered cars are relatively new to the green car scene. Compressed air is currently being explored as a viable alternative fuel to efficiently power car engines with little or no environmental impact (greencar.com). Going back to the history of green vehicles, they have been around for around almost 120 years. Jake Richardson in his article 9 Electric Cars 100 Years Old or More explains that the first green vehicle ever made was 1891 Morison. Made by William Morrison in 1891, some say the Morrison was the first electric vehicle in America. It  had a four horsepower engine, and could  carry 6-12 passengers. Top speed was about 20 mph. The batteries needed to be recharged every 50 miles. It has been said the car was actually completed in 1887 and was driven in a Des Moines parade in 1888. If that is true, the Morrison was first built 122 years ago, and it was built in America, where today they are  almost no electric cars on the roads. Next is electrobat, produced from 1894-1899.   Electrobats were made for several years in Philadelphia. The first ones were very heavy and used steel  tires to support a large lead battery. They employed twin 1.5 hp motors and  had a top speed of 20 mph. They could go 25 miles on one charge. Next is the 1900 Riker. Riker is a bulky enclosed cabin four passenger sedan that was made about the turn of the century; the Riker featured electric side lamps, wooden-spoked wheels, and a voice tube so passengers could communicate with the driver. Cabin windows could be raised and lowered. 48 battery cells were onboard, with an electric engine near each rear wheel.  The drivers seat was about 6-7 feet in the air.   Next is 1901 Riker torpedo. Andrew Riker, the founder of Riker Electric Vehicles, made the Torpedo in 1901 to be the fastest car on the road. Next is the 1902 Studebaker, 1906 Krieger, 1909 Babcock, and 1909 Bailey (http://gas2.org). It hasnt been seriously developed until the 1973 when the oil crisis strikes. Paul Lucas in his article The History of Green Motoring explains that in the 1980s, attempts to develop the green car concept reached new heights. In Switzerland for example, there was an annual race for solar-powered veh icles called the Tour de Sol. This ran from 1985-1995. In 1991, BMW created a pair of battery powered E1 concepts that failed to get past the concept stage. In the same year, the Citroen Citela was born with a range of 130 miles and top speeds of 70mph. GM also introduced its first purpose-built electric vehicle, the EV1, from 1996-1999. Since the turn of the millennium the concept of green cars has expanded at a phenomenal rate. This is because of the contribution of the expansion of hybrid cars, which effectively plug the gap between electric cars and conventional vehicles. Popular models include the Toyota Camry, which was once acclaimed as the top-selling passenger vehicle in America, and the Toyota Prius which in 2007 was the number-one selling hybrid vehicle worldwide. The concept has even been introduced into larger vehicles such as the Lexus RX400h, an off-roader. The Volkswagen BlueMotion Polo, which became available in 2007, cut CO2 emissions even further. Hydrogen fuelled cars arrived in 2006 through the BMW 7 Series, while the Ford Airstream was introduced in 2007 with a lithium battery that was topped up by a hydrogen fuel cell (www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk). Major Reasons So, what exactly encouraged the rise of green vehicle popularity? One of the major contributors to the popularity of green vehicle is the increase of oil prices all over the world. The advancement of technology is causing the green vehicles to consume less gas. Ricky Lim in his article 3 Advantages Of Hybrid Cars Over Conventional Cars explains that Combining the cleaner energy of an electric motor with the long range capacity of a gasoline engine allows a hybrid car to save as much as 30 miles a gallon (http://ezinearticles.com. One of the technologies of hybrid cars is that they will only use the gasoline engine during constant speed such as highways speed. During the stop and go traffic, the electric engine will be functioned thats resulting in saving fuel. People always wonder on why hybrids cars are extremely quiet during idle. It is because the gasoline engine is turned off. The electric engine doesnt produce any noise at all. Here are the data of gas consumption on some of the hybrid cars: Ford Escape 31.9 mpg; Honda Accord 29.4 mpg; Honda Civic 46.2 mpg; Honda Insight 55.3 mpg; Lexus GS 450H 23.5 mpg; Lexus RX 400H 25.3 mpg; Mercury Mariner 29.5 mpg; Nissan Altima 34.3 mpg; Saturn Vue 25.9 mpg; Toyota Camry 36.5 mpg; Toyota Highlander 26.4 mpg; Toyota Prius 47.5 mpg (www.greenhybrid.com). Based on www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com, Hybrid car sales statistics have shown steady growth over most of the last five years, but sales peaked in early 2008 (at 45,000 vehicles) and showed a steady decline in the second half of 2008 with sales starting to recover somewhat in spring 2009. Considering the spike in oil and gasoline prices up to about July of 2008, and their rapid decline once the economic downturn hit later in 2008, its not surprising that sales show a peak followed by a steady drop. Fortunately for hybrid car manufacturers, gasoline price increases in the second through fourth quarters of 2009 have been accompanied by a return to high er hybrid car sales (http://www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com/hybrid-car-sales-statistics.html). Take a look at this chart, which shows three data series: hybrid car sales statistics by month, a 12-month moving average of hybrid car sales, and average US gas prices per gallon, from January 2004 to December 2009: (www.green-energy-efficient-homes.com) According to carsdirect.com, the August 2009 hybrid car statistics show that of the more than 200,000 hybrid cars sold in the U.S. year-to-date (YTD), the Toyota Prius is the top selling vehicle. There were 93,810 Prius sales through August 2009, with 18,886 units being sold in the month of August alone. Behind the Prius were the Toyota Camry, which sold 17,630 YTD, Honda Insight, selling 14,045 YTD, Honda Civic at 14,014 units sold and Ford Escape in the top 5 at 11,222 units sold YTD. In the month of August, Toyota Prius sales were 49% of all August U.S. hybrid sales. Camrys August sales made up 5% of hybrid sales, Insights comprised 11%, Civics 2% and Escape sales were 4% of all August hybrid car sales.   There were 38,701 hybrid cars sold in the United States in August 2009. Sales of the Toyota Prius were 1% of all car sales in the month of August.   All hybrid sales were 3% of the car sales that were made in the month. The number of hybrids sold in the month is up 48.6% over the same time period in 2008, showing a rise in the popularity of these vehicles by American drivers. Toyota, Honda and Ford are the largest makers of hybrid vehicles, with the most sales and models.  Toyota features the top-selling Prius, Camry and Highlander models. Honda has the Insight and Civic while Ford produces the Escape and Fusion hybrid vehicles (www.carsdirect.com). Based on www.mixedpower.com, from the states hybrid sales statistics in 2008, California sold the most hybrid cars with 39,830 units followed by New York: 8,810; Florida: 8,612; Texas: 8,255; and Illinois: 6,107 (www.mixedpower.com). The increasing of environmental awareness also contributes to the rise of green vehicles popularity. Alexandria Haber in his article The Facts About Hybrid Car Emissions and Global Warming explains that hybrid cars emit far lower levels of pollutants in the air than conventional cars, resulting decreased pollution and reduced effects of global warming. Because no two people drive the same way, it is therefore difficult to estimate, but emissions can be reduced from 25% to 90%, when comparing hybrid cars to conventional gas-powered vehicles (www.buzzle.com). Ricky Lim also in his article explains that hybrid cars emit lower toxic emissions compared to conventional gasoline-powered cars due to less gasoline being burned (www.buzzle.com). It is environmentally friendly, causes less pollution and releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (http://ezinearticles.com). Peak oil theory also emerges and causes people to be more aware to consume more oil. Peak oil theory states: that any finite resource, (including oil), will have a beginning, middle, and an end of production, and at some point it will reach a level of maximum output as seen in the graph: (www.peakoil.com) This is the graph of world oil production from 1900-2080 taken from www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net It indicates that in the future we will have no more oil to be consumed, and the productivity of green vehicles has to be increased to decrease the dependency of oil. The last contributor to the rise of green vehicles is the tax incentives for the green vehicles buyers. It was in 2005 that Energy Policy Act of 2005 was passed by the United States congress and passed by President George W.Bush. The act, described by proponents as an attempt to combat growing energy problems, changed US energy policy by providing tax incentives and loan guarantees for energy production of various types. Consumers can itemize purchases on their federal income tax form, which will lower the total amount of tax they owe the government. In addition to federal tax incentives, some consumers will also be eligible for utility or state rebates, as well as state tax incentives for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment (www.energy.gov). According to www.hybridcars.com, the exact amount of credit given by the government may vary: Current Models Make Model Tax Credit Audi A3 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Audi Q7 TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 BMW 335d (Clean Diesel) $900 BMW X5 xDrive35d (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid $1,300 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid $2,200 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid $2,200 Ford Escape Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Ford Escape Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Ford Fusion Hybrid $3,400 GMC Sierra Hybrid $2,200 GMC Yukon Hybrid $2,200 Honda Civic Hybrid $2,100 Honda 2005 Civic Hybrid (auto) $1,700 Lexus GS 450h $1,550 Lexus LS 600hL $450 Lexus RX 400h $2,200 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercedes GL 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,800 Mercedes R320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $1,550 Mercedes ML 320 Bluetec (Clean Diesel) $900 Mercedes S400 Hybrid $1,150 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (2wd) $3,000 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (4wd) $2,200 Mercury Milan Hybrid $3,400 Nissan Altima $2,350 Toyota Camry Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Highlander Hybrid $2,600 Toyota Prius $3,150 Volkswagen Jetta TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,300 Volkswagen Touareg TDI (Clean Diesel) $1,150 Despite of its cons, green vehicles have the cons as well. Phillip Dunn in his article Hybrid Cars Pros and Cons explains that all this new technology comes at a price: a hybrid car is complex and expensive. It has two motors and all the ancillary systems to manage them plus a heavy battery and a regeneration system used to produce electricity during breaking. Hybrids are the most gasoline efficient of all cars they typically get 48 to 60 mpg (claimed). Not bad, but only about 20% to 35% better than a fuel efficient gasoline powered vehicle like the Honda Civic, for example, that gets 36 mpg. But, when comparing prices hybrids cost from $19,000 to $25,000 and gas saver cars cost $14,000 to $17,000 the justification to buy becomes less clear. Much of the fuel efficiency comes from improvements in aero dynamics, weight reduction and, the biggest change: a smaller, less powerful gas engine. In fact, any car will get substantially better mileage just by reducing the engine size. The main reason this is not done has to do customer demand they want the extra power and zippiness (www.physorg.com). EV1 Controversies. Since the rise of green vehicles popularity, have the oil industries been affected tremendously? In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. Like mentioned earlier, electric cars have been around for 110 years from the first time its been made. Alexandra Paul in her article Who Killed my Electric Car? explains that in 1900, electric cars outsold both gasoline and steam vehicles because electric cars didnt have the vibration, noise and dirtiness associated with gas vehicles. But soon afterward with the discovery of Texas crude oil that reduced the price of gasoline, the invention of the electric starter in 1912 that eliminated the need for a hand crank, and the mass production of internal combustion engine vehicles by Henry Ford the electric vehicle went t he way of the horse and buggy (www.cnn.com). In the 1990s oil was getting scarcer and the pollution produced by combustion engines was becoming recognized as a very serious problem. Consumers began to demand some solutions that would save their world, their bank accounts and their breathing from gasolines bad effects. In 1990 California passed the ZEV, requiring 2% of new vehicles sold in California to be emission-free by 1998, 10% by 2003. In response to ZEV, GM launched their revolutionary car EV1. The EV1 required no gas, no oil changes, no mufflers and rare brake maintenance. The success of electric vehicles would have threatened the status quo and core business models of two of the worlds biggest industries oil and automobile. Electric cars are a threat to the profitability of the conventional gas-powered auto industry. GM said that it spent more than $1 billion to market and develop the EV1 (www.ecosherpa.com). Not only would a successful electric car program cannibalize sale s of conventional cars, but the electric car costs the auto industry in other ways: lacking an engine, it saves the driver the cost of replacement parts, motor oil, filters, and spark plugs. The EV1s regenerative braking system, in which the cars electronic controls handled much of the work of slowing down the car, spared the cars mechanical brake system from wear. Brake parts and repair is a billion-plus dollar industry alone. The EV1s efficiency was a winner for consumers but a loser for the auto industry. Despite of its advantages, EV1 still had its disadvantages: it was only available to be leased to the public; it was only available for three year leases with no option for renewal or purchase at the end lease period. Leases ranged from $299 to over $574 monthly which was pretty expensive at that time. EV1 also had a short range (around 80 miles) and no backup system. It took 12 hours to fill up the battery. All in all, GMs EV1 has brought pros and cons to the public. It was thr eatening the oil industry, yet it also had major weaknesses to sustain its existence. In conclusion, the popularity of the non-traditional energy sources is increasing since more than two decades. People have realized the importance of the green vehicles for the environment. The rise of green vehicles has been encouraged by the uncontrollable increases on gas prices, the awareness trend to save the environment, and also the tax incentives that is given by the government. The electric cars need to be existed for one more time because with the advancement of technology, it wouldnt be difficult to produce a better car than GMs EV1. Electric vehicles will help tremendously to conserve the oil that has been consumed uncontrollably.

The Scramble for Africa Essay -- World History

The Scramble for Africa is one of the best examples of colonization in world history. Europe alone managed to colonize the entire African continent in a period of roughly twenty five years, spanning from 1875 to 1900. The quest for power by European nations was only one of the driving forces for this race for colonization. The geographical location and the natural resources to be exploited in certain regions of the continent were important factors in the race for land. Another factor that contributed to the colonization of Africa was the end of the slave trade. The need for new capitalism to exist between Europe and Africa after the call for the abolition of slavery became great. European traders were searching for new avenues for making money, as well as new ways to exploit of the natives of Africa, due to their perceived weakness as a people, made the quest for occupation relentless by European nations. Political, economical and social ambitions all led Europe to partition Africa i nto separate colonies and the race to see what country could establish a monopoly in Africa became a European obsession. There is a consensus among historians that the political Scramble for Africa was begun by King Leopold of Belgium. King Leopold had been a supporter of Henry Stanley, a Welsh journalist and explorer of Africa. In the late 1870s, Stanley had been on another expedition to the Africa, mapping the Congo River from its origins to the ocean. Leopold had developed an interest in the Congo region in Africa. He sent Stanley as his private envoy of his International African Association in an effort to establish a foothold in the Congo region. Leopold had not been forthcoming in his intentions to Stanley. He led Stanley to believe it was his ... ... the continent of Africa resulted in millions of deaths, from mistreatment to disease to outright warfare waged against them. In many regions, the European countries raped the land of its nature resource with little concern for the land or the people who lived on the land. Although their were some positive improvements such as better transportation and healthcare, African cultures were destroyed and lives were lost in the process of European colonization. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994. Print. â€Å"Democratic Republic of Congo profile.† BBC News. BBC. Web. 10 January 2012. â€Å"Imperialism.† Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed. 2008. Print. Ogbaa, Kalu. Understanding Things Fall Apart: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1999. Print.

Anti-Gay Attitude in Schools

The article I read was on anti-gay comments in Canadian schools. Two university professors of Manitoba conducted a national survey of both homosexual and heterosexual teens. Out of 3,700 students across Canada, hear insulting comments on a daily basis. The survey found that seventy per cent of students heard phrases like â€Å"that’s so gay† and forty eight per cent heard derogatory terms like â€Å"faggot,† â€Å"lezbo† and â€Å"dyke† every day. The article recommends that school boards should apply gay-straight alliances such as the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer) groups which are common in high school and a broad education as well as better teacher training. People who are insulted for being gay are simply harassed. Everyone has the right to life and security as guaranteed by our constitution. We have many bullies at school and comments such as those as I listed and are just another form of a put down and should not be allowed anywhere, including school. Students who do this are just ignorant and immature but adults who ignore it are the real problem. This relates to psychology because if you examine the percentage of people who get harassed in school; could have mental health issues in the future such as stress for being discriminated in schools, suffering from anxiety and depression, or addictive behaviour because of their sexual orientation. This could also lead to eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide. The likelihood of suicides happening are people who probably can’t cope with discrimination, isolation, and loneliness. In conclusion, the researchers said that there is a lot of ground to help push for an improved school climate which is true because high school is tough for everyone. And even after high school it doesn't stop being tough.

Independence Air Project

Independence air was not the original name of the airline. It was formerly known as the Atlantic Coast Airlines. The airline originally operated in collaboration with United Airlines and Delta Airlines Inc. It was a contract carrier for the two older companies.However, Atlantic Coast decided to operate independently when United attempted to reduce Atlantic’s fee under the new contract. After the first flight to Atlanta was fully booked, Independence Air expanded the business into most states of the East Coast. In the West Coast the company operated only in a few major cities.I.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Target Market, Strengths and WeaknessesThe company is a Low Cost Carrier, which means that the target market is from the segment with price oriented perspectives. The company started by expanding the service into the eastern cost of the continent because the managers believed that the locations possess more opportunities for Independence Air (Laura, 2005).However, the company also maintained existence in the west coast of the continent by providing routes for major airports in the region. The original business model of the company was based on two core qualities: rock bottom fares and internet marketing services. It was originally a success because most of the 600 daily flights to 37 destinations were fully booked (Laura, 2005).Nevertheless, as the months go by, the number of flights was slashed down to only 200 a day (‘Flyi’, 2006; ‘Final Boarding Call, 2006).The strengths of the model mentioned above were no match for the problems within the LCC industry at the time. Increasing fuel cost and continued competition from many airlines including the former partner, United Airlines, stripped the company from its profits (Downfall, 2006).I.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Marketing MixI.3.1.  Ã‚   Product/serviceThe company is a Low Cost Carrier airline, which generally means that the company provided air travel services with the cheapest prices possib le. In case of the Independence Air, managers and employees of the company are dedicated to creating a low-fare airline based on these six philosophies:1)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am about the customer first;2)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am genuine;3)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am about integrity;4)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am about operational excellence;5)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am innovative;6)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I am enthusiastic. The six philosophies have a core purpose of creating the corporate image as ‘the official airline of fast, easy and less expensive’  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (‘Independence Air’, 2005)I.3.2.  Ã‚   PriceArticles from various writers who wrote about the company stated that it has ‘rock-bottom fares’. The company offers one of the cheapest fares in the continent. In terms of price, the company has the philosophy of ensuring customers to feel that ‘I can fly on my budget’.In order to reach such goal, besides providing cheap flights, the airline also simplified their fare structure into four fare types. The purpose is to create an easy to understand fare system and easy to book (‘Independence Air’, 2005).I.3.3.  Ã‚   PromotionIn order to promote quality of its flight services, the company operated based on two philosophies, which is to ensure the consumer believed that: 1) they can fly on their own schedule and 2) they can fly their own way (‘Independence Air’, 2005).In order to support the implementation of these philosophies, the company established hundreds of non-stop flights to 37 destinations. The company also order planes with new seat designs and new cabin designs the will provide customers with the most convenient flight in the industry of air travel (‘Independence Air’, 2005).It was recorded that the CEO spent significant amount of corporate money on advertising and community sponsorships. The CEO hired people from various media-related professions to p romote the birth of the company. Some of these people are: political consultant Carville and his wife, the comedian Dennis Miller, soccer star Mia Hamm and musician Chuck Berry.I.3.4.  Ã‚   PlaceThe company preferred electronic means to promote their services rather than traditional means. The most prominent promotional and the sales channel is the internet, along with an 800 number which makes it easier for people to book flights with the airline.I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Causes of BankruptcyThere are several analyses on what causes the bankruptcy of the low cost carrier. This particular case study is deemed interesting for many scholars because of its peculiarity. Low Cost Carriers are deemed as the future of the airline industry.However, the case of independence air revealed the fact that there are other factors in the airline business than just price. According to an article by the Boyd Group, people are often unable to separate between facts and myths in the airline business. Here are several examples: ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the popular opinion that the LCC model introduced by the famous Southwest airline is very much profitable, analysts believed that the mode is actually not profitable once the fuel price exceeds $2 per gallon ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As mentioned previously, many considered that LCC is the future of the airline industry for modern countries. Nevertheless, further analysis revealed that the picture looks worsen as the airline industry goes forward.The most prominent theory is the ‘over-capacity theory. The LCC model has very low margin, which means it requires each airline to have sufficiently large market share in order to remain profitable.Nevertheless, with the appearance of new airlines and new competitors, many predicted that their planes should have bumped into each other, in the sense that they will soon run out of sources of revenue. ·Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another misperception of the condition in the airline industry is the notion that LCC will always outlast a legacy airline. It as reported that in the second quarter of 2005, Americana and Continental Airlines, two of the largest legacy airlines in the United States declared considerable profit.The fundamentals are revealed, the issue is not only cost, but also revenues. Well after the September 11th tragedy, customers have regain their trust to the airline industry and some of them return to their consuming routine of searching for ‘convenience’ in flying.If the LCC do not enhance its ability in providing higher quality services, some legacy airlines will take away their customers easily.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (The Boyd group, 2005)In the particular case of the Independence airline, it is stated that the main cause of their failure is because there are already too many competing airlines offering routes on similar rout es and racing to offer passengers with the lowest possible fares.The market system caused prices to go even lower every time a new airline is entering the industry (Nance, 2006; ‘Independence Air’, 2006).