Analysis Of Antigone Actions Were Just - 1254 Words

Buttkick High School Debate Speech: â€Å"Antigone’s Actions Were Just† While one can argue against the law of the gods and the laws of man, there is never a clear answer, as to which one is superior. In defense of her position, Antigones decision to bury her brother was justified because the laws of the gods, as well as respect for the deceased, triumph over the laws of the state. Morals are often independent and separate from human laws, but they should always be followed. Creon had no right to give an order for Polynices to go without a proper burial. Antigone’s choice to choose her morals, which were established by the Gods were honorable, and are not deserving of punishment. Antigone’s actions were right, and Creon was wrong for ordering such a decree, for man cannot stop the will of the gods. Antigone lost both of her brothers, but only one, Eteocles, was allowed by Creon to receive a proper burial. No matter what shame someone may have caused, they are deserving of a respectful and proper burial. This is especially important, for the afterlife and respect for the dead are of great importance and significance Ancient Greek culture. Antigone should have been able to bury both brothers with equal consideration and honor. Creon degrees that the burial of Polynices is prohibited. Regarding Creon’s decree, Antigone says that there is â€Å"a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it, forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him,† (Sophocles, lines 33-34). Creon declares that PolynicesShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Women Of Tragedy985 Words   |  4 Pagesplaywrights frequently characterize women as unstable and dangerous. Agave, Antigone, and Medea are all undoubtedly the driving force behind the tragic action in these plays. It is their choices that lead to the pain and death of the people around them. Through an examination of the evidence from three separate works, Antigone, The Bacchae, and The Medea, the role of women in ancient Greek tragedy becomes clear. The actions of Agave, Antigone, and Medea repeatedly prove their characters instability and dangerRead MoreAn Interpretive Analysis On Conflicting Self Reassurance1337 Words   |  6 Pages Antigone: An Interpretive Analysis on Conflicting Self-Reassurance Antigone is a complex, yet debatable play, written by Sophocles somewhere around 442 BC. Chronologically, it is the third of the three Theban plays, but was the first to be written. In addition, Antigone was also one of the most famous tragedies ever to be written. The setting of the play is set in front of the Palace, Thebes, and Ancient Greece. Though most Greek playwrights were from Athens, their plays areRead MoreThe Conflict Between Antigone And Creon1353 Words   |  6 PagesSophocles’ play Antigone told the story of a young woman, Antigone, who was willing to violate the law for her family. In the play, Antigone’s brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, killed each other in battle. Creon, King of Thebes, buried Eteocles’ body because he fought in defense of Thebes; however, Creon issued a decree forbidding the burial or mourning of Polynices, because he had fought against Thebes. While this play’s central plot told the story of a conflict between Antig one and Creon, due toRead MoreAntigone : Human Law Vs. Divine Law1418 Words   |  6 PagesScharnick THR 3270 History of Classical Theatre 30 November 2016 Antigone: Human Law vs. Divine Law The most prominent theme in â€Å"Antigone† by Sophocles is the conflict of divine law vs. human law; it is the driving force behind the entire play. It is an issue of which law is the right law, and if Creon s and Antigone s acts were justifiable. It is also a question of what motivates them both to act as they do and if they were predestined to their fates due to their ties to a doomed familyRead MoreThe Endings Of Sophocles Antigone919 Words   |  4 Pages Although they are versions of the same play, the endings of Sophocles Antigone and Anne Carson s Antigonick convey contrasting ideas of the power of fate, and its role in tragedy. In Antigone, fate is described as an inevitable, insurmountable aspect of life that cannot be avoided. On the other hand, Antigonick shows fate to be a malleable product which can be controlled by the decisions individuals take in their lives. Through the role of the chorus, the addition of Nick, and the catharsesRead MorePolynices Sho uld Be Buried In Sophocless Antigone1681 Words   |  7 PagesSophocles’ play, Antigone, is centered around the conflict of whether Polynices should be buried or exposed to the elements for the wild dogs and vultures to tear apart his body. The play opens at the end of Polynices’ attempted invasion, which made him a traitor of Thebes, and it is revealed that both Polynices and Eteocles had fallen. The new king of Thebes, Creon, decrees that Eteocles will be buried with honored, but Polynices will be left unburied and exposed to the elements. Antigone tells IsmeneRead MoreAntigone Character Analysis1468 Words   |  6 PagesIn the play of Antigone, Sophicles creates a plot that I believe playfully would make viewers sympathetic of the protagonist Antigone. At the beginning of the play, viewers obviously were very sympathetic to Antigone. All she wanted to do was bury her dead brother, and Kreon made it illegal to do such a deed. However, as the play went on, I gained more and more insight on Kreon and my opinion changed. Although Antigone sacrificed her life for what she believed was right, I sympathize more with KreonRead MoreAntigone‚Äà ´s Law: a Critique of Patriarchal Power Structures1121 Words   |  5 PagesStructures    The heroine Antigone sacrifices her life to defy the patriarchal society in which she is imprisoned. By confronting and resisting Creon’s authoritarian rule, Antigone empowers the oppressed people of Thebes. On the surface, her motives seem clear; she defies civil law in favor of a higher moral law. Antigone declares she acts out of a sense of honor and obedience to the gods, however her words and actions reveal additional motives. Antigone follows her own unique law, whichRead MoreVanity Or Valor : When Lines Are Skewed1434 Words   |  6 Pagesand a villain; however, similar to the real world, theses lines between â€Å"right† and â€Å"wrong† become indistinguishably skewed. Sophocles’ Antigone is not to be viewed through the eyes of morality because together hero and villain lie within the motives of both the play’s main characters. Simon Goldhill asserts that â€Å"it is difficult, in other words to read Antigone without making not only moral judgments, but the sort of one-sided moral judgments that the play itself seems to want to mark as leadingRead MoreBiography of Sophocles Essay1496 Words   |  6 Pagesmore illustrious positions concerning politics, and spent the majority of his time as a dramatist and civil servant until his death in 406 BC (Terrell 1). The contributions made by Sophocles to dramatic technique were numerous, and two of his innovations were especially important. He increased the number of actors from two to three, thus lessening the influence of the chorus and making possible greater complication of the plot and the more effective portrayal of character by contrast

International Management free essay sample

A paper which presents an examination of communication on an international level when it comes to business management. A paper which shows the importance of understanding that international cultures may differ and those differences can interfere with the ability to communicate effectively when doing business on an international level. The writer takes the reader on an exploratory journey through the reasons it is important to be able to manage such communication and the benefits for a business. The paper discusses the importance of the English language in the international business world. Another example of communication culture on an international level is the understanding of how color affects thinking. African nations consider red to be the color of death. However, Denmark residents consider it a positive color and a sign of future luck. When communicating with various nations through the use of international management it is important not to use offensive colors in banners, memos, seminar posters and other tools of business communication(Heeding, 1996). We will write a custom essay sample on International Management or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page

Kenyas Economic Growth

Current status of the economy Economic growth provides a clear benchmark for economy ranking. It indicates the level at which wealth in a country increases over a given period. The level of increase in output of services and goods is used as a measure of economic growth. This is determined by the gross domestic product after adjusting for inflation.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kenya’s Economic Growth specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The other significant parameter is the national income per capita. Economic growth is affected by technological advances, natural, capital resources and human as well as institutional stability. Activities in the global economy and terms of trade also have an enormous influence on economic growth (Ellis Bank, 2007). In this paper, I will choose to discuss the economic growth of Kenya which is ranked as a developing country. There are many factors that make Kenya a developi ng country among them are low life expectancy, low level of literacy, poor health facilities, poor agricultural policies and high levels of corruption. Rapid population increase has been one of the main causes of slow economic growth in Kenya. High population growth has resulted to low per capita income hence affecting the standards of living and social welfare in the country. Kenya’s government has been trying to be ahead of population growth, and this has been favored by the recent decrease in population growth and increase in labor force along with a rise in output per capita. Despite the hindrance of growth by these factors, Kenya has had some remarkable economic gains from political stability as well as social serenity. World Bank reports had revealed that Kenya had been recording some distress in its economic growth before 2010 when there was an incredible recovery. Kenya has the largest economy in East Africa, and growth in its economy is expected to accelerate in the next two years due to rise in rainfall which will increase agriculture output and boost power supply to the manufacturing industry. Declining trend in exports is, however, an issue that must be addressed or else the country will have a reduced pace in its economic growth or experience economic stagnation (Furphy, 2010). For the past two years, Kenya has had four economic shocks on its economy. These shocks are post election violence, high price increase on foodstuffs and oil due to global financial crisis and drought. Even with these factors Kenya was able to record an economic growth rate of 2.9 percent in 2009. Kenya’s economy was shielded from enormous negative effects from global economic disaster by implementing firm, macroeconomic policies that reduced the involvement of the country in the global economy although there were consequences of reduced private flow of capital, exports and tourism revenue. The 2011 drought had an enormous impact on the agriculture sector and caused a decline of 2.4% on growth. It also affected the manufacturing industry as there was a shortage in power supply (Furphy, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kenya has a market based economy which upholds a liberal system for external trade with a small number of infrastructure enterprises owned by the state. Agricultural sector has the biggest share in Kenya’s economy and provides support in trying to achieve a balance of payment. For the last three years, Kenya has been having a deficit on it balance of payment though this has been subsidized by other government revenues. Towards 2011’s end, foreign exchange was highly undervalued, and this had a negative effect on the exports. Central Bank has enacted monetary policies that have currently reduced the negative effect on the valuation of Kenyan currency. Kenya has engaged in deeper regional integrati on and has become part of the East African Community which provides a common market. This has increased market coverage for firms in the country (Christopher, Collier, Ndung’u, 2011). In conclusion, Kenyan economy is positive even after the low growth in 2008 and 2009 and Kenyans should expect significant improvements in their standards of living and welfare. The financial sector is also likely to improve with provision of more credit facilities which will in turn result to increase in employment and per capita income. References Christopher, A., Collier, P., Ndung’u, N. (2011). Kenya: policies for prosperity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Ellis, A., Bank, W. (2007). Gender and economic growth in Kenya: Unleashing the Power of Women. Washington, DC : World Bank Publications. Furphy, C. (2010, 08 02). Kenya’s economy: Infrastructure development and structural change to drive accelerated growth in the new decade. Consultancy Africa Intelligence, p. N/A. This essay on Kenya’s Economic Growth was written and submitted by user Kiara Fowler to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Essays

The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Essays The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Paper The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation Paper Essay Topic: Kindred 1. Introduction The mega and task environments are external influencers to an organisation and need to be recognised, analysed and managed for the business to experience sustained success and competitive advantage in the market. These external stimuli include factors such as technological, economic and legal-political elements and customers, competitors, suppliers and employees (Bartol et al, 2003).. Organisations must look outside of their behaviour product markets only and include political and social factors, labour training and employment norms and legislation as well as culture and values when making sound business decisions (North, 1990). The elements made up in the mega and task environments are explored in this discussion as they relate to SecurityMail, an organisation specialising in the direct marketing industry. Tony Revell, the Sales Business Solutions Manager at SecurityMail, was interviewed to gain an understanding of the external factors influencing business sales operations at SecurityMail. This discussion aims to analyse the mega and task environmental elements that effect the organisation and whether all the elements are identified as being important. 2. SecurityMail SecurityMail was founded in 1980 in response to a demand for a secure mailing house and is the third largest mail house in Australia. SecurityMail has grown into a sophisticated information systems management business with an annual turnover of $120 million. They employ 700 people at operations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and their core business activity is defined as data and document management (SecurityMail National Employee Handbook, 2002). SecurityMail has created a niche in the market by providing a personalised service, tailored to meet the individual needs of their customers. They recognise that many clients have specific requirements that may be unique to them or their industry. SecurityMail also recognises that in order to be able to meet the requirements of their client base they must also seek and foster a responsive and co-operative approach from their suppliers (SecurityMail Company Profile, 2001). Tony Revell, the General Manager, Victoria Sales Business Solutions is well placed to observe and comment on SecurityMails relationship with its external environment. Tony joined SecurityMail in April 2001 having come from within the mail processing and fulfilment industry. He has over 24 years management and sales experience in the direct mailing and chemical and scientific industries and also has an MBA and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Economics and Marketing. At Security Mail Tony Revell manages the Sales and Business Development activities and also the Project Management arm of the operations in Victoria (refer to Appendix 1.1 for SecurityMails Organisational Chart). He is in constant contact with the external environment and is required to manage the effects and influences of both the mega and task environments and talked in depth about the effects these environments have on SecurityMails operations. 3 Mega and Task Environments 3.1 Mega Environment The term mega environment refers to the external environment that reflects conditions and trends in the society that an organisation operates within. There are five major elements to the mega environment; technological, economic, legal-political, sociocultural and international. These elements are often external to the span of control of the organisation and as such are often unable to be influenced directly (Bartol et al, 2003). 3.1.1 Technological Element SecurityMails emphasis is on harnessing technology to get information moved intelligently, reliably, quickly and securely. It is therefore paramount that management stay abreast of changes in technology. They do this through memberships on industry groups, journals, suppliers and through information extracted from the market by the sales team and by attendance at overseas trade shows. Continual re-investment of capital into technology and equipment has been essential for the organisation to remain competitive. This re-investment has ensured that SecurityMails products and services are meeting or exceeding the demands of their clients. Many of these new technologies are at the forefront in the market in which it operates. SecurityMail has invested in new equipment harnessing the latest in technology to process client work faster and more efficient than ever before. 3.1.2 Economic Element Tony Revell concluded during his discussions that the economic element does have an important impact on the operations of SecurityMail. The importance extended to national issues such as inflation and interest rates. This effect was felt recently on market forces impacting the financial services segment. Declining share prices of some of their major clients impacted the clients marketing dollar and as such SecurityMail experienced reduced marketing campaign work, a factor of which they could not exert control over. 3.1.3 Legal-political Element The organisation functions under the required legislation governing the operation of companies within Australia. This does not have a huge impact on the operations of the organisation but does still play a factor in its business decisions and application of corporate governance. The new privacy legislation that became effective in December 2001 impacts the ways in which SecurityMail can store, transfer and use the data it collects from its clients. The impact felt was relative to new processes of operation it had to adopt to comply with the legislation but has now just become part of the way the company does business. Positive legal and political impacts have been felt through the deregulation of the financial, telecommunications and utilities markets. Changes impacting SecurityMails clients through political and legal changes has created additional growth opportunities for SecurityMail. Client legislative requirements can impact the operations of SecurityMail such as legal mailings advising customers of a bank rate change. This form of communication is legislated and equates to penalties being imposed to the financial institution if mail is not received by customers by a pre-determined date. The legal environment experienced by its clients is therefore transferred to SecurityMail. The organisation recognises that it must keep abreast of legal and political changes in the external environment to ensure it complies with relevant legislation and reacts to identified business opportunities. It also must keep abreast of the legal and political factors experienced by its clients to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty and the avoidance of penalties. 3.1.4 Sociocultural Element The sociocultural element focuses on the attitudes, norms, values, beliefs and behaviours of the demographic region in which an organisation operates (Bartol et al, 2003). As SecurityMail only operates within Australia the impact is not seen as having a major influence on SecurityMails operations. When questioned further Tony Revell elaborated on regional sociocultural elements impacting the organisation: * The adoption of flexible work practices to accommodate demands in society for family friendly employers. * Recognition of language barriers and systems for overcoming these for the unskilled manufacturing labour force. * Challenges in the future with the introduction of new technology. Additional training resources will be required by the organisation to skill up its blue-collar workers. * New technology will also require labour with higher skills sets which will be harder to draw upon in the local area. * Occupational Health Safety issues with an ageing mostly female blue-collar workforce. 3.1.5 International Element This element was not seen as having a major impact on SecurityMail. The only international dealings relate to information seeking regarding new technologies and equipment. There is no move at this stage for SecurityMail to enter the international arena. 3.2 Task Environment The second external environment segment impacting on organisations is the task environment. The task environment encompasses the elements an organisation must deal with when interfacing during the course of conducting its business. Elements included in this segment are customers and clients, competitors, suppliers, employees and government bodies. As organisations confront these elements during the course of its operations the organisation is more likely to have an impact on these elements rather than those in the mega environment (Bartol et al, 2003). 3.2.1 Customers and Clients SecurityMail has a diverse client base interacting with blue-chip companies in the financial services, telecommunications, utilities and advertising sectors. Since SecurityMails inception it has been their aim to provide a customer oriented service that meets the changing needs of their clients and to create a total solution that is integrated, flexible and cost effective. They have created a niche in the market by providing a personalised service, tailored to meet the individual needs of their customers. SecurityMail works closely with their clients to ensure that requirements are understood and met and that service level agreements are both reflective of the needs of the client but also the resourcing and capacity levels at SecurityMail. Regular work in progress and client meetings are held to discuss the progress of campaigns and redevelopment work and also to address quickly any issues that require resolution. The organisation also conducts regular customer satisfaction surveys and has implemented a corrective action system to ensure any client complaints and non-conformances are communicated to senior management and are acted upon in a timely manner to achieve the best outcome for both the client and SecurityMail. Each client in excess of $50,000 has a dedicated Account Manager to service their needs and add value to their operations thereby cementing further the relationship with SecurityMail. SecurityMail manages many customer relationship programs for their clients and therefore has the opportunity to observe and adopt best practice in terms of customer relationship management principles practiced by blue-chip Australian companies. The relationship between SecurityMail and its clients is seen as having the utmost importance to the sustained success of the organisation. 3.2.2 Competitors There are many players in the mail processing industry but only five organisations who compete in SecurityMails market space and competition is fierce for new work. The market is not boyant with most work available being already won by various mail houses. New opportunities are obtained via official tender processes when contracts expire, outsourcing (of which there are not many companies who have not outsourced their direct mail needs), and company acquisitions. Competitive advantage in most cases comes down to price and service. Customer retention is a quality and customer satisfaction issue. There is little technological differentiation in the industry with no new major players surfacing for several years due to the high capital required because of the costs of technology and equipment. The mail processing industry is highly competitive and new initiatives do not remain secret for too long. Industry gossip is rife. Information on competitors is sourced predominately from personal contacts but also from the market, industry journals and publications, published materials such as annual reports, stock market reports and market research. SecurityMail is aware of the activities of their competitors and conducts various benchmarking, pricing, efficiency and customer satisfaction exercises to obtain a competitive advantage. 3.2.3 Suppliers SecurityMail is always looking to strengthen its portfolio of offerings through strategic relations with key suppliers and partners. Partnerships with suppliers exist across all aspects of the service offerings of SecurityMail. Suppliers provide service and maintenance agreements on all equipment and also provide letterhead and envelopes and printed marketing material and receive outsourced work that SecurityMail is not able to process in-house. It is imperative that these relationships are nurtured as the service provided by their suppliers impacts on the ability of the organisation to meet service level agreements with their clients. The performance of all suppliers is monitored and preferred supplier agreements are set up to ensure that the organisation receives the most cost effective, efficient and reliable service possible from their suppliers. Clients are encouraged to allow SecurityMail to source items for them such as letterhead which it does through their preferred supplier s. This ensures that SecurityMail not only makes margin on the purchase but also allows SecurityMail to control the process. 3.2.4 Labour supply and the importance of managing diversity The attraction and retention of skilled personnel is of high importance to SecurityMail. One of the organisations aims is to become an employer of choice. Career development and mentoring programs, competitive remuneration, training and development opportunities and employee benefit packages have been developed to both attract and retain staff. The mail processing industry is highly specialised and as such it is difficult to source experienced staff. The aim is to retain experienced staff and develop the skills of less experienced staff. As the organisation adopts new technologies more highly skilled staff will be required. Sourcing initiatives will need to be developed to attract potential staff from outside the local area due to a lack of the skill base available in the community within which SecurityMail operates. SecurityMail enjoys harmonious relations with the AMWU (Automaotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union). This relationship is of high importance to the success of the organisation and will continue to be developed and fostered to promote opportunities for labour force flexibility such as weekend shift work and twelve hour shifts. 3.2.5 Government Agencies SecurityMail interacts with various government agencies such as employer organisations, WorkCover and the Australian Tax Office. Interactions with these bodies are seen as being a necessary activity in the operations of SecurityMail but is not seen as being a concern in the sales process. 4 The Importance of the Mega and Task Environments Tony Revell recognises the important part each external factor has to play in the operations of SecurityMail. The only factors not viewed as being important to the sales process were government agencies and the international element. Interactions with government agencies were viewed as being a Finance function and not related to the sales process. The organization still views the element as being important but it does not impact upon Tony Revell and his team. The international element is not relevant to SecurityMail as the company only operates within Australia. Mr Revell conceded however that if operations moved off-shore then this element would become an important consideration for SecurityMail. The ability to grow and prosper in the external environment is recognised as not being the documenting of a list of policies or institutional structures but rather an ability to incorporate external stimuli into coherent internal systems (West, 2001). SecurityMail has adopted this practice and incorporates the threats and opportunities of all of the relevant factors of the external environment into their operations. 5 Conclusion Since SecurityMails inception it has been their aim to provide a customer oriented service that meets the changing needs of their clients. They have to continually respond to the increasingly complex demands of the markets in which they operate. The increasing trend during recent years to out-source non-core activities together with technological advancements has seen those demands become more time critical and sophisticated in their application. All aspects of the external environment need to be monitored for any business to experience sustained success and competitive advantage in the market. This is recognised by SecurityMail and the success of this approach has resulted in them enjoying continued growth and expansion. Monitoring the external environment has also enabled them to keep abreast of changes and opportunities within their industry and to continue to expand and improve upon their product and service base.

Reflective journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflective journal - Essay Example This chapter presents a transparent idea about gerontology and what it is all about. Starting from the etymology of the word to its recent purpose and development are discussed thoroughly and with sound evidences throughout the chapter. Chapter 1 of the book prepares its readers to understand the complexity and myth regarding aging. The evidences are skilfully derived and help to wipe out many common inhibitions regarding old age. The first chapter itself shows the path that the entire book deals with. Old age is nothing more than a passing phase of life and has its own delicacies and intricacies very much similar to any other phase of human life. The book is a psychological plethora and treasure house of academic research about the adulthood as a phase in human life. It systematically enables its readers to understand the subtleties of old age and the initiating chapter in this regard is very helping and thoughtful and renders a free passage, access to the entire volume generating elaborate and skilful interest. Chapter 2 of the book precisely deals with the troubles and major myths concerned with the problems of aging. The precise definition for the initiating period for adulthood is difficult. The chronological age for the adulthood varies from culture to culture. At places it is dependent on the activity and responsibility, an individual is bearing. At other places, it is guided by certain cultural complexities and inhibitions. The chapter is precisely concerned with the events that mark the transitional phases of life. Events which are responsible for marking the initiation of the adulthood, along with the concepts of love, Erikson’s Identity crisis, the concept of intimacy are some of the key concepts discussed in the chapter thoroughly. The chapter 2 of the book bearing the name â€Å"Young Adulthood:

Managing Expectations in Business and Personal Life Essay

Managing Expectations in Business and Personal Life - Essay Example Keeping a balance between personal and professional life is extremely difficult. Both business/professional life and personal life are filled with immense stress in the current world because of the increased commitments of people towards, their family, profession and society. Managing expectations in personal professional life are extremely difficult because of these commitments. This paper briefly explains the management of expectations in personal and professional life. At the center of every influential person and organization is the effective management of expectations (Cacace MBA, PMP, p.18). A professional always have a dual life; personal and professional. In fact a profession is required by an individual for making his/her personal life enjoyable. So it is not wise for a person to concentrate heavily on professional life by neglecting the needs of personal life. For example, most of the working women try to keep their babies in daycare centers even at a much younger stage when the infant badly in need of the mothers care and love, in order to fulfill their professional commitments. Such habits will destroy the physical and mental development of the child for who they work. In other words, they are trying to provide a better life to their children at one side while destroying their life on the other side. They must try to keep a balance between these two sides by taking as much as break from the profession when their children are badly in need of their presence, love and care. When your intentions are not in perfect alignment with expectations, and expectations are not in sync with requirements and objectives; you are putting too much faith in luck and relinquishing control to chaos (Cacace MBA, PMP, p.18). Expectations should be realistic and objective based. Expectations and requirements should have synchronization. There is no point in expecting a trip to sun as it is unrealistic. Also, it is not logical for an uneducated person to expect

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Example for Free

Hybrid electric vehicle Essay Americans today do not realize that hybrid cars are not cost efficient to buy. This is caused by many factors, many having to do with price of production and gas prices. The cost of production for many hybrid cars is too high causing the car to be to expensive for consumers to buy. They end up paying so much more for a car that promises to save them money. These cars turn end up not fulfilling that promise and leaving people short on cash. It is true that a hybrid car will save money at the pump, but not enough to cover the cost of buying and maintaining the car itself. Gas prices are another reason why these cars arent worth it. The prices of gas today are around 3 dollars which is nearing a record high. Even with prices this high, people will not save enough money with less gas consumption to cover the extra costs of owning such a high maintenance and highly complex car. The math works out that spending more on a hybrid car over a similar small car will end up costing the owner more money. The only way to make the car cost efficient would be to own it for an abnormally long period of time, which most people do not do. Many people are not willing to pay this extra money on a car that is supposed to be good for the environment, but some people do. Hybrid cars are better for the environment because they produce less greenhouse gasses. These are the emissions that specifically hurt the layers of the atmosphere and are among other emissions that are bad for our earth. Hybrid cars burn less fuel and they burn it cleaner, so they produce less exhaust that can potentially cause smog in cities like Chicago, or that can hurt the atmospheric layers such as the ozone layer that so many people talk about being in danger. To some people, the extra cost of owning one of these vehicles is worth helping the environment, but to most it is not. People want fast cars that are fun to drive and that get decent gas mileage. Or a mom might want a van that can haul a lot of people and weight and still get decent gas mileage. A dad would want a truck that can pull a heavy load and do the heavy duty work and wouldnt care about gas mileage. All of these are reasons why people dont want a small, meek, gas sipping hybrid. The first thing that makes most people shy away from buying a hybrid car is the price tag. They see that extra five or six thousand dollars and they say, NO! People want a durable car that gets good gas mileage and has room for a family and that is safe. All of these features can be purchased on a regular car that costs much less than a hybrid. The perfect example for this is the Honda Civic. This car comes in many trim levels, one for each type of consumer, minus the person looking for the truck. The Civic Sedan, a four door car with room for five people, starts at 15k and is the perfect car for a small family. This car gets 30mpg city and 40mpg highway which is very good by todays standards. The Civic Hybrid, the same size as the Civic Sedan, costs 22k, thats 7 thousand more, and gets an increase of only 19mpg city and 11mpg highway. This means that they would not save enough money on gas to cover the 7k increase in price in under 10 years. Since the car gets better gas mileage, one would go to the pump less, but not enough to save that much money. The third is the Civic Si, this is the sporty version of the Civic that only comes with a manual transmission and is very quick. This car costs 21k, one thousand less than the hybrid. It is much faster is only has two doors. This car gets 23mpg city and 32mpg highway, not much worse than the Civic Sedan or hybrid, and is much faster and more fun. Why would a student pay one thousand dollars more for a car that is slower and more boring when the mileage increase isnt that much, they wouldnt. People want fun cars that get the job done and the Civic does that with great gas mileage and a low price, without having to be a hybrid car. Another example of this concept is the Toyota Camry. This is the best selling family sized sedan in the United States. This car comes in many trim levels but the ones we will look at are the base Camry and the base Camry Hybrid. For 2007 this car got a gorgeous remodel as well as a new engine in the base Camry and they added the Hybrid model. The base Toyota Camry costs 18k and has many features needed for a small family to fit in the car along with a lot of luggage. Do not be confused though, this car can be seen driving down the road pimped out with 20 (thats really big) rims and banging sound systems by college guys. It can also be seen with pick stickers and fuzzy dice in the window being driven by a couple college girls on the way to the beach. This is a very pretty, versatile car. The base Camry gets 24mpg city and 34 mpg highway. This is very good for a full sized car and will get the owner a long distance before having to refill the tank. The Camry Hybrid costs a pretty penny, but some say its worth it. This car gets 16mpg more city and 4mpg more highway than the base Camry. The huge gain in city mileage is due to the way Toyota makes their hybrid cars. They have the ability to switch fully from electric to gas power whereas the Honda Hybrid drive train can only go from minimal usage of each, but never fully switches. Toyotas is called Hybrid Synergy Drive and uses the electric engine most when accelerating and charges the batter when braking. The braking actually charges the battery more than the gas engine, so the car is able to shine when driving around the city because of the constant starting and stopping, the car uses almost fully the electric engine. This is why the Toyota Camry Hybrid gets such good gas mileage in the city. Lets face it though, a car that big wont be found driving around the city, most people will be office executives taking long drives from offices to home or to customers and they will not benefit as much. The Camry Hybrid only gains 4mpg over the base Camry on the highway so many people do not agree with spending eight thousand dollars more for the hybrid. This is definitely not cost efficient for the owner. People will like the 18k price of the base Camry because it comes with so many standard options and is ready to fulfill any soccer moms fantasy. When talking about Hybrid cars, there is one that stands above the rest in durability, functionality, style, price, and ability to save gas. That car is the Toyota Prius. This car could be the only argument one could make against this paper. It costs 22k and it does not come with a non hybrid counterpart. This car does cost more than say, a Corolla, but it has more room than a Corolla, and slightly less room than a Camry. It is in a class of its own and its only close competitor is the Honda Insight. The Prius is able to get 60mpg city and 51mpg highway. This is the best mpg rating of any production car and it actually is selling. You can see a Toyota Prius on just about any trip that you take and it does have unique styling that always turns heads. Although it costs more, the mpg rating of this car are almost double that of the nearest non hybrid competitor making it almost worth the extra price tag. However, the cost of maintaining such a highly complex car is greater than that of the base Civic or Corolla and will end up costing more. The Honda Insight, the other close competitor, costs 21k and gets 60mpg city and 66mpg highway. Those numbers were only the estimated numbers and consumers found them to be too high and actually got less mileage than that. Also, Honda doesnt make this car anymore so a customer would only be able to buy it used. These cars all shown, people will not save money on buying a hybrid car. The gas prices right now are not high enough to allow people to save money at the pump if they own a hybrid car. They will get better gas mileage and they will go to the pump less but they are only saving a small amount of money each year. If somebody spends 30 dollars every two weeks on gas in a regular car, that would cost them about 780 dollars a year. A hybrid car could probably go an extra week without needing gas so that would cost them 520 dollars a year on gas. They would be saving a mere 260 dollars a year on gas. If the hybrid car costs 7k more, then they would need to have the car for about 26 years to cover the extra cost of the car. No way would somebody own a car for that long this day and age. That is only covering the cost of the actually sticker price and not the extra costs of owning the vehicle, like fixing it and stuff, which would have to be done since the car would need to get fixed in the 26 year period. Many websites do a calculation of the cars which would be the lowest true cost to own. One website listed the Prius and the Camry Hybrid under their list of cars costing around 25k that would be the lowest true cost to own. This is excluding how long one would own the car for and how high the gas prices are. Also they did not list any hybrid under the coupes which are lowest cost to own and they dont say customer reviews on how fun these cars are to drive. The fact is that most people do no see it necessary to buy a car that costs so much more when they could get a car for less money that will cost them less money in the long run. People also want fun cars that will cost the same, but be much more fun to drive, even though they arent amazing at gas mileage, they still succeed in getting decent gas mileage, so people buy them. Also the hybrid drive train is not good for hauling heavy loads that is why there arent many pickup truck hybrids out there if any. Hybrid cars may cost more causing people to shy away from buying them, but they are better for the environment. People dont realize that driving a car can be the largest form of pollution. We drive by a paper mill and see all the smoke coming out of the stacks and say to ourselves how bad that must be for the air. Meanwhile we are sitting in a car, that when grouped up with many cars, is much worse than the thing we are complaining about. Pollution from cars causes smog, which deteriorates the ozone layers closest to us. This can cause for major extremes of hot and cold in the seasons. The atmosphere helps moderate the temperatures on earth by holding in heat during the winter and shielding out heat during the summer. Big cities have problems with smog which is a constant haze in the air caused by so many cars in one place emitting gasses bad for the environment. Cars also have toxins in their exhaust that can cause acid rain or global warming, and even cause cancer in some people. The water supply on earth is never growing or shrinking, the water we have is all that we get. When there is acid rain, that water has to go somewhere and may sometimes end up in drinking water or people who have wells might take showers in it. This is how it can cause cancer in as many as 1,500 people a year. There are many bad gasses that come from motor vehicles, but the three main ones are hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. Hydrocarbons react with nitrogen. The best times for this to happen are in the summer when there is lots of sunlight and really high temperatures. This reaction causes something called ground level ozone. This is a type of gas that is supposed to be in the atmosphere but is in our breathing air. This can cause many things such as eye irritation, wheezing, and even permanent lung damage. Nitrogen Oxides also cause the formation of ground level ozone and are major factors in causing acid rain and water pollution. Finally, carbon monoxide, which is an odorless and invisible gas, causes a slowing of oxygen in the bloodstream which can impair ones senses and cause permanent mental damage. Cars are responsible for around 90 percent of the carbon monoxide in the air in most urban areas. All of these gasses can be reduced by driving a hybrid car, but the best way to reduce them is public transportation. Studies show that a person who uses mass transit, such as buses or subways, for a year, instead of driving to work, can keep about 9. 1 lbs of hydrocarbons, 62. 5 lbs or carbon monoxides, and 4. 9 lbs of nitrogen oxides from being put into the air (Emissions). Other ways of reducing pollution from cars in the air are things such as driving at steady speeds, buying newer cars that have fewer bad emissions, keeping your car in good running condition, or even not topping off at the pump. People can help the environment by buying a hybrid car, but that isnt the best way. Using public transportation or even riding a bike if possible, would do a lot more good, and save somebody a lot of money. By using public transportation and by carpooling, people can save an estimated three thousand dollars a year (Emissions). Other numbers show that idling and stop and go traffic alone use 753 millions of gallons of gasoline per year (Emissions). People dont realize how much better it would be to just use public transportation. Instead, we want to go on our own schedules and have the freedom to go where we want when we want, and that costs money and causes pollution. The cost of a hybrid car over a regular car is too much. People will not buy a hybrid car when they can get a vehicle with very good gas mileage for much less money. They can get all the bells and whistles of a hybrid but spend around seven thousand less. Teenagers dont want a slow gas sipping car, they want a fast car with a loud exhaust. They cant get this from a hybrid car so they wouldnt spend the money to buy a slow hybrid when they could have a fast sports car. A dad needs his truck to haul stuff around and hybrid cars dont offer that. The mom needs the van to have a safe car for her family that can fit them and their luggage. The cost of gas prices right now is not nearly high enough to benefit the consumer who owns a hybrid car. There is some small benefit, about 300 dollars a year, but that would take 20 years to equal just the increased price of owning a hybrid, not to mention the added costs of the upkeep of such a complex car. People want the lowest price with the best package, and hybrid cars dont offer that. While they do offer benefits to the environment, people dont realize how important the environment is and they wont spend the extra money for benefits they wont see in their lifetime. Overall the hybrid car is not worth buying because the cost is just too great. Not only is it not worth it, but people are not buying them enough to make a difference to the environment anyways, further diminishing their value. Hybrid cars are not worth buying right now and will not be for many years to come.