Advantage And Disadvantages Of Fixed Wings Engineering Essay

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Fixed Wings Engineering Essay Law enforcement agencies have utilized fixed wing and rotor wing aircrafts to help enforce laws since the 1920s. This paper will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of fixed wing and rotor wing aircrafts. Take a brief look at some of the missions and technical equipments that are utilized by law enforcement agencies. Look in depth at two of their fix wing aircrafts utilized and how rotor wing aircrafts help save lives and enforce the law. Since 1920, law enforcement agencies have used fixed wing and rotor wing aircrafts to assist in enforcing the law. In 2007, data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics showed that large law enforcement departments provided aerial enforcement in the District of Columbia and 46 states. There were 295 airplanes and 604 helicopters being operated, which flew more than 330,000 missions. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/aullea07.pdf The types of airplane that are in use by law enforcement are Cessna 182, Cessna 206, Pilatus PC-12 Spectres, P-3 Orions, Citations, Learjets, Gulfstream jets, King Air 350s and 200s and some larger airliner-type aircraft. Some of the helicopters are the American Euro-copter EC120/130/145, AStar AS350/355N/350 B2, Dolphin HH-65C, Blackhawk UH-60, Maverick, Raven II R44, Cayuse OH-6 and McDonnell Douglas MD 600. The types of missions these aircrafts conduct are surveillance, drug interdiction, fugitive searches, routine patrol or support, search and rescue , personnel transport, prisoner transport, SWAT operation, traffic enforcement, speed enforcement, homeland security, photographic, medical support and evacuation. Both types of aircrafts have their advantages and disadvantages in airborne law enforcement. http://www.kansas.com/2010/08/01/1427779/aviation-sees-growth-in-law-enforcement.html. The advantages that helicopters have over fixed wings are they can land and take off without the need for run ways. Their airfoil shape rotors are like the wings of an airplane, as the rotor spins, air flow faster over the tops of the blades than underneath, thus creating lift for flight. Their unique rotor design allows for them to takeoff vertically, fly in any direction and hover over an area. Their ability to hover provides coverage for ground units and are able to land in assisting in foot pursuits. Helicopters can be equipped with a winch for the purpose of lowering or picking up personnel or equipments on the ground. It is valuable asset in conducting rescues at sea or on mountains, where there is no place to land. Its size allows for maneuverability around tall structures at lower altitudes. manhttp://library.thinkquest.org/J0112389/helicopters.htm. The helicopters are force multipliers for ground units, because they can monitor the tactical environment, give alerts or observe things which the ground units are unable to detect. Additionally, they can respond and cover ground more quickly than ground units. The flight deck of a helicopter can be equipped with multiple electronic equipments. Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS) also know as glass cockpit that provides flight and system information to the crew, Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera allows the crew to see images created from infrared energy, moving map system show their location, satellite phones provide direct communication, digital video downlink gives real time images, night vision goggles can be used in low light situation, loudspeakers for communication or message deliver to the ground, tear gas dispensers help control crowds, police and aviation radios keep the crew in contact with other officers and air traffic controls . The equipments aboard the helicopters are vital in helping enforcing the law as the incident on the 14th of November 2008, when the San Diego Police Department helicopter used the FLIR camera video to help indict a man for beating another man with a crutch in the middle of the street at night. Without the FLIR system they would have not been able to see the incident happening. http://www.policeone.com/police-products/tactical/night-vision/videos/5954944-police-helicopter-catches-bizarre-street-fight-on-flir-camera On the night of 30th January 2013, a 60 year old captain of the Panamanian cargo ship Gray Shark was having a heart attack. The NYPD police responded to the emergency call and conducted a dramatic nighttime helicopter rescue in New York Harbor. The NYPD harbor medical team stabilized the captain before calling in the help of a police helicopter to airlift him off the ship. A basket was lowered from the helicopter to hoist him up and then flew him to Staten Island University Hospital North where he was listed in stable condition. This rescue shows one of the many advantages that a rotor wing aircraft posses. http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/176246/police-helicopter-rescues-ship-captain-who-was-having-a-heart-attack The disadvantages helicopters have are that they cost more to operate and maintain. A fully equipped helicopter can cost from $500,000 to $3 million to purchase and the flying costs ranges from $200 to $400 per hour. http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-30- cophelicopters_N.htm Maintenance, fuel, leasing and financing cost are three times then the cost that of operating and maintaining airplanes. Its abilities to fly lower and hover creates noises that are easily detectable. The capacity of passengers that a helicopter can carry is limi ted and varies from type. The Robinson RA-44 can carry 2 to 4 personnel and others like the Blackhawk UH-60 can carry 11 personnel or the Bell UH-1 that can be configured to carry 15 personnel. The general commercial helicopters in the law enforcement agencies have a flight time of two to four hours, with top speed from 50 to 200 knots and an average range of about 200 miles. The operations of fixed wing aircraft have some advantages over rotor wing aircrafts in law enforcement. They can perform a wide range of missions which requires them to stay airborne longer then a rotor wing aircraft is able too. Fix wing aircraft can carry more payloads and engine performances are great then those of rotor wing aircrafts. Aero surveillance, homeland security, speed enforcement and transport of people or gear are mostly the missions perform. http://www.lawofficer.com/article/patrol/fixed-wing-aircraft-law-enforc They are equipped with a variety of high tech equipments just as their rotor wing counterparts. The cabins are pressurized and allow for higher altitude flights, which enables them to conduct surveillance 5,000 ft to 6,000 ft and not be undetected. The costs to maintain and operate a fixed wing aircraft are cheaper than rotor wing aircrafts. On average per flight it cost about $54 for maintenance and $45 for fuel compared to a rotor wing aircraft. http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/aullea07.pdf One example of a cost effective fixed wing aircraft is the light sport aircraft. The general cost of the aircraft is between $60,000 and $130,000 to purchase. The cost for fuel and maintenance is only $50 per hour. They can fly at speeds ranging from 35 to 125 knots which makes them an excellent platform for performing a broad range of law enforcement missions. It can carry up to 500 lbs and travel twice as far as a helicopter. http://nij.gov/nij/topics/law-enforcement/operations/aviation/types-of-aircraft.htm One of the best aircraft that the Custom Border Patrol ha s in their inventory is the P-3 AEW Orion airplane. This is a unique aircraft is integration with the E-2 Hawkeye aircraft electronics and radar system, which allows for it to see surface and air contacts 200 NM in all directions. The aircraft has a large fuel capacity of 60,000 lbs that allows for flight time up to 10 to 13 hours on station. It has a maximum range at low altitude is 2,500 NM and at high altitude 3,800 NM and a maximum average cruising speed of 300 to 330 knots. It can carry a crew of 12 to 21 personnel. The normal crew consists of four systems operators, three pilots, two flight engineers and three maintenance crew members. They work closely with the Navy and Coast Guard to coordinate the location of drug smuggling boats or planes. The primary missions are interdiction, over water operations, surveillance and homeland security. The use of this aircraft between the Jacksonville, Florida and the Texas office have contributed to the capture and seizure of 50 metric to ns of drugs worth a roughly about 2 Billion dollars since 2006. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqCtrB_FZvE The DA42 MPP (Multi Purpose Platform) GUARDIAN is a specially designed aircraft to carrying multi-functional aerial surveillance equipments. The advantage of this aircraft is its extremely low operating costs and its abilities to conduct surveillance operations. The investment in this aircraft pays for itself through the saving in fuel cost. It can operate at a wide range from a minimum of 75 knots to a maximum of 152 knots fully equipped. When conducting surveillance the aircraft can fly for up to 12.5 hours with refueling. At 50% power setting its maximum range is more than 1,350NM. Currently there is no other small aircraft that can match the flexibility of the GUARDIAN. The GUARDIANà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s design incorporates hard points located under the fuselage for mounting belly pods and uses a modular attachment approach. The nose section of the aircraft is detachable which allows for mounting nose pods. This aircraft can carry a gyro-stabilized, daylight and thermal video camera, digital aerial cameras and laser scanner, a micro wave up and downlink system with a range of more than 100 NM that provides high quality transfers, satellite downlink beyond line of sight, UHF/VHFradios and a military radios is part of the standard equipment onboard. The GUARDIAN also can operate as an UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or OPV (Optionally Piloted Vehicle) that provide support abilities for longer operation times and if require to operations in regions that are generally too dangerous for manned aircraft to operate. http://www.diamond- sensing.com/fileadmin/uploads_airborne/files/DA42_MPP_web_v290108.pdf http://www.diamond-sensing.com/index.php?id=da42mppguardian Some of the disadvantages of fix winged aircrafts are that they require a runway to take off and land. It takes more time to assemble and brief the flight crew for the type of mission being flown. Conges tions and traffic on the run way may delay on taking off or landing. Depending on the size of the aircraft the pilot or co-pilot are unable to see the other side of the aircraft. They are unable provide ground assistance as their rotor wing counterparts are capable of doing, such as land and assist in a foot pursuit. Unable to hover or perform orbits like the rotor wing counterparts they cannot monitor the tactical environment very well, thus unable to observe or alert ground units of what they are unaware of. This limits their ability to land on ships or areas where there are no run ways. A major tool used for search and rescue that airplanes are unable to carry is a rescue winch. Both fixed wing and rotor wing aircrafts have their advantages and disadvantages, but they are both very valuable asset in the mission of state and federal law enforcement agencies in protecting homeland security, defending the Nationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s borders, fight against terrorist and enforcing the l aws of the United States.

Queen Elizabeths Use of Imagery and Language in The Doubt of Future Fo

Queen Elizabeth's Use of Imagery and Language in The Doubt of Future Foes Queen Elizabeth persuades her subjects to be faithful and discourages her foes from the pursuit of her throne in the stark imagery of â€Å"The Doubt of Future Foes.† Elizabeth uses the three appeals of successful argument to evoke fear and respect in those that may attempt to challenge her position as Queen. The Queen captivates her audience with solid logical arguments and dramatic threatening language while establishing her credibility as a fearless powerful leader, utilizing the logos, pathos, and ethos methods of persuasion. Queen Elizabeth uses an authoritative courageous voice to evoke emotion in her audience, all the while presenting a solid logical persuasive argument to discourage the encroachment of her territory by power hungry foes. By establishing a stark authoritative tone Elizabeth persuades her audience to obey her, thus effectively employing the pathos method of persuasion. The Queen targets her audience’s emotions in hopes of discouraging any future foes from challenging her position on the throne. Elizabeth speaks to her prideful and ambitious audience of potential rivals from a pedestal making haughty threats and criticisms to breed fear and submission. In the last two lines of the poem Elizabeth makes the most staggering threat of all, â€Å"My rusty sword through rest shall first his edge employ/ To poll their tops that seek such change of gape for future joy.† Although not normally prone to violence, Elizabeth proclaims her thirst for the blood of those that seek to challenge her. The Queen uses courageous, combatant language like that of rusty sword blades and headless enemies, to spawn feelings of fear and frighten her foes into accor... ...ower is futile. The same joy that clouds the mind of eager men turns sour and forces them into repentance. Hollow pride and ambition is short lived and only brings heartache and woe. Elizabeth presents an argument with a logical flow: men covet power, coveting is punishable; men who covet will be punished. The poet uses her intelligence and royal position to express her disgust towards covetous subjects in an argument that displays solid logos, pathos, and ethos aspects. Queen Elizabeth makes harsh emotional appeals through her use of imagery and language. Paired with beautiful poetic language and solid logic is the voice of a powerful queen struggling to cement her position as ruler of her loyal subjects. It is the well-developed, concise arguments and persuasive tools that make â€Å"The Doubt of Future Foes† as harrowing today as it was during Elizabeth’s reign.

Economy :: essays research papers

Economics and Location There are several factors that influence the growth and distribution of a particular regions primary industries. These primary industries, are necessary for an economy to grow. Without a primary industry, which could also be called natural resources, secondary, tertiary and quaternary industries would struggle in a country (excluding Japan etc.). These factors also affect where people live. If you were at a warm place, near the coast, it is a lot more populated, than interior America. This population, affects your labor and markets. With a good geography, cash crops may be able to grow in the region developing a farm industry. There are several factors that affect a region’s natural resources. These factors are landscape features, temperature and precipitation. Landscape features affect the economy. Some landscape features that range all over the United States are tundra and mountains. If you were describe the Arctic Coastal Plain, you would have to mention the permafrost. In t he Pacific ranges and coastal lowlands, the soil is rich and fertile. The soil in a region determine if you’re able to grow cash crops or nothing. The temperature of a region affects the economy. In a place that is warm and humid, certain crops, will be able to grow in that region. The temperature can also affect the settlement patterns of people. Larger populations tend to settle in a place with a high temperature. To get an precise picture of an area’s climate, two temperatures are required. These are the average temperatures of the months January and July. There are three factors that affect the this result. The closer you are to the equator, usually the warmer it is. This is because the sun rays are more concentrated and direct the closer you are to the equator. The more direct the sun’s rays are, the greater heating ability. During the winter, oceans maintain much more heat than land, and release this heat slowly. Land near an ocean, is warmer than land not ne ar an ocean because the ocean retains the heat. When the sun shines, the heat bounces off, but can’t reach the atmosphere. The heat in the air comes from the warm surface, so air closer to the ground is usually warmer. As altitude increases, air temperature decreases. This decline in air temperature is known as the lapse rate. Precipitation can also affect the economy. In a place that is humid, certain crops, will be able to grow in that region.

The Movement of Disease Essays -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Movement of Disease The desire to travel and explore developed among many early civilizations. This mobility provided these cultures with many advantages that have helped to advance their societies. Unfortunately, these movements are also responsible for the transmission of numerous diseases and their resulting adverse effects upon the inhabitants of the Earth. This essay seeks to outline the causes of epidemic diseases, explain their diffusion around the world, and explore why they are more harmful in certain societies. During the First Great Transition, small mobile groups of hunter-gatherers began to adopt sedentary lifestyles. This was facilitated by the development of agriculture and the practice of animal domestication. Although the foundation of agriculture originated in the Mediterranean, it spread to Europe, the near East and eventually the rest of the populated world. With more efficient methods of food production, the population of these groups began to significantly increase. Domesticated animals were not only used as a supplementary food source (meat and milk), but also for providing animal power in labor-intensive activities (such as plowing). The transition to a sedentary lifestyle caused a major decline in health in these growing societies as virulent and lethal diseases began to appear. "The major killers of humanity throughout recent history-smallpox, flu, tuberculosis, malaria, plague, measles, and cholera-are diseases that evolved from diseases of animals, even though most of the microbes responsible for our own epidemic illnesses are paradoxically now almost confined to humans."1 As early farmers began to live closer to and spend more time with livestock and pets, the germs from these animals w... ...s. As trade became a compelling force for the cultural evolution of many societies, they helped to spread diseases over the entire world. Due to an auspicious piece of luck, Europe, with many more domesticated animals and therefore epidemic diseases, was able to develop immunities that the populous of the Americas lacked. Sources: 1. Diamond, Jered. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton. 1997. Pg. 196-197. 2. Chant, Colin. Pre-industrial Cities & Technology. London: Routledge. 1999. Pg. 51. 3. Diamond. Pg. 205. 4. Ehrlich, Paul R. Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect. Washington D.C.: Island Press. 2000. Pg. 268. 5. Ponting, Clive. A Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1992. Pg. 224. 6. Ehrlich. Pg. 254 7. Diamond. Pg. 212.

Malignant Hyperthermia: What You Need to Know

Malignant Hyperthermia: What You Need to Know Ivy O. Corlew, BSN, RN, CNOR Conneaut Medical Center–OR Malignant Hyperthermia: What You Need to Know What is Malignant Hyperthermia or MH Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) is a rare, life threatening, pharmacogenetic disorder characterized by hypermetabolic state of skeletal muscle induced by inhalation anesthetics like halothane, sevoflurane, desflurane and the depolarizing muscle relaxant agent like succinylcholine (Rosenberg et al, 2007).Clinical signs are; Increased end tidal CO2 production which is an early sign, tachycardia, tachypnea, trunk or total body rigidity, masseter (jaw) muscle rigidity after succinylcholine which occurs commonly in children, marked temperature elevation (maybe a late sign), respiratory and metabolic acidosis, myoglobinuria(MHAUS, 2011). If left untreated the patient will experience cardiac arrest, kidney failure, blood coagulation problems, internal hemorrhage, and possibly death (slideshare, 2010) Nursi ng AssessmentNurses taking care of surgical patients must be knowledgeable regarding MH so they can identify clinical signs and symptoms early on, its emergent treatment, and be able to respond promptly and appropriately. Preoperative assessment by nurses are crucial in identifying the patient, who could be at high risk for Malignant Hyperthermia, so MH triggering agents can be avoided during anesthesia. Example of questions to ask to help screen for MH susceptibility are (AORN 2012): 1. Has anyone ever told you that you had a â€Å"bad† reaction to anesthesia? 2. Has anyone ever told you that you or your family member had a problem with anesthesia? . Have you or a family member experienced a high fever while under anesthesia? 4. Has anyone ever told you or a family member they had a difficult time opening your jaw during general anesthetic? 5. Has anyone in your family died unexpectedly in the operating room? 6. Have you or anyone in your family experienced sunstroke or heat stroke resulting in hospitalization? 7. Have you ever noticed dark â€Å"cola-colored† urine after a general anesthetic or after experiencing a heat-related illness? Treating MH Dantrolene IV is the only drug available in the market to treat Malignant Hyperthermia.It is difficult to mix and is time consuming to reconstitute. It comes in yellowish colored powder that when fully mix with non-bacteriostatic sterile water, the color stays the same. The new brand Dantrium IV (dantrolene sodium for injection) mixes in just 20 seconds (MHAUS, 2011). However, this is not what we have stocked in our cart. According to MHAUS (2011), dantrolene suppresses the exaggerated rise in muscle cell calcium that seems to trigger MH by binding to the calcium channel site in muscle that is responsible both for calcium release and, likely, calcium entry into the cell.Dantrolene may cause significant muscle weakness in patients with preexisting muscle disease and should be used with extreme caution in those patients. When used with calcium channel blockers (verapamil or diltiazem), dantrolene may produce life-threatening hyperkalemia and myocardial depression. Once a patient has been successfully treated for 36 hours with intravenous dantrolene, he/she may be switched to oral dantrolene until the CK or Creatine Kinase level is trending down and there is no further evidence of acidosis or hypermetabolism and temperature spikes. A recommended 36 vials be stocked.Treating Malignant Hyperthermia crisis is a complex nature, and it involves several staff members. The first thing to do in the event of suspected MH crisis is to recruit extra staff. The following steps are outline by role (MHAUS, 2011): The surgeon should stop or complete the procedure as soon as possible. The anesthesia provider stops inhalation agents; stops warming blanket; increase minute ventilation; inserts esophageal temp probe; inserts NG tube for lavage as needed; administers dantrolene IV; inserts an arteria l line; draws blood for chemistry, ck, coagulation, ABG.If peaked T waves on ECG, administers calcium then glucose and insulin. If T waves are not peaked and arrhythmia present, injects bicarbonate. The circulating nurse brings in MH cart; mixes dantrolene based on 2. 5 mg/kg with 60 ml of non-bacteriostatic sterile water, repeat dose until the signs are controlled. The circulating nurse should document the event. A second nurse assist in mixing dantrolene and hands syringe to anesthesia provider. A third nurse brings in emergency crash cart; places urinary catheter; assist in drawing blood or with other task.A fourth nurse brings in plastic bags with ice and cold IV fluids; places ice bags on exposed parts like groin, axilla, and neck (without compromising sterility); iced saline lavage of any open body cavities such as the stomach, bladder, or rectum. Cold I. V. fluids are administered using 0. 9% sodium chloride, but Lactated Ringer’s is avoided so that acidosis is not wor sened (Martin, 2009). Stop cooling measures when temperature falls to 38 °C (MHAUS, 2011). A laminated copy of MHAUS dantrolene dosage chart is located on top of MH cart to minimize precious time wasted in calculating dosage per kilogram.As soon as patient is stabilized, transfer patient to ICU or call transfer center for an emergent transfer to UH Case SICU or ED. Knowing your Role All staff involved in the MH crisis response should conduct a debriefing meeting as early as possible. Points to consider including (AORN, 2012): 8. Was the MH cart adequately stocked and immediately available? 9. Were enough staff members available to manage the crisis effectively? 10. When staff members responded, were they familiar with task expected in MH crisis? 11. Was MHAUS appropriately notified? 12. Do staff members have other ideas about planning care for a future MH crisis? 3. Has a root-cause analysis been done (MH is considered a sentinel event)? Staff Competency By using the mannequin as our patient, and mixing the expired dantrolene from MHAUS, perioperative staff did fairly well during the MH mock drill simulation by following thru with the expected roles. MH drill should be held at least quarterly to help perioperative staff practice early recognition of MH crisis and how to act accordingly. MH drill also improve OR (operating room) team coordination and provides opportunities to serve in each of the four roles mentioned (Martin, 2009). PreventionEarly detection of clinical signs and symptoms of MH, knowing your role and a prompt response to this emergent crisis can save your patient’s life. MH crisis prevention is the key and the best treatment you can provide to your patient. Knowledge about MH is a must for nurses taking care of a patient before, during and after operative care. Armed with this knowledge, you can make a difference in your patient’s lives. References AORN (2012). AORN Malignant Hyperthermia Guideline. In Perioperative Standards an d Recommended Practices: For Inpatient and Ambulatory Settings (pp. 5,8-9). Retrieved from http://online. statref. om/titleinfo/fxid-234. html Martin, C. L. (2009). A Practical Guide for Malignant Hyperthermia Management. OR NURSE 2009, 24. Retrieved from www. ORNurseJournal. com Rosenberg, H. , Davis, M. , James, D. , Pollock, N. , & Stowell, K. (2007). Malignant Hyperthermia. ORPHANET JOURNAL OF RARE DISEASES. doi:10. 1186/1750-1172-2-21 Malignant Hyperthermia Mock Drill Kit. (2011). Healthcare Professionals. Retrieved from http://www. mhaus. org/healthcare-professionals/#. T6rV3VI2cTY Malignant Hyperthermia (2010, January 28). [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www. slideshare. net/wright958/malignant-hyperthermia-3015604

Groupon Analysis

1. Research process As the secondary data on evaluation of customers in Vietnam with regard to groupon are not available, the method to be used in this study is almost research employing a combination of qualitative and quantitive approaches. Problems de? nition Quantitive research Research design Qualitative research Questionnaire online survey Sampling Fieldwork Data analysis Managerial implications Figure : the stages of customers evaluation research Normally the starting point of any research process is the research problem and research objectives.The next stage is to design plans of getting information of both quantitive and qualitative ? gures. Then the the objectives transform in to questionnaire. In the survey both quantitive and qualitative questions are used. Multiple choices with scale measure is used on the other hand question with open answers are use to identify the quantitive problems. Information to be obtained should be determined prior to the building of questionnai re. Table 1 shows how information is to be collected. Each variable have 5 question to determine. Variables Reliability! Who to ask Customer!What to get How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s reliability ! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s responsibility!! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s assurance! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s empathy! ! How is the customer valuation of groupon companies’s tangibles! Responsibility Customer Assurance Customer Empathy! Customer! Tangibles Customer! The next step after questionnaires were designed and sampled, ? eldwork was executed that involved the completion and return of questionnaire. Data analysis can start after the returned questionnaire were checked.Finally, the research process ends with the most important part that is the managerial implications. 2. Quantitative study The purpose of the quantitative study is to identify the relat ionship between 5 factors reliability, responsibility, assurance, empathy and tangibles and the quality of groupon companies’s services. The details about sampling, data collection and data analysis methods are described in the next part. a. Sampling †¢ Sample size: a sample of 390 people was drawn from residents living or working in some districts in Hanoi and some part of districts 1 Ho Chi Minh city. 90 people answered some question to classify in 3 groups which are the people have used groupon service, the people never use groupon service but they know about it and the people never use groupon and do not know anything about it. As expected, 50 percents of people who were asked to do survey are student because large number of people who use groupon to buy product and services is low income people; 30 percents of that is white collar worker the reason is that they have to work with computer and internet in plenty hours in a day and they want to buy product with low cos t lso and the last group of people the survey focusing on is housewives which is have 20 percents in total sample. Sample should include both women and men, belonging to 5 groups of age (from 18 years old to over 55 years old). †¢ Selection criteria: the selection criteria for those participating in the study were age (between 18 and over 55 years old), income ( at least more than 1 million Vietnam dong per month), ability to use computer and the internet ( because almost all groupon companies are working base on internet environment).In addition, respondents should not be acquaintances of each other because they can share the same attitude about some services and companies. b. Data collection The questionnaire consists of 25 questions to determine 25 items which belong to 5 factors. These factors were developed from the study model Serqual . The Likert ? ve-point scale was used for those items that aimed to measure consumer’s evaluation and felling. †¢ Factors 1: r eliability have 5 questions which were designed to explore customer’s belief †¢ Factors 2: responsibility was aimed to ? d out the felling of customers about responsibility of the companies whether they can respond the requirement of customer immediately or with some delays. This factor was determined by 5 questions †¢ Factor 3: Assurance is the factor which have 5 question to measure the security of the companies’s service. †¢ Factor 4: empathy use 5 question to explore if the staff of companies try to help and understand customer or not. †¢ Factor 5: tangible have 5 question to determine like the last 4 factor. Those question use to evaluate the appearance of the companies such as the website, voucher or uniforms of staffs.Every question uses multiple choices with ? ve-point scale from 1-5 which mean terrible, poor, average, very good and excellent. The questionnaire was translate into Vietnamese and pre-test on 5 respondents to ensure the correct understanding and the ease of answering. Pretest results were satis? ed. The questionnaire were distributed to 730 persons in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city via online survey which is designed by Google and send by email, direct message and social networking(Facebook, Twitter). (Appendix Phu luc bang hoi )Of 730 person sent survey 390 returned result, of which 163 were usable (163 respondents use groupon as the media to shopping). The valid questionnaire must (1) not having more than ? ve missing values; (2) not selecting all â€Å"1† or all â€Å"5† for all questions. The distribution of questionnaires and the collections of returned ones were carried out from 8th October to 20th October 2012. c. Data analysis Answers from the respondents were reviewed for completion and usefulness. Accepted questionnaire were coded and the raw data input in the SPSS package version 20 for Mac.The reliability of measurement scales was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha value. A scal e is reliable if the alpha is higher than 0. 6. Descriptive analysis is used to describe the variables in term of frequency. Due to the small size sample, subgroup analysis is not meaningful. Analysis variance (ANOVA) or cross tabulation results therefore were not used. The lis of codi? ed variables is shown in Appendix phu luc cac bien Factor analysis was used to reduce the number of variables and to identify the underlying common dimensions.Factor scores were then analyzed using multiple regressions, through linear relationships between a dependent variable and various independent variables (predictors) were determined. 3. Results 3. 1 Sample pro? le Groupon-buying discount products or services online are consumed by a large number of population due to the development of the internet past 10 years. Sample includes 46 men and 117 women, aged from 18 to over 18 years old with the majority being the age group of 18-24 years old. Of 162 respondents 20. 2% using groupon for their work, 64. 4% using for their personal purpose and 15. % using groupon to buy products and services for both purposes which are personal and work. More than 60% of people who are asked have a low income which is less than 5 million Vietnam dong per month, it can be reasonable when most of groupon customer have a low income and it may explain that price is very importance when they decide to buy somethine. And a large number of the respondents are student which are a young generation. They can easily using internet and modern way of shopping. Figure : Gender distribution Figure : Purpose distribution 15% 28% 20% 72% 64% Man Women Personal WorkPersonal and work Figure : Age distribution Figure : Monthly income 1% 7% 13% 16% 11% 12% 79% 9million 5-9 million other 61% 18-24 25-29 30-40 40-50 Figure : Job distribution 150 100 50 0 Student New employee Employee Housewife Other Table show the demographic characteristics of the sample with regards to gender, age, income, job and voucher’s value. Table : Summary samples’s characteristic Percentage (n=162) Female Gender Male 18-24 25-29 Age 30-40 40-50 less than 5 million 5-9 million Monthly income more than 9 million other Student New employee Jobs Employee Housewife Other 1. 500. 000 11% 16% 69. % 12. 3% 15. 3% 1. 8% 0. 6% 17. 8% 69. 9% 9. 2% 1. 8% 1. 2% 7% 1% 61% 12% 28% 79% 13% 72% 3. 2 Descriptive analysis In the study, ? ve factors were used to measure customer evaluation and felling. For the statistical purpose all variables were described in term of frequencies (percentage) and average values (means). Finding related to customer’s evaluation and felling are summarized in tables. a. ! How customers trust groupon companies services in Vietnam, those thing can show up by some factors such as the quality of products what companies guaranteed and the punctuation of delivery. Consequently, the result will show how customer believe in companies and their goods. Groupon companies always sale all product w ith a very cheap price so this factor explore how is the customer’s belief. Table : Customer’s belief in groupon companies Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 2. The customer’s belief in discount price 3. The customer’s thinking of products and services qualities 4. Delivery’s punctuation 5. Customer care staffs’s knowledge 6. Customer care staffs’s respond 22. 6% 21. 5% 17. 8% 19. 6% 22. 7% Very good/ excellent 30. 7% 31. 3% 55. % 42. 9% 34. 7% Average value (means) 3. 08 3. 10 3. 53 3. 29 3. 21 As can be seen that customer belief indicator is more than 3 but still below than 4. The respondents accepted and trust those companies. b. How customers evaluate the responsibility of Vietnamese groupon companies: Online shopping is very different from traditional shopping because clients can pay money and have goods or services immediately so that responsibility is a very important factor to rate ? rms’s qualities. It can be seen that customer evaluate ? rm’s after sale service is poor .It is probably due to many groupon companies in Vietnam think that responsibility which is taking care customers after they had bought products and service belong to suppliers, they only have to sale goods. It may lead to 47,9% of respondent thinks ? rm’s responsibilities are terrible and poor. Table : Response to companies’s responsibility Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 7. Staffs's enthusiasm 8. Companies solve your problems actively 9. Hotline for customer care 10. Recheck customer’s information to ensure fast and correct delivery 11. After sales services 16. 6% 26. % 31. 3% 23. 9% 47. 9% Very good/ excellent 40. 5% 27. 6% 33. 8% 44. 1% 19. 6% Average value (means) 3. 28 3. 08 3. 06 3. 29 2. 60 From the table it can be concluded that ? rm’s responsibility is acceptable but they some aspects are poor for instance hotline and after sales services. c. How customer rate companies’s assura nce: Not as tradition transactions, online shopping should have a more secure transaction. Most of payments for groupon company are electronic payment which have many potential risk. As the result keep customers’s personal and payment data is very essential.Vietnamese people do not care much about security but in the modern life but when credit card, online wallet etc†¦ are becoming more popular everyday it has to be a factor to evaluate service qualities Table : Customer evaluation of transaction assurance Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 12. Trading process is quick and exactly 13. Privacy of transaction 14. Company always keep clients's data safe 15. Contrasts are sensible and clear 16. Reputation of companies 22. 1% 10. 4% 17. 2% 11. 7% 14. 7% Very good/ excellent 44. 1% 56. 4% 52. 5% 55. 2% 40. 5% Average value (means) 3. 33 3. 9 3. 54 3. 60 3. 29 Every items belonging to assurance factor are shown on the table. It is believed that respondents rate this factor pret ty good. d. How companies and their staff empathize customers: This factor was designed to uncover customer’s felling about companies’s empathy. There is an idiom that â€Å"customers are always right† so that communication between sellers and their customers is very importance . Those 5 questions explore how respondent think about staff attitude and empathy. Table : Customers’s evaluation of companies’s empathy Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 17.Staffs’s behavior and attitude 18. Companies's staff pay attention of customers's private requirement 19. Customer always feel convenient and satisfied of services 20. Company makes improvement after client’s complain 21. Clients don’t have to wait for a long time to user service 14. 1% 27. 6% 21. 5% 31. 3% 21. 5% Very good/ excellent 46. 7% 35. 6% 33. 1% 20. 9% 41. 1% Average value (means) 3. 37 3. 09 3. 14 2. 88 3. 31 The table show that customer’s evaluative criteria is une ven, some items have a high value some is quite low.Respondents evaluate that improvements of company after their complain are poor, 31. 3% think that it terrible and poor. e. How is the tangibles of companies: Although almost all groupon companies do not impress their customer by a fancy shop or building but there are some aspects to evaluate their tangibles such as their vouchers and websites whether they are beautiful or ease of recognizing. Respondents think that about these 2 things groupon companies do well and they probably appreciate that. However there is a aspect having a low evaluation by respondents which is staffs’s uniform.It can be a result of companies category which is online company because of that they do not think staff’s uniform is the serious problem. Table : Customers’s evaluation of companies’s Tangibles Percentage (n=163) Terrible/ poor 22. Transaction place 23. Vouchers design 24. Website designed 25. Staff uniform 26. Transporte rs have transportations to deliver products to clients quickly and safe. 19% 11. 6% 8. 6% 33. 2% 16. 6% Very good/ excellent 45. 4% 59. 5% 64. 4% 24% 46. 6% Average value (means) 3. 42 3. 66 3. 74 2. 85 3. 41 4. 3 Factors in? encing groupon services quality a. Evaluation of the measuring scales In the reliability analysis, items that have total-item correlation smaller than 0. 6 were removed from the scales but in this sample there is no variable was eliminated. All items were tested for reliability. The resulting Cronbach alpha of each scale is presented in Table . Table : Alpha values Codi? ed variables Reli1-Reli5 Res1-Res5 Assu1-Assu5 Emp1-Emp5 Tan1-Tan5 Number of items 5 5 5 5 5 Alpha value 0. 804 0. 831 0. 863 0. 826 0. 856 Measurement Scale Reliability!Responsibility Assurance Empathy! Tangibles b. Factor analysis Twenty four variables were submitted for factor analysis. The extraction method used was Principal Axis Factoring, accepting all Eigen values which are higher than 1. The rotation method was Oblimin with Kaiser Normalization; rotation was coverged in 9 iteration. The factor analysis resulted in e Component 1 Tan1 Tan2 Emp5 Tan5 Tan3 Tan4 Assu3 Assu2 Assu4 Emp1 Assu5 Emp4 Res5 Res3 Emp3 Emp2 Res4 Reli5 Res1 Reli4 Res2 Reli2 Reli1 Reli3 Assu1 Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. a. Rotation converged in 9 iterations. 2 0. 767 0. 760 0. 742 0. 714 0. 699 0. 561 0. 803 0. 771 0. 732 0. 552 0. 542 3 4 5 0. 521 0. 708 0. 609 0. 580 0. 550 0. 502 0. 524 0. 772 0. 754 0. 723 0. 564 0. 784 0. 746 0. 549 Eigen values and variance of each factor are indicated in Appendix Ph? l? c Eigen. The factor correlation matrix (Appendix Ph? l? c ma tr? n tuong quan) illustrates that the correlation between factors is insignificant (correlation coefficient are smaller than 0. ). This is an underlying assumption required for multiple regression. For those variables that load on two factors, the higher loa d on two factors, the factor with higher value is selected. However if loading difference is not significant (that is not more than 0. 3) the variable will not be used for multiple regression (Tan4 and Emp2). Table Nr :Factor nomination Factor name Transaction place Vouchers design Clients don’t have to wait for a long time to user service 1 Tangibles Having transportations to deliver quickly and safe.Website designed Staff uniform Company always keep clients's data safe Privacy of transaction 2 Assurance Contrasts are sensible and clear Staffs’s behavior and attitude Reputation of companies Company makes improvement after client’s complain After sales services 3 Responsibility Hotline for customer care Customer’s convenience and satisfaction of services Attention of customers's private requirement Customer care staffs’s respond Staffs's enthusiasm 4 Staff quality Customer care staffs’s knowledge Companies solve your problems actively Factor componentNr Factor name Factor component The customer’s thinking of products and services qualities 5 Reliability The customer’s belief in discount price Delivery’s punctuation The above 5 factors were considered independent variables in the multiple regression model and the dependent variable was â€Å"Quality of groupon service†. Multiple regression results are presented in the next section. c.Multiple regression Multiple regression is use to identify the relationship between the dependent variable and many independents variables. The multiple regression model has the following form: Y= ? + ? 1X1 + ? 2X2 + ? 3X3 + ? 4X4 +†¦.. + ? nXn The relationship between the dependent variable â€Å"Quality of groupon service† and the factors identified through the above factor analysis is determined using multiple regression. Table shows the variance of this analysis. Tab

Army Crew Team Case Analysis Essay

Colonel Stas Preczewski, better known as Coach P., was the coach of the Army Crew Team for the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was responsible for managing two teams of rowers for the 2000 meter race. They were the Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) teams and consisted of eight rowers per crew. The 2000 meter races are considered to be very rigorous and could also be compared to playing two basketball games. Because rowing can be so exhausting, the sport requires a lot of endurance and strength to be successful. It is also important to focus on the psychological aspects of this sport. According to a survey that was done by the U.S. Olympic Committee, coaches with at least four years’ experience felt that psychological aspects should be focused on as part of coaching a successful and winning crew. Teamwork was considered essential for all of the rowers. If a rower only thought about his technique, it could potentially slow the entire boat down because the team wou ld no longer be synchronized. All crew members must also have trust in one another. The Army Crew Team of 2001-2002 had gone through extensive training year-round to prepare for the National Championships that are held in spring. In winter they spend time building strength by lifting weights and perfecting technique by practicing on the Ergometer, or ‘erg,’ which is a measuring tool for rowers to determine individual technique and endurance. In the spring they went on a retreat to Atlanta where ultimately Coach P. would determine the members who would fulfill the Varsity and JV teams. Coach P. determined the teams by using a system referred to as ‘seat racing,’ the same method that is used in selecting rowers for the Olympics. He determined the members of the Varsity team by taking the top eight scores for individual strength, with the exception of two men. One was more self-absorbed and was only concerned with his own success, and the other did not have a strong technique. After he chose the teams, they raced each other and the Varsity team won, which confirmed his evaluation. Immediately when they got back to training on the Hudson River, the Varsity team was unhappy because they did not beat the JV team by a greater margin at the retreat, and Coach P. thought that they were just striving for excellence. However, throughout the spring, the JV team was consistently beating the Varsity team. Coach P. was concerned with this and did more testing, which revealed that the Varsity team was stronger and  had more endurance then the JV team. He could not figure out why this was the case. He, along with his assistant, determined that there were many more team disrupters on the Varsity team, and there were no team disrupters on the JV team. They then brought in members from the Center for Enhanced Performance, who could help with building team and individual performance. The JV team took well to this and employed the techniques for building new attitudes and confidence, but the Varsity did not seem to do this and felt that any positive display towards one another was too ‘touchy feely.’ The JV team continued to beat the Varsity team. After each race the Varsity team would heavily critique one another on an individual level. The JV team only focused on displaying inspirational sayings such as â€Å"we will succeed together, we will fail together.† The Varsity team and Coach P. were looking for answers. Problem The Varsity team was not winning races because they did not know how to work well with each other and work as a team. This is something that the JV team was able to do very effectively. It has been proven through many findings in research that people perform better if they exhibit teamwork (Chieh-Wen, Yi-Fan & MingChia, 2010). When a team works together, it enhances the quality of the work and instills trust and satisfaction in the team members (Chieh-Wen, Yi-Fan & MingChia, 2010). It was very apparent that the Varsity team was not happy with the outcomes of any of their races, including the first race they had against the JV team. Throughout the season the Varsity team was not working well together, which translated into poor performance. Trust is also very important for effective teamwork. Welch and Welch (2011) state in the article â€Å"How to Build a Winning Team† that when a winning team â€Å"is infused with trust, people play to their better angles. They share ideas freely (p. 2).† Clearly the Varsity team had opinions about each other, however, they were not encouraged to state their problems directly to each other, they were to direct the questions to Coach P. Each of the members of the Varsity team were selected because of their strength and endurance, so most of them thought that they were the best, and it almost seems as if they did not trust that any of the other teammates were as good. This could also be explained when Coach P. examined both the JV and Varsity  teams strengths and weaknesses and determined that the Varsity team consisted of many team disrupters, or people that either talk too much or criticize others during practice. The article called â€Å"Nurturing Interpersonal Trust in Knowledge-Sharing Networks† (2003) also talks about two dimensions of trust. One dimension is benevolence, or the idea that people feel that they are being cared about and have an interest in their well-being and the other is competence, which is that the person has relevant expertise and can be depended on to know information (Abrams, Cross, Lesser, and Levin). These are two important aspects to teamwork that are clearly an issue impacting the Varsity team. The Varsity team also felt that at one point in the season Coach P. was trying to create a rivalry between the two teams which is why they had to row against each other in practice so often. A member of the Varsity team felt that it was unnerving that they had to compete against the JV team, almost like making them off of their game. They had no clear direction as to where the team was going, no proper leadership to direct them. â€Å"In groups that had high levels of collaborative behavior, the team leaders clearly made a significant difference (Gratton, Erickson p. 106, 2007).† It is important to have leadership and direction. The Varsity team did not have any members who did this nor did they feel that their coach was always supportive. The problem lies with the lack of teamwork within the Varsity team. They did not have proper leadership or trust to be able to be a winning team. The Varsity team continues to be beaten by the JV team due to the lack of teamwork. Being in synch is what rowing is all about, and they are not able to do this. The dictionary defines teamwork as â€Å"cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interest of a common cause.† Solutions Coach P. must determine what to do with the Varsity team and he is faced with three options. The first option would be to switch the Varsity and JV boats. Second, he could switch individual members from each boat. Finally, he could keep everything as is, and try to increase the Varsity boat’s  performance so that they start to win. Each option will be evaluated based on several criteria. The ultimate goal of Coach P. and all of the team members is to develop a winning team. Each option must be evaluated on whether the chosen team will maximize its performance and win races. Also is there enough time to make the changes necessary to win? Timing is important because there were only four days until the National Championships. Can there be a positive relationship between team members with each option? The important aspect to focus on is whether or not the relationships can maintain or be mended. Having positive relationships are directly related to the importance of teamwork and whether or not positive teamwork will happen at all. The first option to be evaluated is the possibility of switching the Varsity and JV boats. The team members on the JV team were assigned to that boat because their performance, individually, was not as good as the members who were initially chosen for the Varsity team. With the exception of two members on the JV team, they consisted of members who were not nearly as strong, had less endurance and were also technically not as good as the Varsity team. It would be fairly easy to make this adjustment so timing would not be an issue since and could be easily done within four days. Will the relationship between both of the boats change if the boats were switched? There is a possibility that the JV teams relationship would change because they initially thought that they had nothing to lose being on the JV team. If they were to be named the new Varsity team, personalities could change because of the increased stress level since they no longer will have the ‘nothing to lose’ feeling. Even one of the members from the JV team were not chosen for the Varsity team initially because of his focus was on individual performance, and he was also critical of others, and these reactions could be reignited if the switch was made. Coach P. could switch individual team members between boats. Based on documented results, Coach P. specifically chose the Varsity boat due to their strength and endurance. Since there were a few members that were also very strong on the JV team, the switch could still keep the performance at a high level. The rower that struggled with technique could maybe improve on  performance if he were with other members that were just as strong. Being in synch is something that is extremely important in rowing, and if a team is not able to do this, they will not be successful. Timing could be an issue with this option since they only have four days to learn how to work with one another. Trust could be a problem as well since they have not worked with each other on a consistent basis. Because of the short amount of time that they have to work with one another, it can also have a negative effect on the relationship of the team. Psychological factors are important to the success of any rowing team and they could be compromised, especially the original members of the Varsity team. They will feel even more beat down. Coach P. has already tested this option and the JV team members had a difficult time getting along with the Varsity members. Finally, Coach P. could not make any adjustment between the JV and Varsity teams and try to focus on getting the Varsity team to work with one another. The members of the Varsity team were evaluated at the Atlanta retreat by Coach P. and he determined that they were the strongest, had the most endurance, and had the best technique. This is the reason that they were chosen for the Varsity team in the first place, so the performance potential is definitely present in each of the Varsity team members. Timing is something that could be an issue because it might be questioned as to how can the Varsity team learn to work with each other in four days if they were unable to work well as a team up until then? Four days is a very short time frame to develop trust in one another. This is also important in determining whether or not the relationship could be mended. Coach P. has already tried to work on building a more positive relationship that would enhance performance when he brought in a person from the Center for Enhanced Performance to specifically work on building their confidence in one another. When Coach P. initially selected the teams, he did not see that there were ‘team disrupters’ even though he did see that in members that he did not select for the Varsity team and purposely put them on the JV team. This shows that there may be potential in mending the relationships, if Coach P.’s initial analyses were correct. Recommendations and Plan of Action Coach P. should keep the Varsity team as-is and try to build on the  teamwork. The main reason is because in his initial analysis at the Atlanta retreat he had determined that they are in fact the strongest, have the most endurance and technically are the best rowers out of the sixteen men. If he were to switch the boats, it is almost like settling for second best since he knows that they are not the best performers. The relationships are also something that could be of issue in the other two options. It is unknown that the relationship will maintain if the JV team boat were switched, and it was clear that if individual team members were switched that they did not work well with each other through the initial tests that done by Coach P. Coach P. needs to realize that he needs to stand in front of his team to help influence them to perform better and find ways so that they can work well together. â€Å"Research findings demonstrate that perceived team support significantly influenc es teamwork behavior and trust (Cheih-Wen, Yi-Fang &Ming-Cha, 2010).† Since they do not have trust in their coach at all times, based on discussions that they had when they were pinning their failures on their coach, how can they develop trust in one another? Coach P. has put a lot of pressure on them to be a winning team. Along with that pressure, comes more criticism. Coach P. asked that each of the team members only go to him when they have negative things to say about another team member and the Varsity team would email him on a consistent basis. Open and honest communication is extremely important when building trust with one another and if Coach P. is only asking his team to come to him with negative comments, this is not endorsing an open and honest line of communication (Byrne 1999). It does not seem that the Varsity team was able to build any personal connections. Learning what one another has in common on a personal level rather than just a competitive level could help with building that trust (Abrams, Cross, Lesser & Levin 2003). If Coach P. would help with facilitating more personal relationships, they may learn to work well together, even possibly quickly. The process of teamwork â€Å"requires spending time together as a team and making that time enjoyable. By coaching, training together, establishing common goals†¦and having fun together† teams can accomplish a lot together (Byrne, 1999). They need to find something that is fun to do rather than just concentrate on the seriousness of competition. Personal connections  can help develop a care for one another and also more approachable when there are more serious issues that are needed to be discussed (Abrams, Cross, Lesser and Levin, 2003). If the Varsity team is able to laugh together, they will be able to communicate on a more positive level and develop teamwork. In the future, Coach P. should focus developing personal connections with his team earlier on. They will develop trust and positive teamwork that will translate onto the water where they can be more in synch. Conclusion The Varsity Army Crew team did not know how to work well together as a team albeit they were great performers individually. They were not able to beat the JV team, who exhibited a great amount of teamwork even though they were not as strong performers individually. The varsity team was too critical of one another and had no personal connection. After evaluating several options as to what Coach P. should do days before the National Championships, it was determined that he should try to work things out with the Varsity team so that they could work together more cohesively. If they are able to work together as a team, their outstanding strength, endurance and technique should translate to success as a winning team.