Management

Dissertation Objectives The working title of the proposed study is ‘Management-Employee Misalignment Performance implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry.’Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The general aim of the proposed study will be to critically evaluate how the U.S. steel manufacturing industries can benefit, productively, by aligning their overall management and business strategies to the needs and expectations of employees working in the sector, hence maintain competitive advantage. The following will form the specific objectives: Critically evaluate the sources of management-employee misalignment within the industry; Critically evaluate the performance implications occasioned by management-employee misalignme nt within the industry; Critically evaluate the industry’s best practices in encouraging and maintaining management-employee alignment to boost performance and profitability; and Analyze and report on probable alternatives that could by used in the U.S. steel production industry to effectively link management strategies to employee needs and expectations from a human resource perspective. The proposed study will be guided by the following research questions: What organizational methodologies can stakeholders in the U.S. steel production industry use to effectively align management strategies to the current needs and expectations of employees? What are the broad implications of using organizational frameworks that contribute to management-employment misalignment in the U.S. steel production industry? What are the perceived and real benefits of introducing a framework that will enhance management-employee alignment in the U.S. steel production industry? Methodology The propo sed study will employ a quantitative research design to critically evaluate the performance implications of management-employee misalignment in the U.S. steel production industry. As Hopkins (2000) observes, most quantitative studies are principally concerned with evaluating the correlation between independent and dependent variables, and are either descriptive or experimental. In this regard, a quantitative study will best serve the interests of the proposed study by offering a workable framework through which management-employee misalignment can be correlated to performance implications. The proposed study will be descriptive in nature because subjects earmarked for the study will be measured once (Sekaran, 2006). Primary data will be collected using self-administered questionnaires in a survey approach since the researcher is primarily interested in descriptive assessment of the relationship between management-employee misalignments on the one hand and performance implications on the other. In this perspective, a pilot study will be carried out before the commencement of the research to validate the items included in the questionnaire schedule as well as ensure that they will effectively answer the key research questions. It is imperative to note that the questionnaires will be administered using online protocols.Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondary data for the proposed study will be gathered by means of undertaking a critical review of related literature on the underlying theories and concepts of organizational alignment, the role of human resource departments in ensuring employees needs and demands are positively aligned to management and organizational outcomes, and performance implications triggered by management-employee misalignment. The data collected will then be used to compare the research findings with other previous studies in the field with a view to developing plausible alternatives and recommendations that could be used in the 21st century to form a value-added linkage between management strategies and employee concerns. Patzer (2005) observes that secondary data by way of undertaking a review of current literature does not only avail to the researcher a re-established degree of validity and reliability to the issues under investigation, but it also provides a framework through which the gathered primary data can be objectively ascertained and recommendations made. The population for the proposed study will comprise employees and managers from five steel production companies that will be selected during the piloting stage. The sample, however, will comprise five management-level professionals and 20 employees in each of the five companies, implying that the total sample for the study will comprise 25 management-level professionals and 100 employees. It is imperative to note that management professi onals will be sampled using purposive sampling technique, while the researcher intends to use the human resource departments in each of the selected companies to sample employees using convenience sampling approach. According to Sekaran, participants in a purposive sample are selected based on their deeper understanding of the phenomena under study (in this case, management strategies and how the relate to employee concerns), while subjects in a convenient sample are included in the research framework by virtue of being in the right position at the right time. Quantitative data intended to answer the key research objectives and questions will be collected from the selected companies using two sets of online self-administered questionnaires – one for managers and the other for employees.Advertising We will write a custom dissertation sample on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Lewis-Beck Bryman (2004) observes that administering questionnaires online does not only ensure anonymity and respondent acceptability, but also saves costs and affords the researcher the opportunity to collect huge volumes of data using a flexible design. Questionnaires, on their part, are cost-effective and can be administered with ease, not mentioning that they are effective when the researcher wants to gather confidential data from the subjects (Sekaran, 2006). Feasibility To execute the proposed study, academic resources intended to complete the review of literature will be sourced from scholarly databases, including Academic Search Premier, MasterFILE Premier, and Business Source Premier Databases, among others. The subjects earmarked for this particular study are reasonably likely to be willing to take part in the process since the researcher will take ample time to explain to them the nature and purpose of the study, not mentioning that the researcher will discuss with them their rights, especially the right to informed consent, right to disengage from the research process, right to withhold confidential information, and the right to privacy. These disclosures will most definitely reinforce the subjects’ willingness to participate in the study. In addition, the proposed study will employ an expanded, all-inclusive time-scale (3 months after commencement) to ensure that all elements within the research framework are sufficiently covered. Relation with Existing Published Work The concept of alignment has in recent decades gained an important position in the broad field of strategic management. Venkatraman et al (1989) cited in Schniederjans Cao (2009) had implicitly underlined the significance of aligning business and management preferences with the broader strategies of the organization. Available strategic management literature denotes the importance of aligning business and management strategies with the strengths found within the organization as well as the opportunities and threats prevalent in the external environment (Dubrovski, 2009; Anisomova, 2010; Schniederjans Cao, 2009).Advertising Looking for dissertation on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Indeed, alignment of strategies from a holistic perspective is assumed to be a positive contributor to organizational and business performance, and many studies as demonstrated by Schniederjans Cao (2009) have been conducted to reveal the association between alignment and business performance. To offer a brief contextual background, the proposed study will limit itself to evaluating management-employee misalignment within the U.S. steel production industry. The steel production industry operates under the manufacturing sector, and employment opportunities within the industry continue to diminish despite expanding steel production, in part, due to widespread adoption of more efficient and cost-effective technologies (WorldSteel, 2008). However, the proposed study aims to go past the technical aspects attributed to the diminishing workforce within the industry to evaluate if management concerns, specifically management-employee misalignment, have a role to play and the performance im plications of such a possibility. The steel manufacturing industry, as is the case in other industries, is affected by a multiplicity of internal and external vagrancies, including management-employee misalignment (Tarigan, 2005). The proposed study will therefore seek to assess to what extent this particular variable affects performance within the U.S. steel production industry. According to Schniederjans Cao (2009), â€Å"†¦research on alignment in the operations strategy literature can be classified under two categories: internal fit and external fit† (p. 2536). While citing Skinner’s (1974) definition, the authors’ postulates that internal fit refers to the consistency among organizations tasks, strategies, policies and practices, while external fit focuses on the need for aligning organization-wide strategy with business and corporate stratagems. A manufacturing strategy, for instance, must be consistently aligned with an organization’s busines s strategy for such an organization to make headway in the ever competitive business environment witnessed in the 21st century. But while the study of alignment of business priorities and organizational strategy in the manufacturing sector and its relationship with performance has currently become the focus of much scholarly attention (Tarigan, 2005), few studies have attempted to look at the alignment between business priorities and other functional areas such as human resources, hence the need to undertake the proposed study. An ever increasing number of researchers and practitioners postulate that optimal benefit will accumulate if there is a fit between environmental factors and strategy in diverse contextual modes. Boyer McDermott (1999) cited in Tarigan (2005) found that lack of alignment within the various scopes of the organization has significant effects on performance. Indeed, Tarigan (2005) observes that â€Å"†¦strategy must not only be well-fitted to its competit ive priorities but it also must be communicated and widely understood throughout the manufacturing organization† (p. 586). His view is ingeniously shared by Christiansen Higgs (2008), who argues that the appropriateness of an organization’s strategy must be evaluated under the lens of its fit or congruence with both the environmental and contextual contingencies facing the organization. Boyer and McDermott (1999) cited in Tarigan (2005) posited that strategic consensus aimed at aligning critical organizational and business processes can only be achieved when diverse levels of employees within an organization reaches a well thought out agreement on what is most essential for the organization to succeed. This implies that employees form a critical component in the alignment debate and should be involved at all levels to trigger sustained performance. However, Kennedy (2004) argues that some management strategies found in many firms either ignore or half-heartedly embrace employee needs and broader HR initiatives, especially in training and development, compensation and benefits, performance and appraisal, staff planning, retention, and other challenges prevalent in today’s marketplace. The proposed study, therefore, will seek to come up with alternatives and best practices that can be used by organizations in general and steel production companies in particular to bring employees onboard while formulating critical management strategies and priorities. Such information will inarguably consolidate management-employee alignment. In his study on how ‘business strategy and HR strategy can impact performance’, Tarigan (2005) hypothesizes that the level of alignment of HR strategy and business strategy will obviously have a direct impact on organizational outcomes. Companies, especially those operating in the manufacturing sector, are consistently faced with a myriad of challenges, including overcapacity, low profit margins and intense competition (Nickerson Silverman, 2003). Khatri et al (n.d.) notes that to effectively compete in the face of such and many other challenges, organizations need to be more attuned to their employee relationships and discover options of creating employee satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. One of the ways that this can be achieved, according to Kennedy (2004), is by aligning management strategies and priorities to employee needs, expectations, demands and value prepositions. However, Dubrovski (2009) counteracts that many managers, instead of striving to find a common ground that is essential to involve employees in critical decision making processes especially in issues concerning their own interests, continue to make management mistakes that cause further misalignment of organizational goals and objectives. The proposed study will therefore also aim to extend on the current knowledge of how such management mistakes can be prevented to enhance management-employee alignment and b oost performance. According to Macaleer Jones (2003), organization development professionals and theorists have for a long time â€Å"†¦maintained that improvement in business performance is directly tied to good human resource planning and closely linking this plan to strategic objectives† (p. 15). Failure to align the two, as observed by Tumwesigye (2010), only leads to employee turnover, which unfortunately bears direct and indirect costs such as recruitment and selection costs, lost productivity, reduction in morale among remaining staff, costs associated with training and orienting new members of staff, and work overload, among others. Rand (1999) add to the discussion by suggesting that most organizations fail to perform because management does not have an effective capacity to run and control the business, including aligning human resource strategies to the overall business strategy. The above assertions adds propensity for the need to undertake the proposed stud y so as to come with viable ways which can be ingeniously used to align management practices to the needs and expectations of employees from a human resource perspective. Justification for Selecting the Topic This particular study, more than anything else, will seek to offer tenable alternatives that companies operating in the steel production industry can use to align management practices with the needs, demands and expectations of their employees. In addition, Tarigan (2005) observes that few studies have ever focussed on strategy alignment and reinforcement in a manufacturing setting. In this perspective, the proposed study will go a long way to extend on the current knowledge, especially on how management mistakes can be prevented with an aim to not only enhance management-employee alignment, but to also boost productivity. The current competitive business environment demands organizations to do everything within their reach so as to remain profitable while maintaining a competi tive advantage (Thompson Heron, 2005). Facilitating management-employee alignment is certainly one of the choices that organizations have in ensuring that they remain competitive. The reasons stated above informed the justification to select this particular topic. List of References Anisomova, T (2010). Corporate Brand: The Company-Customer Misalignment and its Performance Implications. Journal of Brand Management, Vol. 17, Issue 7, pp 488-503. Christiansen, L.C., Higgs, M (2008). How the Alignment of Business Strategy and HR Strategy can Impact Performance: A Practical Insight for Managers. Journal of General Management, Vol. 33, Issue 4, pp 13-33. Dubrovski, D (2009). Management Mistakes as Causes of Corporate Crises: Managerial Implications for Countries for Countries in Transition. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, Vol. 20, Issue 1, pp. 39-59. Hopkins, W.G (2000). Quantitative Research Design. Web. Kennedy, E (2004). Bridging the Gap between Company and Employees. Women in Business, Vol. 56, Issue 3, pp. 10-15. Khatri, N., Budwar, P., Fern, C.T (n.d.). Employee Turnover: Bad Attitude or Poor Management? Web. Lewis-Beck, M.S.., Bryman, A (2004). The Sage Encyclopedia of Social Sciences Research Methods, Volume 3. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Macaleer, B., Shannon, J (2003). Does HR Planning improve Business Performance? Industrial Management, Vol. 45, Issue 1, pp 15-29. Nickerson, J.A., Silverman, B.S (2003). Why Firms want to Organize Efficiently and what keeps them from doing so: Inappropriate Governance, Performance and Adaptation in a Deregulated Industry. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48, Issue 3, pp 433-465. Patzer, G.L (1995). Using Secondary Data in Marketing Research: United Sates and Worldwide. Westport, CT: Quorum Books. Rand, T (1999). Why Businesses Fail: An Organizational Perspective. Emergence, Vol. 1, Issue 4, pp 97- 114. Schniederjans, M., Cao, Q (2009). Alignment of Operations Strategy, Informatio n Strategic Orientation, and Performance: An Empirical Study. International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 47, Issue 10, pp. 2535-2563. Sekaran, U (2006). Research Methods for Business: A Skill Building Approach. Bombay: Wiley-India. Tarigan, R (2005). An Evaluation of the Relationship between Alignment of Strategic Priorities and Manufacturing Performance. International Journal of Management, Vol. 22, Issue 4, pp 586-597. Thompson, M., Heron, P (2005). Management Capability and High Performance Work Organization. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16, Issue 6, pp 1029-1048. Tumwesigye, G (2010). The relationship between Perceived Organizational Support and Turnover Intentions in a Developing Country: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment. African Journal of Business Management, Vol. 4, Issue 6, pp 942-952. WorldSteel Association. (2008). Working in the Steel Industry. Web. This dissertation on Management-Employee Misalignment Performance Implications: An Empirical Study of the U.S. Steel Production Industry was written and submitted by user Kailyn Phillips 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.

East Of Eden Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays

East Of Eden Essays - English-language Films, Free Essays East Of Eden Clinging together in the face of lonliness and alienation, George and Lennie desperately seek to escape their poverty, and strive to transform their chimerical dream into a reality. This heartfelt dream is what sets George and Lennie aside from the other men, yet ironically it is so easily shattered. Throughout the book Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck, copious comparisons to animals are stated, signifying that their antagonistic way of life was not suitable for humans; This animal imagery helps elucidate the somewhat abstract ideals and character traits present in the text. Lennies demeanor is compared to many animals, Lennies death is compared to the death of Curlys dog, and even the end of Georges and Lennies dream is represented by a heron and the snake. To thoroughly describe Lennies bizarre disposition, Steinbeck compares him to a bear, horse, terrier, and a bull. Large and capable of violence, yet clueless and tender like a bear Lennie is totally unpredictable at times. Lennie is also similar to a bear in that his hands are huge like bear paws, and in the closing of the story he is said to Creep as silently as a bear would. Snorting into the water, Lennie reminds George of a horse. Similarly to how Lennie is compared to bear, he is said to be as strong as a bull; Lennie is also reluctant like a terrier who does not want to bring a ball to his master, but Lennie finally gives George his mouse. The brilliantly cryptic foreshadowing of Lennies death is told through the shooting of Candys dog. Candys dog is old and is not useful any more, so therefore the men in the bunk house want to dispose of him. Forcing the reluctant Candy to let them kill his dog was an arduous task, but the insistent nagging finally makes Candy capitulate his o ld dog to them. The dog is not only unsuspecting, but also helpless to the bullet that passes through the base of his skull killing him in an instant though without pain. Analogously Lennie is killed the same way, and even though George is reluctant, he knows that it is his obligation kill Lennie. Probably the most tragic point in the story is the realization that George and Lennies dream will not come true. A little snake slithering in the pool of water, totally unsuspecting his fate, is suddenly swallowed by a heron looking to satisfy his hunger. Curlys wife is searching to satisfy her hunger for someone to converse with, someone who will listen to her stories and to commiserate with her. She causes Lennie to break her neck, which ends Lennies life, and suddenly shatters his, Georges, Candys, and Crooks dream. These examples of animal imagery help illustrate John Steinbecks message, and define the present theme. The characters in the book posses many eclectic characteristics which make correspond to certain animals. This tragic story possesses a certain clandestine message, and it can be interpreted in many different ways. The one point that is most obviously stated is that being different is not easy, and that some people are not meant to exist on this Earth. Another conspicuous notion is that dreams should be guarded strongly, because as hastily as you conceived them they could be snatched from you without clemency. Bibliography The book Of mice and men.

How was the plot to kill president Garfield created and carried out Essay

How was the plot to kill president Garfield created and carried out Please use specific examples from book - Essay Example He had a very high means of opining about himself. He felt that he deserved to get a very powerful job in United States, and James Garfield was in the best position to offer him that job (Millard 2012). However, the president did not offer him his wish; so he plotted to assassinate him. Charles Guiteau was a republican like James Garfield and Ulysses Grant. Prior to the elections of 1880, James Garfield and Ulysses Grant were running for the presidency and James Garfield won the Republican nomination to face Democrat Winfield S. Hancock in the general elections. Guiteau had engaged in several ventures before joining politics. He then supported the Republican presidential candidate James Garfield after his favourite Stalwart candidate Ulysses Grant lost in the nomination. Stalwart was a Republican faction allied to the former president Ulysses Grant. The other faction was Half-Breeds led by President Garfield. The vice president Arthur who later took over as president after the assassination of President Grant was a Stalwart. Guiteau wrote a speech called Grant vs. Hancock which he later changed to Garfield vs. Hancock in support of Garfield (Millard 2012). He later said that his intention was to unite the two factions of the Republican Party; and one of the reasons why he murdered the president is because he thought it was the best way to resolve the divisions in the Republican Party which, according to him, were caused by President Garfield. With these political sacrifices he made, Charles Guiteau hoped that the Republican government would offer him a good job. He aimed at a diplomatic post in Vienna, and later asked for the same position in Paris. During the 1880 campaign he was all over the Republican headquarters in New York City seeking rewards for his efforts which he believed to have caused the narrow win of Garfield over Hancock. Later after the inauguration of Garfield in March 5, 1881, he went to the White House in Washington and

History of Western Civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

History of Western Civilization - Essay Example The description of the building of Nazi power is one of the main contributions of the book, specifically by showing how the Germans were interested in the desire for change. This began specifically with the post World War I mentality, specifically which came from the Versailles Treaty. From this treaty, most in Germany believed that they were losing a sense of Germany and the political rights that were needed for the country. Being able to regain the ruins of World War I and the battles that were still occurring from the treaty that was not desired was the main political justification that was noted. When the Nazi Regime began to establish, it was justified as a way to keep the patriotism of the country alive and to create a better initiative to rebuild the country in a way that would benefit all that were in Germany at the time. When the political regime began to take over, the attacks were on the movement against the Communist regime. This ideal was one in which most Germans didnâ €™t believe in and which found to be a way to lose freedom and rights. The attacks made politically were ones which initially most Germans opposed, which allowed them to gain an understanding and insight into the politics, while giving support to the Nazi power. After the political regime continued to grow, those that were involved with the movement recognized that there were also attacks on socialism; however, like the Communist approach, most didn’t oppose these beliefs. When the Nazi party came into full effect, the Nazis that supported the opposition to the other political regimes were in a position where they had to politically support the dictatorship which had arisen. â€Å"When the Nazis attacked the Communists, he was a little uneasy, but, after all, he was not a Communist, and so he did nothing; and then they attacked the socialists, and he was a little uneasier, but still, he was not a socialist, and he did nothing; and then the schools, the press, the Jews, a nd so on, and he was always uneasier, but still he did nothing† (Mayer, pg. 169). These quotes show how the Nazi regime initially didn’t have the connection in beliefs, making those involved in politics to continue to support what was occurring as a better alternative. By the time the attacks moved into the war, it was too late for the Nazis to go against the political power. If this was done, then the movement against the patriotic movement would have led to the individual being attacked or dead. The establishment of the Nazi power not only had the agenda of building the political system. There were also promises and beliefs that were based on rebuilding the cultural and economic status of the country. The treaty and the loss of World War I had led to downfalls within the country as well as with global relations. The suffering that Germany was going through led them to believe that grabbing onto a new order and way of working within politics would lead Germany back to a better system. The economic status, through this new order, could help to strengthen Germany. More important, the order worked culturally, specifically because it built national pride and the ability to be a part of Germany. The cultural and economic affiliations combined to create a rebuilding of Germany and to ensure that there was a different way in which Germany could begin to recount for the current losses. As the regime began to grow, Nazis began to

Hydrogen Peroxide and iodine ions Essay Example for Free

Hydrogen Peroxide and iodine ions Essay The reason for the blue-black complex is due to the formation of polyiodide chains during the reaction between starch and iodine. The amylose in starch forms helices with which the iodine molecules align, causing a transfer of charge. This charge transfer corresponds to the absorption spectrum, in which the blue-black colour is the complementary colour. The details of this reaction are not fully known yet. The strength and deepness of the colour is dependent on the amount of amylose present. 3The rate of the reaction can be explained by the collision theory, which shows that the rate can be altered by4: concentrations, pressure, temperature, intensity of radiation, particle size, surface area and a catalyst. In this experiment I will be looking at concentrations, temperatures and the affect of a catalyst. The collision theory also states a reaction will only take place if threeconditions are met: 1. Reactant particles collide with each other The reactant particles must collide with the correct orientation. 3. The collision must provide enough energy to overcome the activation energy. 2This is due to the fact, if particles collide but are not orientated correctly the molecules will just bounce of each other, this is often due to charge of the molecules which causes repulsion if the orientation is incorrect. If particles collide with the correct orientation, they must collide with a minimum energy otherwise they will just bounce of each other. The activation energy is used to break some of the original bonds, which is essential for a reaction to occur. The activation energy is this minimum energy and can be shown on an energy profile. We can see from the below graphs how in an endothermic reaction the energy of the reactants is lower than the energy of the products, this is why it absorbs heat. Whereas an exothermic reaction will give out heat as the reactants have a higher energy than the products. 2The activation energy can be marked on the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve. The Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution refers directly to gases, however the principles can be taken and applied to liquid reactions also. 5The area underneath the curve represents the different particles and their level of energy. Only the particles that have energy higher than the activation energy will undergo a reaction. We can see that the kinetic energy of a molecule can never be zero, but theoretically can be ever increasing, as there is no defined maximum energy value. You can then change the shape of the curve or move the activation energy in order to increase the number of collisions that overcome the activation enthalpy. Changing certain variables can do this, which is what will be done in this experiment. 6 7 The first variable I will be varying is concentration of the different reactants; I will be using 5 different concentrations for each reactant. Increasing the concentration of a reactant means that there are a higher proportion of particles per unit volume. This then causes the rate of reaction to increase because particles have a higher chance of colliding  with sufficient kinetic energy to cause a reaction. 8By varying the concentration of each reactant it allows me to calculate the order of the reaction, by investigating their effects. By finding the order I can then calculate the rate constant and rate equation. As shown above the majority if the percentage errors are minimal, however we can see the largest error was that of the colourimeter which came to 7.14%. Unfortunately there is little that can be done to prevent this, as the reading is so small. I ensured the same colourimeter was used each time, to eliminate as much error as possible. In replacement of the thermometer, a digital thermometer could be used to gain a more accurate reading of the temperature, as the precision error for it is  ±0.05 °C. Other than this the equipment used was well chosen as it gave the smallest amount of error possible. The investigation was accurate as most of the percentage errors are very low and mostly insignificant. Other errors are likely to be that the room temperature varied between 19 and 23 degrees C, throughout the experiment on a day-to-day basis, a factor out of my control, therefore this would have affected the rate constant. To reduce this error and improve the experiment, each experiment could be done in a thermostatically controlled water bath. After looking at the published data of the activation enthalpy for a non catalysed, I can see my experiment is reliable as the value I got was only 5.794 KJ mol-1 off the actual activation enthalpy, however in order  to be able to fully justify my findings I would need to repeat each experiment numerous times, a minimum of three, to then allow me to calculate an average and to disregard any anomalous data. As each experiment was only conducted once, it could be that all the data is anomalous. By using two different methods at looking at how concentration affects the rate of reaction, my results are more reliable as both methods back each other up. To improve this aspect of the investigation I would use more and a wider variety of concentrations of each reactant, during the colourimetery, as only two concentrations of each were used. The main reason for this was the time allocated to this aspect of the investigation, as each run of colourimetery took around 25 minutes. To improve and investigate further into this experiment I would create a calibrate curve through the colourimeter by making up solutions of the coloured substance of known concentration, then measuring the absorbance of each, ensuring to use the same conditions as the experiment will be done as. The graph of absorbance against concentration will give your calibration curve. This would then allow me to see how much iodine was produced at each stage of the reaction. Allowing me to closely monitor the rate of reaction. A limitation of my experiment would be the catalysed experiment; due to the fact the reaction occurred so rapidly. The human reaction time is only accurate to 0.5 seconds, and in some cases the reaction took only 3 seconds, meaning the percentage error is 16.7%. To look into this particular catalyst further, I would dissolve the catalyst and dilute it to lower the concentration; this may give a longer time period before the blue-black complex forms. You would also be able to investigate if the concentration of catalyst changed the rate of reaction. Another potential way to improve this would be to investigate how different catalysts may affect the reaction and to what extent do they lower the activation enthalpy. A catalyst that could be tried would be ammonium iron sulphate, using the iron (III) ions to catalyse the reaction. Another limitation of the experiment that would have reduced the accuracy would be the fact the blue-black complex forms gradually, therefore it subject able as to when to stop the stopwatch. In order to reduce this error a black cross was marked and the experiment was stopped once the black cross could no loner be seen. However whilst conducting the temperature experiments the reaction was done in test tubes and no cross could be used, to minimise the error the stop clock was stopped immediately at the first sign of the blue-black complex. The final main limitation would be that the conical flask was swirled in order to mix the two solutions. Although best efforts were made to ensure the solutions were swirled evenly in each experiment, it is difficult to control. An improvement would be to use a magnetic stirrer, set at the same speed to ensure the same kinetic energy throughout the solutions, ensuring this did not affect the reaction. As found in the Nuffield Book of Data, I can see that the order of the reaction with respect to H+ ions is dependent on the concentration. To further my investigation it would be interesting to look further into how the concentration of sulphuric acid may cause the order to be either 1 or 0 with respect to the H+ ions. I could then look at the point at which it changed from being zero order to first order. It would then be interesting to see how this affected the activation enthalpy of the experiment. I can conclude my results are accurate and reliable, due to the fact the equipment was chosen with low precision errors and any errors given were too small to have a large impact. This can be backed up by the published data found in the Nuffield Book of Data.

Rate of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid :: Chemistry Coursework Investigation

Rate of Reaction - Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid Aim Investigation, to find out how the rate of reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid is affected by changing the concentration. Introduction I must produce a piece of coursework investigating the rate of reaction, and the effect different changes have on them. The rate of reaction is the rate of loss of a reactant or the rate of development of a product during a chemical reaction. It is measured by dividing 1 by the time taken for the reaction to take place. There is five factors which affect the rate of a reaction, according to the collision theory of reacting particles: temperature, concentration (of solution), pressure (in gases), surface area (of solid reactants), and catalysts. I have chosen to investigate the effect of concentration on the rate reaction. This is because it is the most practical to investigate. Dealing with temperatures is a difficult task especially when we have to keep constant high temperatures. Secondly the rate equation and the constant k changes when the temperature of the reaction changes. We have no gases and solids involved therefore it is easy to deal with solutions. Similarly the use of a catalyst complicates things, and if used incorrectly could alter the outcome of the experiment. The theory behind this experiment is that 'Increasing the concentration can increase the rate of the reaction by increasing the rate of molecular collisions.' GRAPH I will place the reaction mixture on a paper with a black cross-drawn on it. When the cross is completely obscured, the reaction will have finished. The time taken for this to happen is the measure of the rate of reaction. We must do this several times, and change the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate. The rate of reaction is a measure of the change, which happens during a reaction in a single unit of time. The things that affect the rate of reaction are as follows:  · Surface area of the reactants  · Concentration of the reactants  · The temperature at which the reaction is carried out  · Use of a catalyst Reaction equation is mentioned above but rate equation could only be decided by doing experiments. So the following procedure can be used to carry out the experiment. Plan Equipment  · 2 Measuring cylinders  · Beaker  · Stopwatch  · Paper with black cross on it  · Sodium Thiosulphate (different concentrations)  · Hydrochloric acid (same concentration each time)  · Water (different concentrations)  · Pipette Prediction I predict that the greater the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate

Each Man Kills the Thing He Loves Essay

â€Å"It seems to me that we all look at Nature too much, and live with her too little† This quote provides a philosophical insight into the main theme I will explore within my chosen poems. Nature is defined as the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations. However this simply states that nature and humans are opposites, and one opposes the other. The poems I have chosen question this definition of nature and put it to humankind to answer the question, are we one with nature, or merely manipulating it to our own advantage, giving little back to our heritage? Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ explores our own humanity and how easily two conflicting emotions become each other; whilst Charlotte Mew’s ‘The Trees Are Down’ examines human ignorance and through use of language she unravels the ever changing connections with nature. However it is Lawrence’s ‘The Snake’ that uses strong imagery to portray humankind in all its shapes and forms, forever changing. These three poems utilize a series of techniques that bring forth a common phrase we are what we hate, kill and love, which ultimately contributes to a universal relevance, the main idea I will be focusing on, ‘each man kills the thing he loves’. Oscar Wilde is considered a gifted author, playwright and poet of the nineteenth century. He was intimately involved in the up rise of aestheticism, a philosophy of nature and expression of beauty; Wilde expanded the narrow-mindedness of the Victorian Era, ultimately bringing a new light to society. ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’, a semi autobiography, is considered the most seminal and serious of all Wilde’s works. However it is after being accused of homosexual offences, by his lover’s father, and further incarcerated at Reading Gaol that Wilde’s writing took a more melancholic approach. After serving his two years of hard labour, Wilde then moved to France, and was in ‘penniless exile’ It was in his last remaining years that Wilde produced two extremely heart felt pieces of work; De Profundis, a Latin term for ‘from the depths’, was an epistle addressed to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, and recounted his lifestyle of extravagance and love, within the first half. In the second part the text looks into his recent experiences, during his time at Reading Gaol, as he comes to terms with his spirituality. The other, ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’, a six ‘cantos’ poem, further subdivided into six lined stanzas, describes his experiences of loneliness and death, whilst incarcerated at Reading Gaol. The initial scene of the ballad, ‘He walked amongst the Trial Men, In a suit of shabby grey’, was inspired by the hanging of Charles Thomas Wooldridge, on Saturday 7th July 1896, a thirty year-old man convicted of cutting the throat of his wife. Charlotte Mew was an understated poet, whose works were less recognised, in comparison to Wilde, however she was highly praised by the likes of Siegfried Sassoon and Virginia Woolf. Mew lived a traumatic life, from beginning to end; facing close family deaths and two of her siblings being diagnosed with mental illness. These early experiences affected her future and had major influences on her; beginning with her and her sister Anne making a pact never to marry, in fear of passing on her family’s madness. Additionally Mew had similar sexual orientations as Wilde, attracted to ones own sex, however due to the condemnation of homosexuality, in the nineteenth century, Mew was left with a strong sense of suppression. Her life was extremely stifled by such experiences of death, loneliness and disillusionment and hence reflects these themes within her work. ‘The Trees are Down’ is a six stanza poem, that follows no structured form, merely ranging from one to nine lines, each stanza. The poem is based around the Revelation reference, at the beginning of poem: ‘-and he cries with a loud voice: hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees† and relates this to our society, past, present and future. David Herbert Lawrence, D. H.  Lawrence, was an extremely successful writer and artist. Publishing many plays, novels and volumes of poetry. He lived a very modest life, born in the small mining township of Eastwood, England, in 1885. Lawrence was an outcast, with few friends at school, who didn’t follow in his father’s footsteps of becoming a miner. So Lawrence went on to study, gaining a scholarship at Nottingham High School and then becoming an elementary teacher. However it was after falling in love with his old professor, Earnest Weekely’s, wife, Frieda von Richthofen, that his life was altered. Breaking off his engagement and ending his teaching career, Lawrence developed his writing into a career. ‘Sons and Lovers’ is a semi-autobiographical account of Lawrence’s experiences as a boy, under the name of Paul Morel, who loved his mother and full of hatred for his father. Lawrence wrote this novel after the death of his mother, in 1910, and explores the love of a mother â€Å"As her sons grow up she selects them as lovers–first the eldest, then the second. These sons are urged into life by their reciprocal love of their mother–urged on and on. † All three poets lived extremely different lifestyles, however the common thread between them is the literary period they lived in, the nineteenth century. Wilde’s work, pre-incarceration, was considered extremely lush and light, however post-incarceration it grew sad and he adapted Dark Romanticism into his works. Mew explored Naturalism where the environment controls people, especially in ‘The Trees are Down’, which is similar to the works of Lawrence who combines naturalism with Pre-Raphaelitism, combining literacy with the visual arts, which is seen through his strong imagery. Comparing these three literary movements helps shape each poem, providing a purpose behind the theme of each text. The intent of these poems differ slightly from one another, however all three have embedded the allegory of killing our intimates within their texts. Wilde takes his own personal experiences of loss, and additionally the example of Wooldridge’s own act, to reveal how within love echoes hate and vice versa. Mew, who’s poem seems completely ahead of her time, exposes the ignorance of the human race. This exposure of human’s prejudice towards nature is again echoed within Lawrence’s poem through the line ‘my education said†¦ he must be killed’. The common purpose within these texts is the exposure of human’s ignorance and how inevitable it is. Lord Alfred Douglas’s father took Wilde to court for alleged homosexuality and this life altering moment in Wilde’s life is easily identified within the poem ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’. However Wilde carefully entwines Wooldridge’s own attempt of ‘killing the thing he loved’ within his own story to expose the wider occurrence of this tragedy. It is questioned whether or not Wilde came up with this statement or whether it is a nod to Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice when Bassanio asks ‘Do all men kill the things they do not love? ’ Wilde is well known for his stimulating epigrams, yet this phrase seems to generate a metaphor for life and although not a question, like in Merchant of Venice, Wilde questions the similarities of love and hatred. When searching the word ‘love’ up on Thesaurus. com it provides a list of antonyms, including ‘hatred’, and vice-versa and yet here we see Wilde placing the two, opposing verbs, hand in hand. Wilde’s underlying purpose within ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ is not to recount his experiences at Reading, but what Wilde is really looking for is the mode of interaction in which love and hatred are one and indivisible, in which the bitterness is an expression of the admiration. Written in the nineteenth century Mew’s poem, ‘The Trees are Down’, was completely ahead of its time and in today’s society is seen as an empowering demonstration of humanity’s destructive ignorance. Using the line from the revelation Mew makes deep connections with the past and by examining her present looks into the future of what is to come, what is now extremely relevant. The purpose of this is to reveal society’s destructive nature and speak out against the destruction of our heritage as ‘half my life it has beat with’. Lawrence examines prejudices of the human race towards animals, within the poem, ‘The Snake’, and how we accept the words fed to us in an alleged ‘education’. However the irony of it all is that we are one with the Snake and this is what Lawrence was trying to achieve. Describing the snake drinking from trough as if ‘he’ is a person, the same as the narrator, then ‘he’ looks up ‘just like cattle do’. Lawrence’s connections across the animal kingdom; man, snake and cattle alike, break down the barriers of humans vs. animals, generating a scene of equality. However it is once the narrator’s ‘voice of†¦ education’ convinces him otherwise, his face becomes humanity; fearful and paranoid. Each text focuses on humanity and from here branches off the love-hate, ignorance and prejudices of the human race. Wilde highlights the correlations between love and hatred we express towards one another, Mew exemplifies humanity losing touch with their heritage, whilst Lawrence’s reveals the irony within humankind’s prejudices. In all three cases the writer is attempting to exemplify how two effects, wildly different, grow closer together, reciprocating off one another, or how two objects, scientifically/emotionally tied together can push one another away.