Marketing and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing and Strategy - Essay Example Adaptation is essential to an organization's survival in today’s unreceptive business environment. Marketers need to understand what is at the heart of their consumer offering and stay one-step ahead of the competition in terms of delivering it. It is quite evident that with increased globalization and improved technology, there are constant key emerging trends in marketing which are also changing various consumer needs. Marketing is defined as the conceptualization ad delivery of great customer satisfaction. According to Kaplan and Michael (2010), customers are no longer viewed as members of passive audiences rather they are now active participants in marketing processes. Marketing and marketing communication are changing daily. These changes offer a new wave of communication channels to both new and existing markets, which were not evident in the past decade within organizations. Clearly, there have been significant evidence on shift of focus and budget resources allocation into interactive online marketing which is facilitated with increase use of internet. Based on organizational changes across the globe, new theories of marketing have been largely developed such as electronic, social, and environmental and network marketing. These changes in marketing presume changes within consumers’ behaviors and transition towards electronic marketing (Kaplan and Michael 2010). Technology is changing the world past acknowledgment and consumer potential are evolving with it. No industry can afford to rest on its success. In this tough economic climate, small changes are not always enough to sustain a competitive advantage. New marketing models and fresh approaches to customer problems need to emerge rapidly to stay ahead of the competition. Today, the internet is considered one of the biggest forums. Kaplan and Michael (2010) assert that, there is a new change in marketing where marketers have turned to internet to facilitate their marketing processes. Many marketers have resulted to internet marketing for their business regardless of the kind of business being operated. Internet allows customers to review and purchases an organization product and services regardless on which part of the world they are in. customers are able to access company’s website purchase a commodity or service as well as refer a company to other at the comfort of their homes. Anderson and Narus (2004) maintain that, the use of internet is viewed as a holistic marketing, which has become today platform. Here, holistic marketing widely combines traditional marketing with new computer and digital capabilities to build long term and mutual satisfying relationship between the company and its customers. A good example in the adaptation of a holistic marketing process is in Japan where the country engages in u-Japan where information flows freely which facilitated by a network which can be accessed anytime from anywhere. The letter u represents ubiquitous which indicates a time where internet communication plays a major role in marketing linking both consumers and company (Anderson and Narus 2004). Further, based on online marketing marketers have engaged the use of email newsletters to keep in touch with their customers as opposed to traditional method of designing catalogues and brochures. Dwyer and Tanner (2006) assert that, email newsletters are considered as the method, which displays return on investment (ROI) in internet marketing. For example, markets are using full service providers, which are known to create content as well as designing the marketing layout and later send out organizational newsletters. In addition, online marketing have resulted to two new kinds of resellers namely; infomediaries and metamediaries (Dwyer and Tanner 2006). Infomediaries are web pages such as Google and Yahoo that acts as brokers in today’s marketing world. Metamediaries are companies that possess robust internet

How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Example for Free

How the cell phone has affected the classroom Essay Mobile technology is said to have been around for quite sometime. But in the past it used to be costly and came in the form of a car phone. â€Å"Cell phones connect friends and families. In a moment, across the country or oversees a parent can call his son to see whether he is doing all right† (Armbrustor-Sandoval, p. 64). Businessmen can make their business deals and get everything done when they are away from their offices. Students at school communicate frequently, and this is a case of concern to the administrators. The government has also come in and has considered whether to ban cell phones in schools or not. For sure this instant method of communication has its drawbacks. Cell phones are said to help in interpersonal relationships. According to some people, â€Å"text messages, a popular phone feature has affected the English language† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"That is abbreviated messages. The use of vowels has also been affected† (Silin, 1999, p. 20). All the same the cell phones make a big difference in the way people communicate they have increased communication even in schools. The students have taken advantage of the prices of the current cell phones and have forced their parents to buy for them. They have tried to learn the use of these cell phones even as early as fourteen years. For sure parents cannot see anything wrong with buying their children phones and yet they are nowadays affordable by almost everybody. . There is nothing wrong with technology but it normally comes with its disadvantages. However, there are some students who acquire cell phones through peer pressure. When they see their schoolmates with cell phones they also tend to force their parents to buy for them. As such most students if not all have cell phones. They use them even in the classroom. (Silin, 1999, p. 50) The use of cell phones by students normally go undetected especially when the student in question put the cell phone in vibrator then when he gets a call, he pretends to be going for a cell of nature and yet his main aim is to receive the call. It shows that most students do not concentrate in class when the teacher is teaching. The idea has to a good extend made some teachers propose the idea of banning cell phones in schools. Is the idea of banning cell phones in schools a good idea? (Silin, 1999, p. 74) It should be a good idea. If before cell phones came in plenty teachers and students were able to survive without them. What will have changed if they are banned? Or if they should not be banned then the students should always turn them off when in the classrooms and use them where appropriate. But it is hard to abide by the rules. Some may turn them off but there is always that one student who does not care and will always leave his phone on. If cell phones are to be banned in schools let them be banned. Schools are places of education. They are not to be taken as pubs or nightclubs. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 119) Since it has already been argued that the cell phones tend to affect the use of English language, then students will better not be allowed to use them. This message ought to be emphasized to parents not to allow their children to use cell phones. But it will be hard for parents to assume that their children do not use the cell phones, because these cell phones are everywhere (Luke, 2005, p. 86). However, there are some parents who cannot allow their children not to use cell phones. These are normally permissive parents. They will do anything to protect the freedom of their children, even if it means suing the government. So the idea of banning phones in schools is an idea, which should be handled with care. Flexibility is needed on the side of teachers. Also flexibility is needed on the side of the government. There are some parents, who can claim that their children are very responsible, and they know when to put on or put off the cell phone and so they should be allowed to use cell phones even in schools. As such to them the most important thing is for parents to take enough time and teach their children proper use of the cell phone since it ought to be the responsibility of parents to do so. Such parents can go to any length to ensure the freedom and rights of their children are protected. So it is better before the government thinks of banning cell phones in schools, it should first of all think of not allowing technology invent these cell phones (Fretcher, 2000, p. 69). The phones are already with us, and so we have no otherwise but to use them, anywhere, any place. If cell phones are then to be banned from schools, it can sound as if they would have better not have been invented at all. Because children are future users of these important gadgets, it is hard for all parents to agree with the school administration or with the government. Then unless the government thinks of a better way of doing about the presence of cell phones in schools then it will better forget the whole thing. (Foust, Soukup, 2006, p. 240) â€Å"Teenagers have learned to heavily rely on cell phones. † (Armbrustor-Sandoval, 2005, p. 71) But this case shows that in some cases they go to an extend of using them in exam cheating. This is really a serious issue, and it is why the government is contemplating banning cell phones in schools. The case has also extended to include campuses. Banning cell phones is a good idea but some exceptions should be allowed. Cell phones can be used in reporting emergencies. However, the issue of exam cheating is very serious indeed, and should therefore be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Let the government think seriously about it before it is too late. It should not be a matter of allowing students to use their brains when having cell phones, but it should be ensuring that students use their brains in the examinations and nothing else. The use of cell phones is said to â€Å"hinder face – to – face communication†. (Fretcher, 2000, p. 65). So the use of cell phones should in a way generally be discouraged even to other users. It is stupid to rely on cell phone to cheat in exams instead of using brains. It is also not good to destroy over good norms, which have brought us to this present moment. Technologies should do something about these cell phones. It means students should be discouraged to use them and also other general users should be discouraged to use them as well. There are many other cases, which show that teenagers are not the only people who abuse the use of cell phones. There are many cases, which concern adults who abuse the use of cell phones. It is then stupid for teachers and government to find a convenient way of just putting things in one category and try to solve them. It is better for people to be taught how to be accountable. The government has a responsibility of educating the public (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p. 100). This issue in question should not be allowed to get out of hand. If the parents can not take control of their children then the government should try. Kids have rights to their possessions, and so is everyone else. Let the authorities concerned think hard about the cell phones. Let the issue at hand be handled without discrimination. Banning the cell phones completely is not a good idea. Banning them in schools only is not a good idea either. (Trackson, Lyons, 2004, p127). At the university everyone has a cell phone. Let the kids learn early enough how to use them. The government and the teachers should use common sense. But common sense is not common to everyone. So let the concerned authorities address this issue soberly. â€Å"Scientists should use technology properly and give us better cell phones. They should give us better gadgets which do not interfere with communication in any way. † (Luke, 2005, p. 217) They should give us gadgets which do not cause problems with the use of English language; cell phones which are as perfect as possible. Where there is a will here is a way. Something can still be done. Rules should be made in both schools and public places; rules which instruct how to use phones properly. As such the complaints about the use of cell phones will be minimized. There are people who can argue that some rules are meant to be broken. They can even go to an extend of pinpointing such rules which govern the use of phones in both schools and public places. As such any attempt to ban cell phones is not likely to materialize. What the authorities should do is to try their level best and get a better way. There are parents who take pride at buying their children anything they want. It is very hard to control such parents. They have real love for their children. They want their children to feel loved always. They can say and at the same time argue that it is only a few who have corrupted the use of cell phones and so the majority should not be sacrificed because of just the mistakes of the few people. One of the best ways of handling cell phones in schools is to situate cell phone jammar. This jammar should only be turned off during lunch hour. Jammers are already in use in some places in the United States. Let the government think better. It can always handle these cases (Silin, 1999, p. 348). Cell phones have now got a wide use. Everyone including students needs them; however the idea of using cell phones to cheat in exams is a very serious offense. Let students have their freedom but this freedom should be checked. It is important to have freedom but absolute freedom destroys absolutely. Let democracy prevail but the kind of democracy that is reasonable and useful. In a way when you consider whether students need cell phones while at school or not, the whole idea can sound absurd. Students go to school to learn not to use phones. They cheat with the phones, and so parents should not allow this. Let parents help teachers to fight this tendency, which is now already a habit. Cell phones should be banned in schools (Luke, 2005, p. 139). The government and teachers should act tough and try to make the issue of students using cell phones in schools a past tense. But has the cell phone really affected the classroom? Should the use of cell phones be banned in schools? Work Cited Armbrustor-Sandoval, R (2005):Is Another World possible? Is another classroom possible? Radical pedagogy. Activity and social change; social justice, vol. 32 Foust, R. C. , Soukup, C. (2006); Do I Exist? Transcendent subject and secrets in the sixth sense; Western Journal of communication, Vol. 70.

Psychotherapy Essay -- Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

My preferred theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The main assumption of CBT is that events and situations in life do not cause emotional problems (e.g., guilt or depression); rather problems are a by-product irrational beliefs and perceptions about the situations (Corey, 2009). The goals of CBT focus on correcting the client’s automatic and self-defeating thoughts, which should ultimately help them to develop a more adaptive philosophy of life (Corey, 2009). CBT focuses on putting insight into action, so by creating insight and changing thoughts the client should be able to understand and modify their behaviors and emotions. I like that this approach focuses on challenging and changing the client’s cognitive distortions, core beliefs, automatic thoughts, and schemas. Another positive aspect is that this approach focuses on the cognitive triad, which consists of how one views the self, the world, and the future (Corey, 2009). Furthermore, CBT places responsibility on the individual to take an active role and make the changes to their thoughts and behaviors, both in and out of the therapy sessions (Corey, 2009). In order to bring about change, the client needs to understand that the primary source of difficulty lies in their belief system and how they perceive events (Kellogg & Young, 2008). CBT has manualized treatment techniques, is short-term, and teaches the client skills to change their thoughts or beliefs in the future (Kellogg &Young, 2008). CBT is open to using techniques from other approaches that fit the needs of the client, and the empirically validated techniques of CBT, when individualized for the client, work well in other approaches (Corey, 2009). Overall, CBT is a structured approach th... ...to aspects of the disorder (Scaturo, 2001). It is rare for a client to come into therapy with only one disorder that has the outlined symptoms of the diagnosis that calls for a particular treatment. Therefore, following the manual stringently may not help the client improve, but making slight deviations depending on the client’s characteristics and circumstances may allow the technique to be successfully adapted and useful for the individual. It is also likely that clinical psychologist add their own individual preferences to therapy no matter what therapeutic approach or technique they use (Scaturo, 2001). A balance between the use of manualized treatments and clinical judgment to formulate the case conceptualization need to be used in order to gather enough information on the client to successfully use any necessary treatment techniques (Craske & Zucker, 2001). Psychotherapy Essay -- Psychology, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy My preferred theoretical orientation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The main assumption of CBT is that events and situations in life do not cause emotional problems (e.g., guilt or depression); rather problems are a by-product irrational beliefs and perceptions about the situations (Corey, 2009). The goals of CBT focus on correcting the client’s automatic and self-defeating thoughts, which should ultimately help them to develop a more adaptive philosophy of life (Corey, 2009). CBT focuses on putting insight into action, so by creating insight and changing thoughts the client should be able to understand and modify their behaviors and emotions. I like that this approach focuses on challenging and changing the client’s cognitive distortions, core beliefs, automatic thoughts, and schemas. Another positive aspect is that this approach focuses on the cognitive triad, which consists of how one views the self, the world, and the future (Corey, 2009). Furthermore, CBT places responsibility on the individual to take an active role and make the changes to their thoughts and behaviors, both in and out of the therapy sessions (Corey, 2009). In order to bring about change, the client needs to understand that the primary source of difficulty lies in their belief system and how they perceive events (Kellogg & Young, 2008). CBT has manualized treatment techniques, is short-term, and teaches the client skills to change their thoughts or beliefs in the future (Kellogg &Young, 2008). CBT is open to using techniques from other approaches that fit the needs of the client, and the empirically validated techniques of CBT, when individualized for the client, work well in other approaches (Corey, 2009). Overall, CBT is a structured approach th... ...to aspects of the disorder (Scaturo, 2001). It is rare for a client to come into therapy with only one disorder that has the outlined symptoms of the diagnosis that calls for a particular treatment. Therefore, following the manual stringently may not help the client improve, but making slight deviations depending on the client’s characteristics and circumstances may allow the technique to be successfully adapted and useful for the individual. It is also likely that clinical psychologist add their own individual preferences to therapy no matter what therapeutic approach or technique they use (Scaturo, 2001). A balance between the use of manualized treatments and clinical judgment to formulate the case conceptualization need to be used in order to gather enough information on the client to successfully use any necessary treatment techniques (Craske & Zucker, 2001).

Home vs. Alone Lfe

The college years are a time of growing independence for every college student. Freshman’s have to make decisions that will change the person they are now and mold them to be the person that they will become after college. During college, students learn to manage their time and practice different methods that make their lives easier. They realize that their decisions can make them suffer because of limitations. This is why some college students have a difficult time deciding whether they want to stay at home with parents or alone.Most students choose to move out so that they can develop their independence and responsibility by being alone in an apartment. Other students select to stay home because the cost of living at home is less expensive for them than the cost of staying alone renting an apartment. Therefore it may seem like staying alone in an apartment has more benefits at first, but in the long run, living at home can have more advantages. The most common reason for stu dents choosing to stay at home is that the cost of living in an apartment is too expensive to handle for someone who has a job that cannot cover the rent.Staying at home gives the student a better opportunity to save more money because a student that stays at home during college has less financial responsibilities. The most major responsibility students in apartments deal with is rent when conversely students that stay at home do not have to pay rent unless their parents ask for it. Even if the students’ parents ask for rent, there is a high chance that the amount that the parents ask for is cheaper than what the student would spend renting their own apartment.Not having to pay a high amount for rent can take a burden off of the student because some students that live alone in an apartment struggle to pay rent. Some students that choose stay in the apartments may first have to pay an expensive security deposit to acquire the apartment. After paying for the security deposit, r ent, and utilities, the student also might also have to pay for cable and Internet access because apartment living does not afford these same luxuries.Students are in charge when they live at their own apartment so they have to be responsible when paying these new bills in their apartment because these bills can help or hurt the student’s credit. For example, when students do not pay their rent and utility bills on time, they can suffer from penalty charges or eviction. Each time the student pays bills on time, they build credit which over time gives them a strong credit rating that can help them to get approved for an auto loan, a house or another purchase they may want to make.Unless the student has bills placed in their name, they do not build credit as much when they live with their parents. Additionally, students generally must sign a lease with their landlord before they rent an apartment. Not only must they pay rent by a certain date, they must also adhere to other ite ms outlined in the lease agreement. For example, if they have a pet, the student is responsible for cleaning up after the pet and ensuring it does not disturb neighbors.Students that live at home also have responsibilities but if they do not complete them due to illness or time constraints, another family member might complete them for the student. For example, if that student is responsible for mowing the lawn and they get ill with the influenza; their parents might mow the lawn for them. When they live in an apartment, they must complete their responsibilities regardless of how they feel or have to work out an alternate arrangement with your landlord.Students living in a house with their parents stress less about food, clothes, and toiletries because the parents may provide these necessities with shelter. Students that stay in apartments most likely have to run errands such as buying clothes, groceries and toiletries for themselves. The student at home also has the benefit of avoi ding the expense of buying furniture, linens and other household items. It is also easier for stay-at-home students to save more when it comes to laundry because students that live in an apartment may have to pay laundry fees to use washing machines and dryers.Unlike stay at home students that have a washer and dryer at home, the students in the apartment may have to travel to a laundry mat every week spending more money just to keep their clothes clean. Students staying at home can save more money also because these students generally do not have to worry about these expenses. Even if the parents do not provide these needs for the student staying with them, there is a better chance that they will help because the student is closer.Living alone may teach students to be more responsible but living at home gives students a better support network from their parents. When living at home the family ensures that the student’s basic need for shelter and security is met. Living alone means that you have more freedom but also that you will have to deal with troubles more by yourself. For example, after a long exhausting day of working, a student can come back home and realize all most everything in their apartment is gone because of forgetting to lock the door.This is horrible thought but this could have been prevented more if the student stayed home. This is less likely to happen for students living with their family because the students’ parents are actually going to be there to remember the student to lock the door or lock the door for them. Living at home with parents, the rule the student lives by is â€Å"As long as you live under my roof, you follow my rules†, so is the advantage of security but disadvantages of less freedom and more rules. When it comes to living at home the student might not get to put their own design style in every room.For instance, over the years, one or more of the parents have probably picked out furniture, carpet an d other decor to suit their tastes. Although the student might have gotten a chance to offer input when it came to choosing a new living room or bedroom suite, their parents likely had the final say. Apartment living allows the student to decorate their living space with furniture that appeals to them. Some apartments also let renters paint so living in their own apartment gives the student the chance to get creative and express themselves in their home.Having their own apartment, the rule the student lives by is â€Å"You pay the cost to be the boss†, so the student can come and go as they please because they make the rules of the house. There is generally no one to tell the student what time to go to bed, get up in the morning or when to clean your home. Their friends can stay over late and the students can choose the forms of entertainment they engage in. For example, they can go out overnight and enjoy pleasant time with companions when they stay alone and that seems to b e tough when living with family.If they were living at home, they would have to ask their parents if friends can come over and stay late. Depending on the parents, the student also might have to arrive home at a certain time of the evening. . Even though living at home with parents mitigates the benefits, such as more independence and responsibilities that students receive when staying alone, it is more beneficial because it helps them transition from high school to college more easy. It is easier for the student to concentrate on our lessons if they are at home because their parents motivate them more.Imagine how the student is disturbed by a group of friends while trying focusing on studies at their own department. It would take a lot more time to have a talk with these friends then the student has to spend hours on concentrating again. The consequence of learning will descend gradually if the student is distracted. In conclusion, besides similarities such as being a stable place to stay, there are thousands of considerable discrepancies between the boundaries of living alone and living with family.I have distinguished which one satisfies the student most in certain periods of time. The choice the student picks will affect every detail of their life, right down to the way you talk, the foods you eat, and how much money you can spend. It will also determine how often the students’ friends visit and how much freedom the student will have. For example, while living under the rule of the parents, the student will have to leave the house in order to socialize and the communication will be short periods of time. Living alone, however, yields much more room for fun because of freedom.

Deontology vs Utilitarianism Essay

The theory of deontology is derived from the writings of German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Kant stated that a universal law should provide the basis for each act, and that the intention was of more importance than the result. Deontology is a duty-based ethical position, where one’s actions are based on what is ethically correct, regardless of the consequences (Porche, 2004). Deontological theories hold that actions are morally right are those in accordance with certain rules and duties, rights or maxims. Actions can be morally obligatory, allowed, or prohibited and consequences do not matter. In deontology intention is relevant. A person is right in acting certain way only if this person acts for the right reason. Examples of deontological rules are Divine Command Theory, Golden Rule, Natural Law and Rights Theories, Kantian Ethics, The Non-Aggression Principle. Deontological theories hold that an action’s rightness or wrongness depends on its conformity to a certain moral norm, regardless of the consequences for example right vs good. According Motta’s opinion listed on web site www. E-how. com, the differences between deontological and utilitarianism is: â€Å"Duty-based ethics are often called deontological and consequentialist ethics are often labeled as utilitarian†. The site further explains that deontological pertains to theory of binding responsibility or duty. Such theories are also called â€Å"a priori† in that they are based upon knowledge gained prior to experience. No concrete lived-through experience is necessary in order to attain these duties deductively from reason. If in deontology intention is more important than the results, Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the locus of right and wrong solely on the outcomes or consequences of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies. As such, it moves beyond the extent of one’s own interests and takes into account the interests of others. In other words consequentialist believe the ends always justify the means, deontologist declare that the rightness of an action is not simply reliant. References http://www.ehow.com/how_2180734_between-dutybased-ethics- resultsoriented-ethics.html

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE CIVIL WAR ITS CONSEQUENCES Book Report

THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE CIVIL WAR ITS CONSEQUENCES Book Report/Review THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE CIVIL WAR & ITS CONSEQUENCES – Book Report/Review Example The Economics of the Civil War September 14, Economics of the civil war, Ch. 13 The civil war that took place in America in mid 19thcentury is well analyzed granting me the opportunity to understand in details the occurrences during that time. Several aspects of the war are tackled in consideration of the thesis and ideas developed by several researchers regarding the war and measures undertaken by the authorities to control the situation. The cold-blooded war that led to the loss of life was attributed to the difference in economies between the southern America and North America. Crucial information by Claudia gives me a chance to understand the property rights that existed in the southern region while regarding the slaves, slave trade and slave valuation. Claudia gives an estimate that the value of slaves during the year 1860 was $2.7billion which was a lot of money during that time (Economics of the civil war 356). Furthermore, the article gives vital details on the level of harm the war caused to the people and economy of America.One major question is well-analyzed in the article. It is a question about what caused the war. Several explanations are given with the general idea of emancipation of slaves leading to the issue. Southerners main economic activity was agriculture producing cotton for export in the European market. The article helps me understand better the concept by giving numerical data by Goldin and Lewis in 1860 on the actual cost of war on American people and economy. Reading through the article gives me a better understanding of how war causes the resource allocation to the military that is costly to the people of the nation under consideration. The other answered question in the article is about the strategies used by the government in the quest to free the slaves and abolish the slave trade.One of the topics or rather the concept in the article related to economics is currency devaluation. It is a step taken by the American government afte r the war that made investors have doubts on investing or loaning money to the American people. This affected trade with other countries and the step had to be taken by the authorities.

Wilcoxon Signed

Wilcoxon Signed Introduction Wilcoxon signed-rank test is applicable while weighing against corresponding samples to evaluate whether there is a variation in their ranked population averages. In other words, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests are applied in samples that do not meet the requirements of the parametric tests. In most cases, the Wilcoxon signed-rank is used in the circumstances that the population is not normally distributed (Martinez, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Wilcoxon signed-rank can be used in the place of student paired t-test particularly when the sample means are small. The assumptions made while using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test enables it to be more accurate than the dependent variables t-test particularly when the sample means are small. However, when the paired sample means are large, the t-test for non-dependent variable would be a ppropriate. The definition of Wilcoxon test The Wilcoxon signed-rank test refers to a non-parametric statistical theory that is very significant in carrying out tests of two related models as well as repeated dimensions on individual samples to establish whether there are variations in their populace mean ranks (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). Further, the test is also useful in assessing the differences existing between the population mean ranks of matched samples. Moreover, the analysis plays an alternative means of assessment to the paired Student’s test for corresponding pairs as well as the t-test for independent samples in the event that the populace is not normally distributed. In carrying out the Wilcoxon test, the statistics from the corresponding population are paired off. The test also applies random sampling of the independent pairs (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). Moreover, an ordinal scale is vital in measuring the statistics following a normal distribution. In essence, t he hypothesis testing of non-parametric data is essential in assessing records that can be placed in a given order but lack the statistical figures. In fact, the test is invaluable in analyzing clientele fulfillment (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). The invention of the Wilcoxon test Frank Wilcoxon, an American statistician developed the test in nineteen forty-five. The Wilcoxon test was put forward together with rank-sum test in order to examine two independent variables. In fact, frank Wilcoxon proposed that in the circumstances where two sample populations to be tested is small then the W-test is suitable since it is more accurate than the paired t-test (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). Later statisticians approved the test for non-parametric variables. In other words, the non-parametric variables are dependent sample population that does not meet the parametric tests. Consequently, the test was later given the name Wilcoxon T-test or simply as T. However, the name was lat er changed to W or t-test for non-independent population samples (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009).Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When the Wilcoxon test is applicable The application of the Wilcoxon test is motivated by the improbability relating to the assumptions of normality in the t-test. For instance, Wilcoxon test is applicable in the situations that involve matched pairs as well as repeated dimension of similar items. Further, the Wilcoxon test is applied in the case where there are improper mean variations in the t-test (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). In addition, the test remains indispensable in the circumstances when the distributions do not obey the normal essential suppositions. For example, in the normal parametric statistical procedures, the assumption is that the data will follow the uniform distributions. However, in the actual circumstances, the data do not follow the unifor m distribution. The test is also used when the variables are at least ordinal. In essence, the test is applied when similar participants carry out both situations for the study. In other words, the test is suitable for scrutiny of information that originates from recurring dimensional designs involving two situations. Further, the test is used when the statistics do not convene to the necessities for a parametric test (Gravetter Wallnau, 2009). In this regard, the test is suitable when the data are not distributed normally as well as when there are variations in marking the values of both the variances. In addition, for the Wilcoxon test to be carried out, the statistics must be measured on an ordinal scale. The sense behind conducting the test involves ranking the available figures to produce two order sums for individual situations. The methodical variation between the circumstances leads to placing the conditions with higher orders in one situation and the ones with lower ranks on the other situation (Jackson, 2009). Further, if the ranks are equivalent, then the orders are distributed in a similar array. The test is also significant in carrying out a single sample. For example, in conducting assessment on shopping centers, the use of Wilcoxon test is highly appropriate. In other words, in the study of several shops, the researcher would suppose that the respondents are probable to back up or object to questions put to them with an equal likelihood of half. In addition, when there is availability of various unrelated samples that require comparisons, the application of the Wilcoxon rank test is vital. When not to use the Wilcoxon test As indicated above the Wilcoxon test is used in the situations where the sample population is small. In the situations where the sampled population sizes are large, the Wilcoxon text cannot be applied (Cleves, 2008).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In other words, while studying two population samples that are not identical or corresponding and the samples are large then Wilcoxon test is not applicable. Instead, unpaired t-test is used. The reason why the unpaired t-test is not preferable is that type 1 error is likely to be yielded particularly in the circumstances when the population sample size is small (Cleves, 2008). In other words, the unpaired t-test is preferable in the situations when the sample population size is large. However, when the distribution is skewed and the sample population is large, then Wilcoxon can still be applied (Martinez, 2007). In essence, Wilcoxon test yield better results when the paired population sample being studied is small. When paired sample sizes are large, then the Wilcoxon cannot be applied and instead the single t-test is used to test the variables. According to Jackson (2009), Wilcoxon test can be used in the place of the paire d student t-test. Wilcoxon test is appropriate in the evaluation of data that are derived from the repeated measures. In addition, in the circumstances that the derived data does not meet the parametric test requirements or when the data are not distributed normally, then the Wilcoxon test is applied. The test assumptions For the Wilcoxon test to be appropriate, several assumptions are applied (Kirk, 2006). The first assumption is that the data must be matched and have to be drawn from the corresponding populace. Secondly, independent and random pairing must be attained. The final assumption is that the data has to be ordinal. However, the normal distribution of data is necessary but not a must requirement (Kirk, 2006). The Wilcoxon test formula As indicated, the Wilcoxon test assumes a formula that test the median of sample sizes of the paired numbers. The sample size should be small. The hypothesis is whether there are variations in the medians of the sample pairs (Martinez, 2007) . In other words, the unacceptable premise tests whether there is no existing deviations in the paired sample middle measure while the acceptable premise tests otherwise. To derive the formula N is understood to be the size of the sample or the amount of paired samples. Therefore, the total data sample equals to 2N. If i=1, †¦.., N and x1i and x2i is to represent the measurements, then Wilcoxon test (W) ={∑[sgn(x2i-x1i)*Ri]}. In the formula, sgn represent the sign function while Ri represent the ranks (Martinez, 2007). As indicated, the hypothesis to be tested using the formula is as follows H0: there are no median differences between the pairs H1: median differences exist Conclusion In most cases, the Wilcoxon tests will be appropriate when the section the population to be tested is small and the distribution is not normal. The Wilcoxon tests contrasts the ordinary tests where the population is large and the distribution is average. However, most of the statistical tes ts do not behave in the normal distribution. In fact, in Wilcoxon tests, the data is not normally distributed and the sample sizes are small.Advertising Looking for research paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In addition, Wilcoxon tests are used in evaluating opinionated data as well as data that cannot be accurately measured. In other words, the measure is based on the nominal scale. Though data from opinions are normally difficult to measure, they are put in numerical scales that make it easier to be evaluated. In these kinds of data, there is no assumption that there is normal distribution. Therefore, Wilcoxon test would be appropriate. References Cleves, M. A. (2008). An introduction to survival analysis using stata. New York, NY: Stata Press. Gravetter, F. J. Wallnau, L. B. (2009). Statistics for the behavioral sciences. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Jackson, S. L. (2009). Statistics plain and simple. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Kirk, R. E. (2006). Statistics: An introduction. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Martinez, R. (2007). Diagnostics for choosing between Log-rank and Wilcoxon tests. Michigan, MI: ProQuest.

Learn 10 Facts About Sochi Russia

Learn 10 Facts About Sochi Russia Sochi is a resort city located in the Russian Federal Subject of Krasnodar Krai. It is north of Russias border with Georgia along the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains. Greater Sochi stretches 90 miles (145 km) along the sea and is considered one of the longest cities in Europe. The City of Sochi covers a total area of 1,352 square miles (3,502 sq km). Geographic Facts About Sochi The following is a list of the ten most important geographic facts to know about Sochi, Russia: 1) Sochi has a long history that dates back to Ancient Greek and Roman times when the area was inhabited by the Zygii people. From the 6th to the 11th centuries though, Sochi belonged to Georgias kingdoms of Egrisi and Abkhazia. 2) After the 15th century, the region making up Sochi was known as Ubykhia and was controlled by local mountaineer clans. In 1829,  however, the coastline region was ceded to Russia after the Caucasian and Russo-Turkish Wars. 3) In 1838, Russia founded the Fort of Alexandria (which was renamed Navaginsky) at the mouth of the Sochi River. In 1864, the final battle of the Caucasian War took place and on March 25 a new fort Dakhovsky was established where Navaginsky had been. 4) Throughout the early 1900s, Sochi grew as a popular Russian resort city and in 1914, it was granted municipal rights. Sochis popularity grew further during Joseph Stalins control of Russia as Sochi as he had a vacation home, or dacha, built in the city. Since its founding, Sochi has also been the served as the location where various treaties have been signed. 5) As of 2002, Sochi had a population of 334,282 people and a population density of 200 people per square mile (95 per sq km). 6) Sochis topography is varied. The city itself lies along the Black Sea and is at a lower elevation than surrounding areas. However, it is not flat and has clear views of the Caucasus Mountains. 7) The climate of Sochi is considered humid subtropical at its lower elevations and its winter low temperatures rarely dip below freezing for long periods. The average January temperature in Sochi is 43 °F (6 °C). Sochis summers are warm and temperatures range from 77 °F to 82 °F (25 °C-28 °C). Sochis receives about 59 inches (1,500 mm) of precipitation yearly. 8) Sochi is known for its various vegetation types (many of which are palms), parks, monuments and extravagant architecture. Around two million people travel to Greater Sochi during the summer months. 9) In addition to its status as a resort city, Sochi is known for its sports facilities. For example, tennis schools in the city have trained such athletes as Maria Sharapova and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. 10) Due to its popularity among tourists, historic characteristics, sports venues and proximity to the Caucasus Mountains, the International Olympic Committee selected Sochi as the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics on July 4, 2007. Sources: Wikipedia. Sochi. Wikipedia- the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sochi

Hotel and Resort Industry in Egypt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Hotel and Resort Industry in Egypt - Essay Example According to Kanter (1995) such an action will not constitute an adequate response. This is so because success is based on an organization’s ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Through an environmental analysis will understand how a firm’s competitive position is affected by different forces. More and more companies are engaging in corporate social responsibility reporting, which helps major stakeholders to better understand how the company interacts with its society. (Sacconi, 2004). This essay uses the PESTLE framework to analyse the hotel and resort industry of Egypt. There after, attention is shifted to another analytical model, the SWOT matrix. The PESTEL framework can only be used to look at the future impact of environmental factors and that this impact might be different from the past. Thus, an understanding of how the factors in the above framework may drive change is only a starting point (Johnson et al. 2006).There is a need for an understanding of the key change drivers and Looking at the PESTEL framework shown above one can observe that the hotel and resort industry of Egypt is affected by all the environmental factors in the framework. Under political the industry will be affected by both taxation and social welfare policies. Given the fact that consumer’s income is dependent on government taxation policies, it is evident that take home income might either increase or reduce depending on the taxation policies adopted by the government at anyone time. In addition, government spending is greatly affected by its taxation policy. The political environment of Egypt is very stable, though there are some opposition. Today Egypt is seen as an emerging economy in the Middle East. This has attracted

Culture geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture geography - Essay Example The initial symptoms of the disease included a high fever, accompanied by running noise and conjunctivitis(CDC). After some time, the person can develop rashes on the face that can spread to the back and trunk. In some cases, it can also present as pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis, febrile convulsions, diarrhea, laryngitis, otitis media, bronchitis, and croup. Once a diagnosis of measles is made, treatment has always to be provided. Such medications are provided to prevent worsening symptoms or suspected complications. Commonly prescribed drugs are antipyretics, antibiotics, rehydration agents and cough syrups(CDC). For primary prevention of the disease, immunization is often used for any children under the age of 5 years. Measles can have a usual occurrence and an unusual occurrence. That implies that the symptoms of measles can vary from person to person. In some people, measles can present as a rash, conjunctivitis and running nose together with fever, and take a period of more than a week for it to heal. In other people, the disease can progress to a worse states resulting to various complications(CDC). Currently, due to the lack of treatment of measles once one gets it, as it is entirely dependent on one’s immune system, quite a number of complications can result from it.When one has measles, one loses a lot of fluids through running noise, through high fevers, through diarrhea, hence resulting to an electrolyte imbalance shift together with dehydration. Dehydration can have several complications if not corrected in advance(CDC). Patients can suffer from complications of electrolyte depletion like hypokalemia, hypernatremia, hypocalcemia, hypomagesia, and loss of other elements. Measles in Iceland is believed to have come from North of the country and infected the town of Reykjavic first. It later spread to three towns on the oopposite side of the country and thereafter to the densely-populated southwest. Finally there was a breakout of

Gun control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 5

Gun control - Research Paper Example Many cases of gun related crimes and fatalities have been reported within the country which indicates that public access to guns may be more harmful that beneficial. In this way, the society should understand the important of gun control laws and limiting access to citizens that access guns while addressing arguments opposing them as a way of saving lives. Gun violence is a common phenomenon in the American society and the National Victimization Survey showed that 467, 321 people died in 2011 as a result of criminal activities using firearms. The FBI generated a report in 2011 that testified that 68% of homicides and 41% of violent robberies as well as 21% of aggravated attacks are done using guns. In addition, hand guns are the most common firearms that are used in criminal activities especially homicides committed each year. This research shows that gun violent is a reality within the society and many people use them to intimidate victims. It is also clear that most hand guns are involved in criminal activities like assault, in various threats that are done without injury, and in many cases of rape or robbery (Zimring 723). Gun ownership is another apparent issue in the United States with findings showing that more than 200 million firearms were in private ownership in the 1990s. Through the years guns among private ownership have increased especially due to creation of new households and more wealthy people who needed to acquire firearms. In other areas, the increasing crime rates within the country motivated citizens who initially did not have guns to acquire them in a bid to seek protection. It is evident however that the reason that people own guns is more related to crime rates compared to having more wealth. Nonetheless, it is also evident that many firearms, specifically the long guns are acquired for recreational activities like hunting which is not related to

Faculty Data Interpretation( the HW is just answer 5 Questions (small Assignment

Faculty Data Interpretation( the HW is just answer 5 Questions (small paragraphs) basted on two graghs about spiders - Assignment Example A small number of gum-footed threads would reduce the chances of the spider capturing its prey. The threads observed in figures 1 and 2 shows that the house spider employs the optimal foraging theory in capturing its prey. Well-fed spiders spin a heavier mass of silk. It costs more in terms of energy and time to spin a web. A starving spider does not have the energy that is required to spin a web. In figure one, well-fed spiders spin heavier webs than starving ones. However, the spider has to capture prey or it will die. To avoid starvation, it would increase the number of sticky gum-footed threads to avoid death. The sticky gum footed threads offer it a higher chance of catching prey with less energy expended. This phenomenon is observed in figure 2 where the starving spiders spin more sticky gum-footed threads than the well-fed spiders. Arthur, Christopoulos and Harvey, Motulsky. Fitting Models to Biological Data using Linear and Nonlinear Regression: A practical guide to curve fitting. San Diego, CA: Graph Pad Software Inc., 2003.

The Role of Strategic Human Resource Management in Small Sized Firms Research Proposal

The Role of Strategic Human Resource Management in Small Sized Firms - Research Proposal Example This project will take a quantitative approach in which statistical data will be collected and analyzed before coming up with amicable conclusions. The project is expected to take a span of two months after which the results will be presented. For the purpose of this research, 20 small firms will be surveyed and data collected from two members of the human resource department. Questionnaires and oral interviews will be used to collect data. If affirmed, this project is expected to cost approximately $5,000 which will be used to meet the expenses of the whole process. The institution will also request for an office in which will be used as the center of research for the two months that the project will last. Other materials such as the recording instruments and stationery will be obtained from the institution’s bookshop. This survey will investigate the significance of strategic HR in small business firms. If affirmed, the findings of this research will help small business organizations to reform their HR to achieve better production from their employees. In the 21st century, the ability of a business organization to engage effective strategic management is a necessary competence. Pearce and Robinson (1994) define strategic management as the process of designing, implementing and evaluating the functional structures of a business organization that are necessary to meet the organizational goals. The human resource management forms part of the top level management that is involved in the implementation of strategic management. This research seeks to investigate the role of human resource managers in small business firms. Over time, strategic management is a term that has evolved to refer to all the operations conducted by the organizational heads that contribute to the productivity of the organization. Beaver (2007) and McCarthy (2003) noted that business that the concept of strategic management has evolved to be a term relevant only to large  business organizations.  

Service Operations Management2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Service Operations Management2014 - Essay Example To this end, the paper will make use of developmental strategies espoused by Cooper and Kleinschmidt (2011) as being integral to launching a product or a business unit in any market. These concepts include defining the target market, identifying the needs, preference and wants of the potential customer, as well as defining the product and/or business concept, its specifications and requirements, in an adequate and satisfactory manner. In order to be able to maximize sales, it is important that we understand the nature of the target customer, more so their preference and desires. Through this, the business is able to establish the existence of a potent customer base as well as learn how to render the service or product in the best way that meets the needs of the customers. In addition, the business is able to develop appropriate marketing strategies capable of reaching the customer base as well as ways of improving the delivery of the marketing strategies (Neelankavil and Rai, 2014). Availing information on the service package on the other hand enables the business to define the different services bundles ranging from supporting facility to facilitating goods, explicit to implicit services, and their impacts on the wellbeing of the business. For years, the target market for fast food businesses has been the young generation. This is so because the young people have an insatiable appetite for good food available on the go. This group also forms the largest of our target market for this business, and in addition to which we are introducing other food that appeal to the elderly as well. This diversification is aimed at reaching out to a larger market segment in order to guarantee quantifiable sales at the onset of the business, and to lay ground for our brand identification as an all-inclusive one. Shenkar, Luo and Chi (2014) advance that focusing on a younger market segment is important to the success of a business as it allows the business to

The Role of Strategic Human Resource Management in Small Sized Firms Research Proposal

The Role of Strategic Human Resource Management in Small Sized Firms - Research Proposal Example This project will take a quantitative approach in which statistical data will be collected and analyzed before coming up with amicable conclusions. The project is expected to take a span of two months after which the results will be presented. For the purpose of this research, 20 small firms will be surveyed and data collected from two members of the human resource department. Questionnaires and oral interviews will be used to collect data. If affirmed, this project is expected to cost approximately $5,000 which will be used to meet the expenses of the whole process. The institution will also request for an office in which will be used as the center of research for the two months that the project will last. Other materials such as the recording instruments and stationery will be obtained from the institution’s bookshop. This survey will investigate the significance of strategic HR in small business firms. If affirmed, the findings of this research will help small business organizations to reform their HR to achieve better production from their employees. In the 21st century, the ability of a business organization to engage effective strategic management is a necessary competence. Pearce and Robinson (1994) define strategic management as the process of designing, implementing and evaluating the functional structures of a business organization that are necessary to meet the organizational goals. The human resource management forms part of the top level management that is involved in the implementation of strategic management. This research seeks to investigate the role of human resource managers in small business firms. Over time, strategic management is a term that has evolved to refer to all the operations conducted by the organizational heads that contribute to the productivity of the organization. Beaver (2007) and McCarthy (2003) noted that business that the concept of strategic management has evolved to be a term relevant only to large  business organizations.  

Effective Team Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Effective Team - Essay Example Remember everything is easy to do; all that makes it difficult will be the wrong mindset the person doing the thing might have whiles doing the thing. Teams are very important tools in various aspects of life ranging from education sports and the world of business. One very important thing that makes a team powerful is the coming together of various complementary skills from different individuals with different perspectives and qualities. All knowledge and skills are not embedded in only an individual . It is therefore important all these individual skills and qualities are brought together to complement one another or in other words enrich each others value and potential in attaining a common goal for the common good of all. This however makes teams especially i n the business sector very necessary and more powerful than indicial efforts in the performance of certain duties . Although characteristics of teams might sound very rosy, one difficulty that comes with it is its formation or I should say the ability to form an effective team. There is however more difficulty when the right steps are not taken before these teams are formed and when this happens managing the teams after formation becomes very difficult. These things that need to be considered before a team is formed will be explained into details later in the essay. WHO IS AN INDIVIDUAL From the definition of a team given earlier on in the essay, it is very obvious that individuals form the basic core and elements of a team. It is however important we take a look at who actually an individual is. This will help us especially in bringing the right and compactable individuals together to form a team. An individual however refers to a person or any subject in a collection. In this case, this collection will be all humans. Each individual however has his or her own unique qualities and skills but not all qualities and skills. It is therefore if not impossible, very rare to find an individual who poses all knowledge in all fields. This however means individual efforts and actions made in solving certain problems or attaining certain goals are limited hence reducing the efficiency in outputs of individual efforts as compared to the outputs of the efforts of an effective and well established team. In order to make good use of these individual traits and skills, it is important we bring all these individuals together and transform them into a strong team which will achieve great goals and give out efficient performances in whatever area of work that might be concerned, especially in the area of business. The process of transforming individuals into teams must however bring a complete change and all conditions of preservation and stagnation on the parts of the individuals must be eliminated. This also means certain mindsets and practices

Parenting Styles in Identity Essay Example for Free

Parenting Styles in Identity Essay Children are always exploring their independence and developing their identity, or in other words, a sense of self. Research has shown that those who receive proper encouragement and reinforcement will emerge with a strong sense of self. Those who do not receive proper encouragement and reinforcement will remain unsure of themselves and confused about the future. For this reason, I believe an authoritative parenting style is the most beneficial factor in the formation of identity. Before we get into parenting styles, we must first discuss how an identity is formed. One of Erik Eriksons steps in his Theory of Psychosocial Development is identity versus confusion, commonly called the identity crisis. This is a period of exploration and analysis of different ways of looking at oneself.1 James Marcia expanded on Eriksons theory by stating that there are two parts in the process of identity a crisis and a commitment. He defined a crisis as a time of turmoil where old values and choices are being reexamined. The result of a crisis leads to a commitment to a certain value or role. Commitment to that value or role means not only making a firm choice, but engaging in activities to implement that choice as well.2 People who have explored and committed to an identity are more open, experience fewer problems in society, and are more effective communicators.3 Effective parenting helps children make it through the crisis stage and establish a commitment. There are four patterns of parenting authoritarian, authoritative, indulgent, and uninvolved parenting. Authoritarian parents are controlling and demanding but not very loving or responsive to their childrens needs. They intervene frequently and do not allow their children to make independent choices. Authoritative parents have high expectations and set clear boundaries, but allow their children considerable freedom. They are accepting, loving, and supportive of their children. Indulgent parents are responsive to their childrens needs but completely undemanding. They are warm and loving but set no clear boundaries or expectations. Uninvolved parents are unresponsive and undemanding. They are not warm or loving, nor do they set any type of boundaries or expectations. With these four types of parenting in mind, lets take a look at what parental characteristics help or hinder a childs identity development. The emotional characteristics that facilitate identity development are warmth, companionship, and acceptance. The behavioral characteristics that facilitate identity development are setting reasonable behavior standards and enforcing adherence to those standards, encouraging self-expression and self-exploration, and being accepting of others perspectives. The emotional characteristics that impede a childs identity development are hostility, restrictiveness, emotional distance, and rejection. The behavioral characteristics that impede identity development are rigidity, intolerance, inability to adjust, and not setting behavior standards.4These emotional and behavioral characteristics that assist or inhibit identity development tie back into the afore mentioned patterns of parenting. Both authoritarian and uninvolved parents emotional and behavioral characteristics obstruct identity development. Indulgent parents emotional characteristics help identity development, but their behavioral characteristics hamper it. Authoritative parents emotional and behavioral characteristics support identity development. As you can see, neither a neglectful or avoidant style of parenting is likely to help the development of identity. Steinberg stated that compared with their counterparts from non-authoritative homes, authoritatively reared adolescents earn higher grades in school, are more self-reliant, report less psychological distress, and are less involved in delinquent activity.5In conclusion, I believe that authoritative parenting is the most beneficial factor in the formation of identity. This is because the emotional and behavioral characteristics of authoritative parenting enable children to most effectively pass through the crisis stage of development and make a firm com mitment. Therefore, the child is able to establish a solid identity. Works Cited 1. Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton. 2. Marcia, J. E. (1966). Development and validation of ego-identity status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 3, 551-558. 3. Bhushan, R., Shirali, K. A. (1992). Family types and communication with parents: A comparison of youth at different identity levels. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 21, 687-697. 4. Adams, G. R., Dyk, P., Bennion, L. D. (1990). Parent-adolescent relationships and identity formation. In B. K. Barber B. C. Rollins (Eds.), Parent-adolescent relationships (pp. 1-16). Lanham, MD: University Press of America. 5. Steinberg, L. (2001). We know some things: Parent-adolescent relationships in retrospect and prospect. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 11, 28.

A Study On Cumene Plant Engineering Essay

A Study On Cumene Plant Engineering Essay The system considered for study, simulation and optimization is a cumene production plant. The process described by Peterson and Schmidt is taken as base for simulating the system. The process description of Turton et al. (2003) provides relevant and valuable data required for the simulation of the process. Raw materials fed to the plant are benzene and propylene (may contain propane as an impurity) in which benzene is in excess. Various unit operations and processes are required to be taken care of which are described in some detail below. The major units in the process plant are the reactor section and the separator section. 1.2 RELEVANCE Isopropyl benzene popularly known as cumene is the principal chemical used in the production of phenol and its co-product acetone on an industrial scale. It is also the starting material in the production of acetophenone, methyl styrene, diisopropyl benzene and dicumyl peroxide. Minor uses of cumene include as a thinner for paints, enamels, and lacquers; as a constituent of some petroleum-based solvents, such as naphtha; in gasoline blending diesel fuel, and high-octane aviation fuel. It is also a good solvent for fats and resins and has been suggested as a replacement for benzene in many of its industrial applications. Around 98% of cumene is used to produce phenol and its co-product acetone. However, the requirement of cumene is largely dependent on the use of phenol’s derivatives which have resulted in increasing requirement rates for cumene. The largest phenol derivative is bisphenol-A (BPA) which supplies the polycarbonate (PC) sector. PC resins are consumed in automotive applications in place of traditional materials such as glass and metals. Glazing and sheet uses, such as architectural, security and glazing outlets, are also important PC applications. The third largest use for PC is optical media such as compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs). Another phenol derivative is caprolactam which is used mainly to make nylon 6. It is mainly the resin sector of the nylon market that is seeing growth. [Schmidt, 2005] Cumene is produced by the alkylation of benzene with propylene over an acid catalyst like aluminium chloride, boron trifluoride, phosphoric acid, hydrogen fluoride, supported phosphoric acid (SPA) etc. The usage of the above catalysts poses a lot of problems like product quality, lower catalyst activity, environmental hazard, catalyst non-regenerability etc and has been replaced by zeolites in most of the processes. In the present work the cumene production plant is simulated using ASPEN PLUS  ® and the sizes, the temperature and other relevant parameters are obtained by optimization. MATLAB ®, MS Excel and Origin Pro 8.0 are used to plot graphs in the following simulation from which an optimum value is estimated. The optimized values obtained can provide a lot of insight before actual plant commissioning is done. 1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT Considering the importance of the present process, work was undertaken to design and simulate the cumene production process using ASPEN PLUS  ® software. The objectives of the present project are following. To design a zeolite catalyst based cumene production process and study the sensitivity analysis. To optimize the contents of the flow sheet for minimization of loss of material along with a greater production of cumene and low requirement of energy. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 CONVENTIONAL PROCESS Cumene is produced by the alkylation of benzene with propylene over an acid catalyst. Catalysts like aluminium chloride, boron trifluoride, hydrogen fluoride and solid phosphoric acid (SPA) are normally used. Over the years these catalysts have given way to zeolite based catalysts. There are some inherent problems associated with the conventional acid catalysts. Disadvantages of using solid phosphoric acid (SPA) Process Lower activity Catalyst non-regenerability Unloading of spent catalyst from reactor difficult Relative high selectivity to hexyl benzene Significant yield of DIPB Disadvantages of using Aluminium chloride as catalyst High corrosion Environmental hazard Washing step for catalyst removal. 2.2 CURRENT INDUSTRIAL PROCESS Cumene is an important chemical in the present industrial world and its uses are steadily increasing. The process followed for the production of cumene is the catalytic alkylation of benzene with propylene and now a days zeolite based catalysts are used in place of the normal acid based catalysts due to added advantages. Cumene production process has been greatly studied and the reaction mechanism and the reaction kinetics have been specified by many researchers. Both experimental as well as computer based simulation and optimization studies have been carried out by various researchers. The significant works of various researchers which have been helpful in my project are described in brief below. The Q-Max â„ ¢ process converts a mixture of benzene and propylene to high quality cumene using a regenerable zeolite catalyst. The Q-Max â„ ¢ process is characterized by a exceptionally high yield, better product quality, less solid waste, decrease in investment and operating costs and a corrosion free environment. The Q-Max â„ ¢ process developed by UOP uses QZ-2000/ QZ-2001 catalyst which is a variant of ß zeolite. [Schmidt, 2005] 2.2.1 PROCESS DESCRIPTION The Q-MAXâ„ ¢ process provides a very good cumene yield and quality. The QZ-2000 zeolite based catalyst used in the Q-MAXâ„ ¢ process operates with a low flow rate of benzene and hence investment and utility costs are reduced greatly. QZ-2000 is non-corrosive and regenerable, avoiding the significant maintenance and catalyst disposal problems associated with SPA and AlCl3 systems. Compared to other zeolite based cumene technologies, the Q-MAXâ„ ¢ process provides better tolerance of feedstock impurities, the highest cumene product quality and excellent stability. The Q-MAXâ„ ¢ process flow scheme is shown in fig 2.1 above. The alkylation reactor is divided into four catalytic beds present in a single reactor shell. The fresh benzene feed is passed through the upper-mid section of the depropanizer column to remove excess water and then sent to the alkylation reactor. The recycle benzene to the alkylation and transalkylation reactors is a drawn from the benzene column. This mixture of fresh and recycle benzene is charged through the alkylation reactor. The fresh propylene feed is split between the catalyst beds and is fully consumed in each bed. An excess of benzene helps in avoiding poly alkylation and minimizing olefin oligomerization. Because the reaction is exothermic in nature, the temperature rise in the alkylation reactor is controlled by recycling a portion of the reactor effluent to the reactor inlet to act as a heat sink. The inlet temperature of each downstream bed is further reduced to the same temperature as the first bed inlet by injecting a portion of cooled reactor effluent between the beds. Effluent from the alkylation reactor flows to the depropanizer column which removes the propane that entered with the propylene feed along with excess water. The bottoms stream of the depropanizer column goes to the benzene column where excess benzene is collected overhead and recycled. The benzene column bottoms stream goes to the cumene column where the cumene product is recovered overhead. The cumene column bottoms stream, predominantly diisopropylbenzene (DIPB), goes to the DIPB column. If the propylene feed contains excessive butylenes, or if the benzene feed contains excessive toluene, butylbenzenes and/or cumene are distilled out and purged from the overhead section of the DIPB column. The DIPB stream leaves the column by way of the side draw and is recycled back to the transalkylation reactor. The DIPB column bottoms consist of heavy aromatic by-products, which are normally blended into fuel oil. Steam or ho t oil provides the heat for the product fractionation section. The recycle DIPB from the overhead of the DIPB column combines with a portion of the recycle benzene and is charged downflow through the transalkylation reactor. In the transalkylation reactor, DIPB and benzene are converted to more cumene. The effluent from the transalkylation reactor is then sent to the benzene column. The new QZ-2001 catalyst is utilized in the alkylation reactor while the original QZ-2000 catalyst remains in the transalkylation reactor. Expected catalyst cycle length is 2–4 years, and the catalyst should last for at least three cycles with proper care. At the end of each cycle, the catalyst is typically regenerated ex situ via a simple carbon burn by a certified regeneration contractor. However, the unit can also be designed for in situ regeneration. The Q-Maxâ„ ¢ process typically produces near equilibrium levels of cumene (between 85 and 95 mol %) and DIPB (between 5 and 15 mol %). The DI PB is separated from the cumene and is reacted with recycle benzene at optimal conditions for transalkylation to produce additional cumene. [Schmidt, 2005], [Peterson and Schmidt, 2002] 2.2.2 REACTION MECHANISM AND KINETICS The following reaction mechanisms are proposed for the alkylation of benzene to cumene process. The major reactions taking place are alkylation and trans-alkylation. The other reactions involved include isomerisation and dis-proportionation. The reaction mechanism as well as the reaction kinetics may vary depending on the catalyst used. The reaction can proceed by with or without carbonium ion intermediate. [Ding and Fu, 2005] The rates of reaction data was obtained for different catalysts from the work done by various researchers. The kinetic data and the reaction conditions specified by Turton et al (2003) for a particular catalyst have been used in the present work. The reaction kinetic data is shown below Propylene + benzene à   cumene K = 2.8 Ãâ€" 107 E (kJ/kmol) 104174 Rate=kcpcb Propylene + cumene à   p-diisoproyl benzene K = 2.32 Ãâ€" 109 E (kJ/kmol) 146742 Rate=kcpcc (The unit for rates is kmol s-1 m-3) [Turton et al, 2003] Trans-alkylation reaction K= 6.52 Ãâ€" 10-3 exp (27240/RT) The equilibrium data for trans-alkylation reaction is obtained for modified zeolite beta catalyst, YSBH-01. [Lei et al, 2007] From various works on cumene production mechanism the overall reaction can be assumed to consist of the following stages. Alkylation Isomerisation Transalkylation Dis-proportionation 2.3 PROPERTIES OF CUMENE Description: Colorless liquid with a sharp, penetrating aromatic or gas-like odour [Budavari, 1989; Cavender, 1994] Boiling Point: 152.4 °C [Lide, 1995] Melting Point: -96.0 °C [Lide, 1995] Density: 0.8618 g/cm3 at 20 °C [Lide, 1995] Refractive Index: 1.4915 at 20 °C [Schulz et al., 1993]; 1.489 at 25 °C [Lewis, 1993] Solubility: Insoluble in water; miscible in acetone, benzene, and ethanol [Lide, 1995] Flash Point: 39 °C, closed cup [Budavari, 1989] Reactivity: Combustible [Lewis, 1993], not compatible with oxidizers, nitric acid and sulphuric acid. 2.4 PROCESS DESIGN BASICS Process design is a very important aspect before any project implementation as a proper design during the initial stages can save costs to a great extent. The cost involved in designing a project is very less compared to the construction cost and it can be greatly helpful in maximizing profits of the plant as well as providing a safe environment. The plot shown in Fig. 2.2 gives a brief idea of how proper plant design can cut costs to a great extent. The following points need to be taken care for a proper process design. Raw material cost reduction. Selectivity of reaction is increased by proper use of catalysts. Increasing selectivity can reduce separation and recycle costs. Capital-cost reduction. Better flow sheeting can reduce capital costs effectively Energy use reduction. Pinch point analysis is used for energy saving. Increased process flexibility. Process plant should be able to handle a range of feed compositions. Increased process safety. Nonlinear analysis can be done to make the process safer. Increased attention to quality. Reduction of by products and the effective use of process control equipment can lead to process safety. Better environmental performance. Minimization of harmful wastes to the environment. The order in which designing should be done follows a systematic procedure as shown in Fig 2.4. A process simulation diagram is drawn from the process flow diagram. The chemical components are specified. The chemical component properties are generally available in a standard data base. The input streams are specified. Thermodynamic modelling is done. Series of simulations are run for convergence of a particular variable. Sensitivity analysis which consists of varying the sampled variables as a function of the manipulated variables is normally done. The major parts of a cumene production plant are reactor system, separation system and they are optimized. CHAPTER 3 DESIGN: PROCEDURE, RESULT DISCUSSION This chapter is divided into two main parts as (i) Reactor and (ii) Separator. The reactor design involves design of equilibrium based reactor as well as kinetic based reactor. The separator system involves the design of flash tank and distillation column. As the product purity is increased by increasing the working cost of the reactor, the separation cost decreases and vice versa. The sequence of computation followed is shown in Fig. 3.1. 3.1 REACTOR DESIGN Reactor is the heart of a chemical process plant. Design of a reactor requires data from thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mass transfer and economics. A properly designed reactor can minimize the production of unwanted products and hence reduce the purification costs. The alkylation and trans-alkylation reactors are the main reactors in a cumene production plant and they need to be designed for optimum use of material and energy. In all the optimization work done Douglas Doctrine (the costs of raw materials and products are usually much larger than the costs of energy or capital in a typical chemical process. Therefore the process must be designed (investing capital and paying for energy) so as to not waste feed stocks or lose products (particularly in the form of undesirable products) is followed. [Luyben, 2010] Kinetic model can be considered if accurate kinetic data is available. But a plant involves industrial reactors that are very complex and hence a proper combination of stoichiometric and kinetic reactor needs to be used. Kinetic model can determine the production rate where as stoichiometric model can describe the formation of by products and impurities necessary for the design of separators. Equilbrium based reactors like RGIBBS in ASPEN PLUS ® can give a realistic idea about the maximum achievable performance. They work accurately for fast reactions. The RGIBBS reactor predicts the equilibrium concentration by Gibbs free energy minimization. [Dimian, 2003] Generally in reactor design an equilibrium model is prepared and then the kinetic model. The following reaction mechanism was proposed by various researchers for alkylation of benzene by cumene. 3.1.1 REACTIONS CONSIDERED FOR MODELING Alkylation propylene + benzene à   cumene (1) propylene + cumene à   p-diisoproyl benzene (2) Isomerisation p-diisopropyl benzene à   m-diisopropyl benzene (3) Trans-alkylation p-diisopropyl benzene + benzene à   2 cumene (4) m-diisopropyl benzene + benzene à   2 cumene (5) Disproportination 2 cumene à   p-diisopropyl benzene + benzene (6) 2 cumene à   m-diisopropyl benzene + benzene (7) 3.1.2 REACTOR DESIGN PROCEDURE IN ASPEN PLUS The feed is a mixture of benzene and propylene such that benzene is in excess. In general propylene is not available in the pure form and has some amount of propane as inert. The separation cost of propane is high and hence normally propane is not removed from the propylene feed into the reactor. A high conversion of propylene is desired and the unreacted propylene can be flashed off along with the inert propane. RGIBBS reactor works by Gibbs free energy minimization. Alkylation and trans-alkylation reactors need not be modelled separately as they can be combined into one equilibrium reactor. The reactant, products as well as the intermediates as seen from the reaction mechanisms are specified into the component list. SYSOP0 or Ideal property table is used. A temperature range of 300 to 400 degree Celsius is specified and a proper temperature chosen. Pressure of 25 atm is chosen from previous industrial research work. [Luyben, 2010] 3.1.3 EQUILIBRIUM STUDIES The equilibrium is affected by the temperature as well as the benzene/propylene mole ratio. The alkylation and transalkylation reaction is usually carried out at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the effect of pressure on the equilibrium was not considered in the present study. Seven reactor models are available in ASPEN PLUS. The equilibrium based RGIBBS reactor is used to find the product composition at which the Gibbs free energy of the product is minimum. The restricted chemical equilibrium approach is used and the reactions mentioned above are specified. The temperature approach for an individual reaction is used. The feed stream mole flow is set as 1 kmol / hr and the feed stream consists of benzene, propylene and propane (inert mixed with the propylene stream). Amount of inert in feed is kept fixed. The reactor temperature is set to 3500C and the reactor pressure is set to 25 atm. (a) The selectivity of cumene and conversion of propylene (limiting reagent) is studied by varying the benzene/propylene mole ratio in the feed keeping the amount of inert fixed. The effect of temperature variation (300–4000C) on the selectivity and the conversion is also studied. (b) Again, the variation in the selectivity of m-DIPB and p-DIPB with temperature and b enzene/propylene mole ratio in the feed is studied. The conversion and selectivity were calculated using equations 8 to 11. %Selectivity of cumene = Fcumeneproduct /(Fpropylenefeed-Fpropyleneprod) ´100% (8) %Conversion of propylene = (Fpropylenefeed-Fpropyleneprod)/Fpropylenefeed  ´ 100 % (9) %Selectivity of m-DIPB = Fmdipbproduct/(Fpropylenefeed-Fpropyleneprod)  ´100% (10) %Selectivity of p-DIPB = Fpdipbproduct/(Fpropylenefeed-Fpropyleneprod)  ´ 100% (11) Where Fcumeneproduct = molar flow rate of cumene in product Fpropylenefeed = molar flow rate of propylene in feed Fpropyleneprod = molar flow rate of propylene in product Fmdipbproduct = molar flow rate of m-DIPB in product Fpdipbproduct = molar flow rate of p-DIPB in product RSTOIC reactor model was used to find the standard heat of reaction for different reactions 1 to 6 mentioned above. The standard heats of reaction have been tabulated in Table 3.1.1. The heat of reaction for isomerisation was found to be zero as expected. The all other reactions were found to be exothermic except trans-alkylation reactions as observed from the table. Table 3.1.1 Standard Heats of Reaction Reaction Number Standard Heat of Reaction (Kcal/Kg mol) 1 -23.670 2 -24.321 3 0 4 0.649 5 0.649 6 -0.325 7 -0.324 Effect of temperature and benzene/propylene mole ratio. The effect of temperature and benzene/propylene mole ratio on equilibrium conversion of propylene and selectivity of products, cumene, m-DIPB, and p-DIPB is shown in Fig. 3.1.1. The conversion of propylene was found to increase with increase in benzene/propylene mole ratio for a fixed temperature as observed from the Fig. 3.1.1(a). This is because of reduced proportion of propylene in feed. However, variation of conversion of propylene was found to be negligibly small above the benzene/propylene mole ratio in feed of 3. The conversion of propylene was found to decrease with increase in temperature for a fixed benzene/propylene mole ratio as observed from the Fig. 3.1.1(a). This is because of the fact that overall heat of reactions is exothermic as shown in Table 3.1.1. The selectivity of cumene was found to increase with increase in benzene/propylene mole ratio at a fixed temperature as the polyalkylation reactions are reduced because of excess amount of benzene present in the feed (Fig. 3.1.1(b)). Again, with increase in temperature, the selectivity of cumene increases for a fixed benzene/propylene mole ratio as transalkylation reactions (endothermic, Table 3.1.1) are dominant at high temperature. The distribution of m-DIPB and p-DIPB is shown in Fig. 3.1.1 (c). From the figure it was observed that selectivity of m-DIPB is significantly higher than p-DIPB. This is because of the fact that m-DIPB is thermally more stable compared to p-DIPB. Therefore, p-DIPB formed in alkylation reaction isomerises to more stable meta isomer. Effect of inert on equilibrium. The propylene stream used in alkylation process is usually obtained by pyrolysis of petroleum fractions that contains small amount of propane as impurity. Propane need not be removed from the propylene stream as it acts as an inert and does not take part in the reaction. Presence of inert has very slight effect on the conversion as well as selectivity as shown in Fig.3.1.2. The conversion of propylene decreases slightly with higher volume percent of inert in feed and increases slightly with the same. 3.1.4 KINETICS BASED REACTOR MODEL Kinetics based rate data was obtained from the work of various researches and is mentioned above. A RPLUG model is used in ASPEN PLUS to model the reactor. The design model specified in the book by Turton et al (2003) is used. The reactions occur in the vapour phase in the presence of a solid catalyst (assumed to have 0.5 void fraction and a 2000 kg/m3 solid density). The reactor is run at high pressure (25 bar) since the moles of reactants are more than the moles of product (Le Chatelier’s principle). A temperature of 360 degree C and a benzene/Propylene mole ratio of 6 is used. A flow rate of 330 kmol/hr is used for the simulation. The kinetic model generated few errors such as RPLUG exited because integration failed. index = (-1) probable cause is incorrect kinetics. check rate-constant parameters and molar volume calculations. 3.1.5 PRODUCT OUTPUT FROM REACTOR Assuming the RGIBBS model for the initial calculations for distillation columns can give a good idea about the distillation process in a cumene plant. RGIBBS model with an input feed rate of 100 kmol/hr and benzene: propylene feed ratio of 6:1 with an inert concentration of 5% in propylene stream, temp. of 360 degree C and a pressure of 25 bar is used. The flow rates obtained at the product side are noted.The non condensable components in the product side i.e. propylene and propane are removed in flash tank. These components have fuel value only as they cannot be completely purified. So the reaction conditions should be so adjusted that the propylene in feed is totally converted to the product. The concentration of non-condensable components from reactor is given in Table 3.1.2. This data is used for further designing. Table 3.1.2 Mole flow rate of components from reactor Component Mole Flow kmol/hr Benzene 72.85 Cumene 10.31 m-DIPB 1.77 p-DIPB 0.47 TOTAL 85.4 3.2 PREDICTING VLE CHARACTERISTICS Reactors and separators can be considered as the back bone of any chemical process plant. The cost optimization of any plant depends largely on the reactors and the distillation columns. The basis of distillation is phase equilibrium that may be VLE (Vapour liquid equilibrium) and LLE (Liquid liquid equilibrium). Before designing any distillation equipment the VLE characteristics need to be studied as they give a fair amount of idea about the ease of distillation. The Txy diagram or temperature versus liquid composition (x) and vapour composition (y) are plotted. A fat curve generally shows that the liquids in a mixture can be easily separated. The boiling point data of the three major components in the distillation column is shown in Fig. 3.2.1 below. Table 3.2.1 Boiling point of components Component Boiling point in degree Celsius Benzene 80.2 Cumene 152.4 DIPB 209.8 The product stream from a condenser tank is sent to a distillation column. RADFRAC model is used. In the industrial process three distillation columns are used i.e benzene column, followed by cumene column and DIPB column.The RADFRAC model is a rigorous model for various multistage liquid vapour fractionation operations and hence is used for the simulation Before going in for the design of the distillation column the VLE diagrams need to be considered. The industrial processes currently followed show that in the 1st column benzene and cumene need to be primarily separated and in the 2nd column cumene and DIPB need to be separated. The NRTL (non random two liquid) physical property package is used used to plot the vapour liquid equilibrium T-XY for Benzene-cumene and Cumene-DIPB systems. The VLE plots are shown in Fig 3.2.1 to 3.2.3 for different systems. It can be inferred from plots Fig. 3.2.1 to 3.2.3 that separation would be easy and a distillation column with fewer trays and a smaller reflux ratio can be used. Azeotrope is not formed. Flash distillation should be tried as separation is easier. 3.3 FLASH DISTILLATION TANK DESIGN Distillation is tried using flash tank as the cost of operation is very low. FLASH2 model is selected. SYSOP0 property method is selected, which works by ideal or Roult’s law. Pressure of the flash tank is set as 1 bar. The input flow rate is same as mentioned in Table 3.1.2. The minimum boiling point in the mixture is that of benzene at 80.2 degree C at 1 atm and hence a temperature of 85 to 97.5 is considered for flashing. The mole fractions of benzene and cumene in the bottom and top products are found out at various flashing temperatures and plotted in Fig. 3.3.1. Assuming a product purity of 95% benzene in the top product the flashing temperature is identified to be 92.5 degree C. The flow rates from the flashing tank is shown in Table 3.3.1. Table 3.3.1 Concentration of products from the flash tank 92.5 degree C Benzene Cumene m-DIPB p-DIPB BOTTOM Product 18.951865 7.89384963 1.68473832 0.45287993 TOP product 5.39E+01 2.41615031 0.08526167 0.01712006 The flow rates of Table 3.3.1 act as a feed to the benzene column. 3.4 BENZENE DISTILLATION COLUMN DESIGN 3.4.1 DESIGN PROCEDURE RADFRAC-1 is selected for designing the Benzene distillation column. SYSOP0 property method is selected and the flow rates from Table 3.3.1 are used. The pressure is kept fixed at 1.75 bar and the temperature is kept fixed at 90 degree Celsius. These two variables are obtained from the experimental data specified by Turton et al (2003). These temperature and pressure data have been used in the work by Luyben (2010). The variables that can be optimized are reflux ratio, number of feed trays, feed tray location and distillate rate. In the initial assumption the distillate rate is kept at half the value of the feed rate. A total condenser is used in the process and an equilibrium based approach is used. 3.4.2 REFLUX RATIO OPTIMIZATION The number of trays (including boiler and condenser as a tray) is kept fixed at any value say 15. The feed tray is varied keeping the number of trays fixed. Now for each different ratio of number of trays to feed tray a series of reflux ratio starting from 0.1 is considered. The process is run and the mole fraction of benzene in the top product as well as the reboiler heat load data are used and a graph is plotted as shown in Fig 3.4.1. Reflux ratio is optimized by the variable mole fraction of benzene in the top product. An optimum reflux ratio value of about 0.5 is identified from Fig 3.4.1. At higher values of feed tray location (close to reboiler) lesser reflux ratio is required. Note that condenser is considered as the first stage and the rebolier as the last. 3.4.3 FEED TRAY LOCATION OPTIMIZATION The reflux ratio is kept fixed at 0.5 and the number of trays is kept fixed at 15. The position of the feed tray is varied and its affect on the reboiler heat load and the mole fraction of benze

Home Essay -- Personal Narrative Home Descriptive Observation

Home   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My definition of home is not a word I can say or a thought I can think, but a feeling. This feeling is like a calm that settles over me like a blanket, just a quiet assurance telling me I belong in that place. It took me forever to understand where exactly that place was, and the answer was always right in front of me. This feeling would come and go, and I would never recognize it because I knew that only my address and the house that I parked my car at and went in to eat and sleep for 18 years was my home. I never realized that the place I lived wasn’t my home, and I really didn’t want to either.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When I was a child, I would accompany my family on Sunday outings. We would drive up to the mountains for a picnic or to take short hikes. I would hop in the back of the big burgundy minivan and watch the scenery change as we winded up the mountain roads, continually saying, â€Å"Are we there yet?† Every time though, I would look around at all of the trees and the mountains, and feel the sharp cold that it brought in the early fall through winter. I would get that feeling then, but wouldn’t know what to do about it. I just thought it was the weather or the mountain air that was doing it. I came up here fly fishing once with my father and we camped in a state park somewhere up here. But I really didn’t want to leave, even though it was two six foot plus men in a small tent. There was just a lingering feeling the mountains gave me. Needless to say, the location was one of the determining factors that led me to choose this college. Since Iâ€⠄¢ve begun to live here I have had that feeling that this is my home. But it took me a few weeks to realize that. What led me to the realization of this was a trip I took last week.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tuesday night while sitting in a lonely nursing home my great-grandfather’s long and successful life came to it’s end. Since my mother didn’t have a strong father figure, she was pretty much raised my him and was close to him all her life. I could tell when she called me to tell me that he had died that she wasn’t doing so well. I knew I couldn’t come home then since I had classes on Wednesday, so I decided to come home after my last class that afternoon to be with my mom. I left the school in the afternoon and got home as it was just beginning to get dark at good old Rutherfordton. I pulled up to the house and immediately it hi... ...ng that I got when I pulled into the parking lot. Just about everyone in the hall was watching a movie in my room and I was lying motionless on the floor, but I had a calm reassurance seeping through my mind. It wasn’t the people there, it wasn’t the building, it wasn’t my girlfriend asking me if I was ok, it was just that feeling.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waking up the next morning in my own bed was a glorious experience in every way. Just hearing the roar of the air conditioner and the light seeping in through the closed blinds, combined with the mixed smell of pizza and floor cleaner, gave me such a wonderful feeling. As I went through my morning ritual I had an extra step in my stride, whether it was brushing my teeth or sipping my coffee while listening to music. As I was going to my first class I went out the side door and immediately the crisp, sharp mountain air hit me. I walked around the partition and saw the huge trees right outside my window, and just looked around at everything as if I had been given a new set of eyes. The mountains give off such a beautiful glow at all times during the day and night, giving me that feeling of comfort and security that tells me that this is my home.