Impact of Internet Usage on the Academic Performance

Impact of Internet Usage on the Academic Performance INTRODUCTION Problem Statement: The impact of internet usage on the academic performance of adolescent students at St. Stephens College . Statement of Problem: The study investigates how students of St Stephens College are affected by the use of the internet. St. Stephens College, located in Princes Town, Trinidad is known as one of the highest ranked academic institutions in the country. The school comprises of approximately 750 students, most of which excel at their studies. Most, if not all of the students attending the school has had some contact with the internet which could have an effect on their academic performance. It is believed that the internet helps students to be more involved academically, therefore improving the quality of work done by the student. There is also the fact that students can misuse the internet, be it cyber bullying or being distracted by it, which can negatively impact on them. Purpose of Study: This study is geared towards determining if the use of the internet by students of St. Stephens College has impacted upon their academic performance and if so, how. Educational Value:  The information gained from this study can be used to re-assess the importance and significance of the use of the internet by students. The information can help to inform individuals of how to designate their time on the internet and also help promote proper use of the internet throughout various schools or even throughout the country. Research Questions: Is there a relationship between the use of the internet and academic performance of students? Have students become dependent on the internet? Has the use of the internet promote or hinder the academic performance of students? DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS Internet A global system of interconnected computer networks which bear a variety of information and services. Academic performance- How well a student is accomplishing his or her tasks and studies. Student A person studying to obtain a higher education LITERATURE REVIEW The internet is a global linking of devices that allow information transfer. The internet was established in the early 1960s by the U.S department of defence (Schneider, Evans and Pinard, 2006) for military purposes. It is a fact that the internet is one of the greatest advancement in the world of information technology as it has become a useful instrument that has fostered the process of making the world a global village. The Internet provides an environment in which millions of people participate and engage in the creation and exchange of information (Rose Fernlund, 1997). It allows for the exchange of information and for interaction among individuals in real time, making transport and distance no longer a problem. There are approximately 2.4 billion people on earth who has access to the internet with over 70 percent of them using the internet at least once a day. This amounts to a total of 144 billion emails being sent every 24 hours (internet world statistics, 2012). What started out as a hobby for some computer literate people has become a social norm and way of life for people around the globe (Boyd, 2007). The Caribbean consist of approximately 42 million people, 32.4% of which, use the internet (internet coaching library , 2012). Internet use has become very popular in many areas as well as in education in recent years. Accordingly, Internet access in schools has increased greatly over the last 20 years (Berson, 2000). In a research article, Ying-Fang Chen and Samuel S. Peng (2005-2006 academic year juniors) A study done on a variety of randomly selected University students in Taiwan showed that heavy Internet users and non-heavy Internet users differed significantly on a number of dimensions. Non-heavy users had better relationships with administrative staff, academic grades and learning satisfaction than heavy Internet users. Tuckman (1975) defined academic performance as the apparent demonstration of understanding concepts, skills, ideas and knowledge and proposed that grades clearly depict the performance of students. Heavy users were more likely than non-heavy Internet users to be depressed, physically ill, lonely, and introverted. According to a journal of Education and Sociology done in Pakistan, Muhammad Musaud Asdaque, December, 2010. The use of the internet is one of the major factors affecting the academic performance and social life of university students. The number of hours spent on internet will affect the grades of students depending on if the internet is used for study purpose or social purposes. Many studies have been conducted regarding the type of information the end-users seek and obtain on the Internet and in which circumstances they prefer electronic sources to paper sources(Tenopir et al.2003).Also , students can gain from others knowledge and experiences, participate in chatrooms, share ideas and solutions. Teens spend approximately 2.3 hours online a day, 80 percent of that time, on social networking sites (Roiworld, 2010). Students who multi-task between social networking sites and homework are likely to have 20% lower grades than a student who does not have a social networking site in visual range (Lenhart, A, 2009, April). Also , many researchers believe that excessive use of the internet has the potential to become an addiction (Griffiths, 1995, 2000). Some, involvement on the Internet begins to have serious, negative consequences. When such consequences are minimized or ignored while Internet use increases, Internet dependence is occurring. As of 2005, it is estimated that 6% of users are Internet dependent (Villanova Counseling Center). The internet can act as a major distraction to students if not properly managed. However, some studies show that students primary use the internet for school work specifically, searching the web for information needed for school projects (Kraut et al, 1996). This in turn, can improve the academic performance of a student. METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION PRIMARY SOURCES: In order to carry out the internal assessment on the impact of internet usage on the academic performance of adolescence students of St. Stephens College, research had to be done using both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary data collection source used was a questionnaire since it allowed the person time to answer questions and it was also cost effective. The questionnaire was also used because it allowed for data to be analysed easily and was not time consuming. A questionnaire is a means of research, consisting of a series of questions and other prompts for the purpose of gathering information from respondents. The questionnaire used consisted of 14 questions, 3 of which were open ended questions. The open ended questions were used to obtain qualitative data from the respondents. The other 11 questions were closed ended and were used to obtain quantitative data on the topic. A total of 60 questionnaires were distributed randomly across forms 1 to 6 students. The ran dom distribution ensured that there was no bias in the selection of candidates since each person had an equal chance of being chosen. SECONDARY SOURCES: The secondary sources of data included the internet, books and texts. This was done to gain a better understanding of the problem which was being investigated PRESENTATION OF DATA Map Showing Location Of Princess Town In Trinidad figure 1 figure 2 figure3 figure 4 figure 5 figure 6 figure 7 Figure 8: Diagram showing students who use the internet for aid in research Figure 9: Diagram showing other means of research used by students INTERPRETATION OF DATA Based on the results obtained from the 60 students investigated at St. Stephens College, it was found that most students ( 68% ) partake in online activities more than once per day while only 4% of them do not partake at all. This shows that while most students do have internet access , some do not and are therefore not affect by the effects of the internet. As indicated by figure 2, a majority of the students who do have access to the internet also spend between 1 and 3 hours online everyday ( 45 ) while 12 spend more than 4 hours online. The internet is used by students in various fashions as seen from figure 3. The number of students using the internet for education, entertainment, and communicating with others are almost corresponding. Coupled with the other activities as, passing time, shopping and work/business, it can be seen that most time spent on the internet is not for educational purposes. When the data from figure 2 and 3 are combined , it can see that 33 students students spend more than 2 hours online everyday and that most of that time would be spent idle and not constructive. However , from figures 8 and 9 , it can clearly be seen that all of the students that were selected, use the internet for aid in research, while in figure 9, students use more than one souurce of research. This included 32 choosing books, 21 using newspapers and 7 use journal as their source. Figures 8 and 9 show that students do accomplish work on the internet but not all information can be sourced there. Figure 4 shows that while there are 21 students scoaring acceptable grades at end of the term examinations (60-100%), there is still an overwhelming number of students performing under par (0-60%). This includes 39 of the 60 students. The table show that there is likely a link between the use of the internet and academic performance of the students. Larger quantities of students idle online resulting in greater quantities of students scoaring below average. The location of internet usage usually used by students are shown on figure 5. Most students use the internet either at their homes oor by a family members home. This accounts for 52 of the 60 students. The home is a place where most students relax and feel free and this may lead to them allocating more time idle on the internet as compared to a student who uses the internet at school where the use of the internet is controlled. The large quantities of students using the internet at home may be directly linked to the below average end of term examinations grades. Many of the students indicated that the internet was useful when it came towards academic work (95%), while the other 5% said otherwise according to figure 6. On figure 7, almost equal quantities of students both disagree and agree with the statement that the advantages of the internet outweigh the disadvantages. A total of 23 students agreed while 22 students disagreed , 15 students were neutral about the topic. The data shown from both figures 6 and 7 indicate that while large quantities of students do believe that the internet is useful towards academic work , it is easy to be distracted and held at an disadvantage instead of focus and be at an advantage . DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS The main objective of this study was to carry out an investigation about the impact of internet usage on the academic performance of students at St. Stephens College. The findings from the research done, inficated that the increased quantity of students using the internet corresponded to the high numbers of students whith low academic scores. This also corresponded to the research article done by Ying-Fang Chen and Samuel C.Peng (2005-2006) as their candidates who had heavy internet usage performed poorly with respect to academics. From the research done it was also found that students with internet access spend more time online, idle than doing assignments. Therefore students without internet access would spend more time constructive. One of the objectives of the research was to determine if students had become dependent on the internet . Althought many students admitted that the internet does help with research, many of them also refer to sources such as books and journals. This data lead to the conclusion that while students are quite heavily dependent on the internet , they are not totally dependent and are capable of using varyous sources for research. Overall, the results of this study compared to the literature review show that students are more negatively impacted upon by internet use as the internet, althought helpful at times, it a distraction to students. CONCLUSION The research study has clearly outlined the impact of the internet on the students of ST. Stephens College. It can be concluded that althought internet usage does have its benefits, the internet impacts more negatively on students as they are more distracted by online activities and spend less time doing work. Also, it can be concluded that althought students are heavily dependent on the internet, they are not fully dependant since they are capable of using various sources for information. LIMITATIONS Firstly, the sample for the study was selected from only one institute, therefore generalization of the findings to the total population is limited. Also, the study investigates the impact of the internet on academic performance. Other variables such as health, gender and social well-being may also affect performance, therefore future studies should not be as limited. RECOMMENDATIONS To improve the study done, more questionnaires could have been distributed to improve the accuracy of the study. Also, some students could have been interviewed to obtain a better qualitative report. To reduce the negative effect of the internet on students, schools can inform parents to manage supervise their childs internet usage to ensure that time is not wasted. BIBLIOGRAPY: APPENDICES Questionnaire This questionnaire is designed to evaluate the relationship between internet usage and academic performance. Your cooperation in completing this study, your honest answers to the following questions would be greatly appreciated. As all responses are confidential, please do not sign your name. What is your age? ____________________________ Gender? Male Female How often do you use the internet? More than once per day Once a day Not at all Per week On average how many hours per day do you spend on the internet? Less than 1 hour 1-2 hours 2-3 hours More than 3 hours Where do you use the internet? Home School Family members home Cafà © Library What do you primarily use the Web for? (Please check all that apply.) Education Shopping/gathering product information Entertainment Work/Business Passing time Communication with others (not including email) Gathering information for personal needs Do you use the internet for aid in research? Yes No If so please state why. _______________________________________________________________________ How much does the internet help you academically? Very little Not at all A moderate amount Very much Do you use any of the following as means of research other than the internet? Books Newspapers Journals The advantages of the internet outweigh the disadvantages. Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree How do you perform in your end of term exams? 0-25 marks 45-60marks 35-45marks 60-85marks 85-100 marks Do you believe that the internet can have an effect on academic performance? _________________________________________________________________ If so please state why?

Flextime Policies Achieve Better Work Life Balance Management Essay

Flextime Policies Achieve Better Work Life Balance Management Essay The increased attention of issues relating to the implementation of flexible time arrangements to support work-life balance reflects significant economic and social changes at the individual and organizational level. Since 1950s, there has been a significant change of the standard working time (Bittman and Rice 2001; Blyton, 1994), resulting from the demand to increase flexibility without undermining cost factor.  As a result of the extended operating hours, businesses have experienced a much wider range of working hour arrangement, especially in the case of part-time and hourly workers.   The changes in the profile of labor market due to the increase in female participation in the workforce, the rise of single-parent and dual-income families and the increased number of workers in sandwich generation ,the growth on expenditure and debt levels, and the prospect of boundary-less work organizations in the future pose critical questions about peoples current and future ability to satisfactorily integrate their work and home-lives, the support system available to facilitate that integration, and more broadly, the role and value of work and consumption in contemporary society (Ransome, 2005; and Schor, 1999).   There is no one that fits for all solution to the issue of implementing flexible time policy in the workplace. The case study demonstrates that different policies, practices, and strategies will be needed to address the issue of flex-time conflict. Furthermore, we will analyze the role of communication, monitoring, and information sharing to achieve optimal benefit from flextime. By using flexible work arrangements, employers give employees a sense of control and empowerment.  This will lead to reduced cost from absenteeism, lower level of productivity, increased stress level, increased turnover and replacement. Introduction We have seen the images of working adults, trying to balance the burden of having a spouse, children, or elders to support, and work-related issues, usually coping with deadlines and increased work pressure, on the other. The balance is brittle, if they spend too much time at work, their family will suffer and vice versa. The role of work has changed, from zero-sum game to win-win interactions largely because of changing economic and social conditions (Harris Marmer, 1996). Win-win situations can be achieved by arranging work-schedules to meet work-family demands, making priorities, using employment-related resources, and having access to behavioral and emotional support from others especially employers (Friedman Greenhaus, 2000). One of the biggest challenges for organizations has been how to respond to the economic and social changes that alter the working environments. In response, many work organizations are introducing a variety of innovative approaches to cope with the changes in working roles and structures. Once perceived as a matter of necessity and survival, work is now seen as a source of personal satisfaction. One of the vehicles to attain balance and fulfill personal satisfaction is flexible-time arrangements. In the next section we concentrate on how this fashionable term has evolved and discuss problems related to the implementation of the program.    Key Concepts Research on work-life balance started in the mid-1960s ( Rapoport Rapoport, 1965 ) and developed from the focus on women and work-family conflict, to a more recent focus on all employees. However, the term work-life balance is a misnomer. The phrase indicates that work is separate from life, although work is increasingly dominating peoples lives. Furthermore, the word balance seems to imply that there is a trade-off between work and life, yet they are not necessarily mutually exclusive (Kanter, 1977). Parasuraman and Greenhaus introduced the term work-life integration to overcome the problem of work-life balance (1997). The idea is to integrate work and personal lives rather than seeing them as two separate domains that rule out one another, thus have to be balanced. However, one misunderstanding of the term integration is that it implies work and personal life must be integrated in the sense of merging each other, eliminating the possibility of integrating the two by deliberately keeping these domains separate (Lewis Cooper, 1999). As a result, the word harmonization has been introduced to relate work and personal life domains in harmonious ways without ruling out one another or merging these domains together (Gambles, Lewis, Rapoport, 2003). For simplification purpose, we will not delve into the issue of these terms and use the term work-life balance interchangeably with work-life harmonization or  work-life integration.   Ballard and Seibold (2004) stated that flexibility pertains to the degree of rigidity in time structuring and task completion plans.   Flexibility is categorized into flex-time, job sharing/part-time work, and telecommuting  (Hall Richter, 1988; Sullivan Lewis, 2001). Flex-time is a simplified term that describes flexibility in work schedules and hours. Employees can manage their work days within core-hours the hours which employees must present at work, usually between 10:00-14:00- and a bandwidth the earliest and latest starting and finishing times built around core-hours to which they can choose to adjust (Christensen Staines, 1990). There is no universal definition of standard work days due to different legislations across countries.however, we assume that it is defined by 40-hour and five-day working week. The Current Flextime Trend in Canada Flex-time programs are common in Canada and the trend reflects employers belief on that flex-time implementation results in better business performances. According to Statistics Canadas 2003 Workplace and Employee Survey (WES), which sampled 20,834 employees from 6,565 workplaces, approximately 57% of all working Canadians are already using flex-time programs, including compressed workweek and flexible work schedule. In the study, Flexibility: Whose Choice Is It Anyway? conducted by Cooke and Mann, they analyzed the WES data and discovered that flex time programs are implemented to improve business performances and minimize cost rather than to assist employees with their work-life balance. The Demographic Change The sandwich generation and workaholics are the two main groups of employees that are experiencing low satisfaction due to their poor work-life balance. According to Statistic Canadas General Social Survey (GSS), the sandwich generation population has increased from 670,000 in 2002 to about 2.7 million Canadians in 2007 (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). In 2002, it was estimated that approximately 27% of people age 45 and above are struggling to support both their children under 25 years old and their aging parents while working a full-time job (Williams, 2005). In fact, the latest GSS published in 2008 indicates a steady increase of sandwiched caregivers due to the late marriage trend, currently baby boomer generation are sandwiched in between family and work.   In addition to that, the increasing population of females in the workforce today also constitute to the proportion of the sandwich generation. There is an 11.6 % increase of all working women from 1976 to 2006 (Table 1). Increased education, desire for personal fulfillment, increased consumption, the high cost of living, and the high rate of divorce has contributed the growth in women participation in the workforce. In fact, according to the Statistics Canadas data collected in 2006, 73% of all women with children are part of the workforce (Almey, 2006). This indicates that families with children are more likely to have dual income from both the wife and the husband, leaving lesser time for individuals to take care of the family. 2005 GSS also collected data showing that there are 31% working Canadians aging 19 to 64 who think they are workaholics. Comparing to the non-workaholics, the majority of workaholics are unsatisfied with their current work-life balance. The large proportion of working Canadians who are unhappy with their work-life balance indicates the possibility that flextime can be a feasible solution to help with their stress in time management. Society also witnesses the increasing number of boomerang generation. Boomerang generation or boomerang kids are young adults age 20 and above that have returned from independence to live together with their parents. The growth of the boomerang generation is partly due to the economic condition and also to the multicultural family structure of Canada. According to Statistic Canada, 73% of Asian-Canadian families have adult children living with their parents whereas only 26% of Canadian born parents are allowing their adult children to live with them (Turcotte, 2006). Nevertheless, the boomerang generation relies partially on their parents in order to save the cost of owning and renting a house which helps maintain their desired lifestyle. Due to the emergence of the boomerang generation the burden has doubled for the aging baby boomers who have to continue working in order to take care of their adult children and the elders in the family (Canada Year Book: Society and community, 2008 ). The Caregivers Wish List In order to assist with the growing number of employees with work-life balance concern, Statistic Canadas 2007 GSS provides further data which include 712,000 caregiver aged between 45 and 64 and explore their major concerns with their work and personal life.   According to the statistics, 70% of sandwiched employees believe if the company provides more support and flex time programs, their work performance will improve (General Social Survey: Cycle 21, 2007). The following statistic is from Cara Williamss article, The sandwich generation, which shows the significant cost for sandwiched employees when they do not have access to resources that help them balance their work and personal life (2005).   Ã‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 % reduced their work hours  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   20 % changed their schedules  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10 % lost income  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   70 % are stressed out  Ã‚   Table 2 (refer to the Appendices ), The Caregivers Wish list, is a comparison of the needs from sandwiched employees to employees with elder care needs. The highlighted percentage of sandwiched employees shows that the top two wishes for both sandwiched employees and employees with elder-care responsibility are some form of workplace support such as flexible schedule and elder care to help accommodate their overwhelming responsibilities (Williams, 2005). Overall, both statistic and employee survey suggest that flexibility is a major attribute that potential employees consider in a company. Flextime Policies The adoption of flexible time policies differ widely by the level of public provision and culture of the organization. Some researchers argue that laissez-faire market stimulates employees concern of work-life programs, whereas others argue that public provision creates a climate which employers become active in pursuing this entitlement (Lewis, 1997). Den Dulk (2001) further reinstates that active government provision does not translate into the disappearance of the motivation for employers to implement work-life programs. Poelmans and Sahibzada (2004) summarize all factors that may influence the adoption decision. They argue that the probability of an organization to address work-life conflict is a function of the macro-level context in which the organization runs the business. The country level context is related to employees sense of entitlement to receive support from their employers, whereas the labor market context affects employees choice and negotiation power over organizati ons work-life policies, thus increasing the pressure on firms to implement them (Poelmans Sahibzada, 2004). The complete factors that influence organizations adoption decision is presented in Table 3 (refer to the Appendices ). Organizations need to decide the flexible work arrangements that suit their business model and the needs of the workforce. Business model that requires employees to meet fluctuating demands from clients outside work hours may implement flexible work arrangements. In fact, flextime is ranked more favorably than reduced-time schedules because many (full-time) employees with family responsibilities cannot afford to work less than standard full-time schedule (Rodgers, 1992). Benefits Employees that benefit from flex-time include working parents, especially working mothers, who want to be involved in their childrens lives while having the balance of having a family and a career at the same time. At Bristol Myers Squibb, 72% of those who worked flexible hours in 2003 were female (Poelmans Beham, 2005). Flextime options are excellent recruiting and retention tools. An article in the Long Island Business News interviewed many executives and found that they agree that investment in such programs shows that the company cares about their employees well-being and increases the companys attractiveness to highly skilled people who might not be ready to go back into the workplace on a full-time basis or just need flexible schedules (Starzee, 2009). In a survey by Careerbuilding.com in 2008, 54% of 7600 workers felt that companies offer flexible work arrangements to help manage stress levels and work life balance. 90% of American employees also feel that they are more value d by their companies if given the option of flexible schedules (Sweeney, 2003). Benefits offered depend on the type of job, industry or the employees.. With the right employees and good implementation on the part of management, costs of flex-time policies should be much less than replacement costs, which includes recruitment, hiring, training, and orientation. Even for an entry level position, replacement costs can exceed $10,000, not including lost time, energy and effort of management (Bednar, 2010). Using this strategy, companies can keep their top talent happy and reduce turnover. When the same employees stay with the company for a long time, they can provide better service for clients due to increased experience. Absenteeism is also likely to decrease since employees are more motivated to work when they feel they are valued by the company by giving them options to help them juggle their home and work demands. Table 4 in the Appendices lists the possible advantages of flexible work arrangements. Costs There are also costs to implementing flex-time policies. First of all, it is not one size fits all. Most employers identified through years of experience that many employees might not have the same motivation to work hard and get work done by staying late if they were given the option of coming in after the official start time (Bednar, 2010). Therefore, monitoring is essential to ensure that employees are not taking advantage of the policy. In order to properly and effectively implement a flex-time policy, employers need to introduce a series of new rules and procedures to manage the flexible workers and culture change, such as stricter punctuality and related provisions to ensure the equal, or even higher level of productivity. It is a burden and a risk for management. They are also required to monitor the performance of flexible employees with different measures to reduce scheme risks and achieve work goals. Secondly, starting such programs requires a great amount of communication to the employees about the availability and details (Bitti, 2008). Regardless of the results, management must spend time and effort in the attempt to make flex-time work. Productivity could decrease, service level might be lowered and lead to customer dissatisfaction, and employee dissatisfaction might also arise if they believe the arrangements were unfair.  Flex-time is not always supported by all employees, even though it is mostly considered as a benefit for employees. In 2008, a Deloittes survey of more than 1600 workers showed that 39% respondents agreed that taking advantage of formal flexible work policies including flex-time would harm their career. Based on the survey, employees are more comfortable with informal policies, such as taking time off for personal activities, if leaders are more open about their own needs and practices (CFO, 2008). To further complicate the matter, flex-time was seen as both alleviating and generating stress and was generally seen to have a negative impact on opportunities for learning and advancement (Kelliher Anderson, 2008). Some businesses cannot adjust their employees work schedules, because such a change would not fit their business (Wensley, 2008). A client may call in looking for something immediately, and the person with the flexible schedule is absent (Starzee, 2009). These potential negative effects may lead managers to be more conservative about implementing flex-time options. Despite all costs associated with the implementation of flex-time policies, employers that provide greater flexibility have been found to be related with higher perceived organizational performance (Perry-Smith Blum, 2000); resulted in increased shareholder return (Arthur, 2003). In addition, flextime policies create a favorable view of the organization, thereby suggesting that the organization is more attractive to job seekers (Casper Buffardi, 2004). In fact, many of the industry leaders listed in the Best 100 Companies to Work For in Fortune Magazine provide excellent flextime policies that better integrate work-family life of their employees. Case Study:   Kraft Foods, Inc. Kraft began to support work-life balance programs after a national employee survey in 2000 showed that the major challenge for most Kraft employees was finding balance between home and work-life. The survey also indicated that Kraft hourly workers that account for 59% of Kraft employees were the least satisfied with their work-life balance among all the employee groups. To overcome the problem, Kraft introduced the Fast Adapts program. Initiated in December 2002, Fast Adapts allows workers to swap shifts, take single day vacations, and request job sharing arrangement from their supervisor. Fast Adapts program was published in the company newsletters and broadcasted on the video monitors. The program was also communicated in the regular plant-wide meetings.    The flexible arrangement enables employees who are out on leave because of extended illness, family issues, or taking vacations to switch shifts with other employees. All hourly workers are eligible to use Fast Adapts program, given that the arrangements are aligned with work process, plant policy, or union contract. If not, employees are encouraged to discuss their situation with Human Resource managers to find alternative work solutions. To evaluate the effectiveness of this program, information about employee satisfaction was collected in the first quarter of 2003. The biannual survey showed improvement in hourly employees satisfaction with work-life balance. Conclusion The repetitive nature and inflexible schedule of the job in Krafts working site contributed to the decreased level of work-life balance satisfaction among hourly employees. Krafts Fast Adapts program has been successful for some reasons. Employees receive more autonomy over their work schedule, thus they are able to better integrate work-life demands. Plant managers also need to be more accountable, as they have to develop flexible work arrangements that work best for each individual plant. Fast Adapts program also encourages employees to communicate their needs to employers. The other key issue is to understand that flexibility should be an ongoing and mutual commitment between Kraft and its employees, win-win situation can only be achieved if both sides work toward Krafts vision of a supportive culture. Appendices Table 1: Employed Women by age group in percentage 1976 1986 1996 All women 41.9 50.2 52.1 15 to 24 51.4 58.1 52.0 25 to 44 50.0 66.4 70.9 45 to 54 45.6 55.9 66.3 55 to 64 30.3 30.3 33.5 Source: Statistics Canada. (2006). Women in Canada: Work Chapter Updates.   Ã‚     (Catalogue no. 89F0133XWE). Retrieved April 2, 2010 from Statistics Canada:   Ã‚     http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89f0133x/89f0133x2006000-eng.htm Table 2: The Caregivers Wishlist Employed (%) Sandwiched Respite Care 52 Flexible work or study arrangements 46 Information on long-term disabilities 43 Information on care giving 42 Financial compensation / tax breaks 36 Counselling 28 Other 12 Source: Williams, C. (2005). The sandwich generation. Perspectives on Labour and Income.(Catalogue number 75-001-XIE).   Retrieved March 27, 2010, from Statistics Canada: www.statcan.ca:8096/bsolc/english/bsolc?catno=75-001-X20041097033. Table 3: Macro-context factors that influence adoption decision Country Level Extensive government-supported policies, as in social democratic countries Egalitarian gender-role ideology Low in masculinity Low in power distance Countries high in individualism Labor Market Scarcity of talent or skills High diffusion of work-family benefits High percentage of women in the active population High reliance on knowledge work High reliance on quality of customer service Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431. Table 4: Advantages of flextime policies Benefits for employers Cost savings because of increased retention of valuable employees Improved morale, employee satisfaction, productivity and employee commitment because of better integration of work and family lives. Better scheduling for the department A public relation tool to attract new employees Savings in office space and equipment Less time lost in traffic jam can be invested at work, also improved parking options Government incentives to encourage flexible employment fuelled by concerns about traffic, air quality, etc Source : Poelmans, S. Sahibzada, K. (2004). A multi-level model for studying the context and impact of work-family policies and culture in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 14. 409-431 various.

Philippine Attacks :: essays research papers

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine forces launched attacks on three southern islands in an effort to wipe out the guerrillas who held a U.S. couple hostage for more than a year, military officers said Sunday. The assaults, which started Saturday after one of the Americans and a Philippine captive died in a rescue attempt, are aimed at the top three commanders of the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf, said Philippine Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina. Martin Burnham, 42, and Ediborah Yap, 45, died in a shootout Friday when government troops ambushed their captors in jungles of the main southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Burnham's wife Gracia was shot through the thigh but rescued. "We're now operating with greater ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine forces launched attacks on three southern islands in an effort to wipe out the guerrillas who held a U.S. couple hostage for more than a year, military officers said Sunday. The assaults, which started Saturday after one of the Americans and a Philippine captive died in a rescue attempt, are aimed at the top three commanders of the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf, said Philippine Maj. Gen. Ernesto Carolina. Martin Burnham, 42, and Ediborah Yap, 45, died in a shootout Friday when government troops ambushed their captors in jungles of the main southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Burnham's wife Gracia was shot through the thigh but rescued. "We're now operating with greater intensity. We will not let them get away with this," said Carolina, head of southern Philippine forces. He said no clashes were reported as of Sunday morning. Carolina said 1,500 and 1,800 soldiers would arrive in the next three days to back troops already hunting the Abu Sayyaf on the islands of Jolo, Basilan and the province of Zamboanga del Norte on Mindanao. "We will have to finish this war because terrorism is a scourge on the Earth," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Sunday. All three mountainous, jungle-covered areas stand in a 60-mile stretch of the Sulu Sea in the southwestern Philippines. It wasn't clear how many troops were already involved in the operations, but thousands of soldiers have been in the area for months - since the military launched its offensive after the Abu Sayyaf seized the Burnhams and several other hostages in May 2001. Carolina said soldiers on Mindanao were hunting Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Sabaya, who fled into dense jungle with about 40 men after the army attacked them during Friday's rescue mission. (AP) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, right, extends her condolences to the family of slain.

Blake :: essays research papers

In Blake's "London" the speaker connects various characters and socio/political institutions in order to critique the injustices perpetrated in England. The busy, commercial city of London functions as a space in which the speaker can imagine the inescapable interconnections of English institution and citizens. Although separated by differences of class and gender, the citizens of London brush up against each other so that the misery of the poor and dispossessed is a direct indictment of the callousness of the rich and powerful, f the institutions of state and religion. The speaker of the poem emphasizes the social and economic differences that separate the citizens of London. By repeating the word "charter'd", he reminds the reader of the commercial nature of the city, the fact that portions of it are owned, and that not everyone has equal access to goods or property. In the first line of his poem as Blake speaks of how he is wandering through the "charter'd" streets, he is commenting on this commercial aspect of London. As he moves on in his poem he also refers to the "charter'd" Thames, he is telling us in this second line that even a river which is a force of nature, is owned in London. When Blake says that he sees "marks of weakness, marks of woe" in "every face" he meets, he means that he can see how this commercialism is affecting everyone rich and poor. Yet, despite the divisions that the word charter'd suggests, the speaker contends that no one in London, neither rich or poor, escapes a pervasive sense of misery and entrapment. The speaker talks of how in "every cry of every man" he hears the misery. Blake is once again reminding us that this is affecting everyone. As he goes on to comment on he can hear it in "every infants cry of fear", he is saying that even the babies know what is going to happen to them when they grow up and they fear the misery that they will soon face. In the next line of the poem Blake chooses to use a very interesting word. When he writes "in every ban" he leaves the line open to many different interpretations. The word ban can mean a political prohibition, a curse, or an announcement of marriage. The political meaning is an obvious one in this poem, Blake obviously does not like the politics of London and he fells that the commercialism is preventing the people from being happy.

Short Story Esay – on the Side Walk Bleeding

A short story in which a material object becomes important is â€Å"On the Side walk Bleeding† by Evan Hunter. With reference to the text I will identify the object and explain it's significance. In the opening paragraph the author gives a detailed description of a jacket which is worn by the victim of an attack. â€Å"The boy's name was Andy, the name was delicately scripted in black thread on the front of the jacket, just over the heart. On the back of the jacket it has the slogan ‘THE ROYALS'† this is the gang he is associated with. The Royals' are rivals to The Guardians. Being a Royal lead to Andy’s death. When he goes out for a pack of cigarettes he is violently assaulted by a member of The Guardians. The gang member said, with volume, â€Å"That's for you Royal! †. This tone insinuates that he had a vendetta with the gang as he emphasises the word ‘Royal'. If Andy wasn't wearing the Royal's jacket he wouldn't have been attacked. As the s tory progresses there are two young love birds strolling down the pavement. They duck into the ally where Andy lay after he'd been attacked. They didn't realise that Andy was only a few feet away. Freddie, one of the couple, saw Andy and knelt down beside him, that was when he had seen the jacket and said â€Å"He's a Royal. † The couple are afraid to help him in case The Guardians attack them. This further reveals the significance of the jacket; a material object which caused him to be targeted and is stopping people from helping him. When Laura, Andy's girlfriend, goes searching for him she find him in the ally, dead. He was found 58 minutes after he had been stabbed but before he bleed to death he mustered up all his strength to try and take his dreaded jacket off in the hope that someone would attempt to help him. The jacket meant fear to any one and everyone if he had managed to take it off before, he would have been saved but he didn't do it earlier. ‘A Royal, huh? were the first words the police officer said when he had found the jacket only a foot away from his cold body. Laura tried to tell him that his name was ‘Andy' but the officer only saw a Royal and nothing else. The jacket was a label and his identity was lost whilst he wore it. The significance of a material object in the text is important because it symbolises his dedication to the gang. This not only resulted in him being targeted; it made people afraid to help him and ultimately because of the jacket, he was left to die. Jamie Blair

International Business Strategy Essay

The Shangri-La hotels and resorts initiated in 1971 with a flagship hotel in Singapore. The Hong Kong based hotel chain now has around fifty five deluxe hotels and resorts across the world. The Shangri-La currently has hotels and resorts in Asia, Middle East, Europe, and North America. Shangri-La hotels and resorts shall soon be opening hotels in the regions of the Maldives, the Philippines and in Bangalore, Mumbai, Thailand and India. We can concur from this rapid international growth of the Shangri-La that the hotel is expanding its operations to various countries and increasing its international presence. The hotel not only needs to devise strategies for entry but for overall operation as well with respect to human resource, marketing, services and general management. This paper shall discuss the intricacies of the entry strategy employed by Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, the corporate strategy that it observes, the competitive strategy and the competitive business strategy that it exercises. The paper shall also perform a functional analysis of the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in terms of the Human Resource Management strategy that it exercises. The paper shall conclude by identifying key organizational dimensions that have been established through the study performed in the paper. Introduction to the Subject MNE The launching of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts began in the 1971 with a flagship hotel, in Singapore. Till the year 2008 it has been recorded to have 55 deluxe hotels located in major cities of Asia, Europe, Australia, United States and the Middle East. Along with these the Shangri-La Resorts and Hotels bear alliance with their Sister Company the Trader’s Hotel that fulfills the catering requirements of business travelers. This chain of hotels was set up by Mr. Robert Kuok and now his nephew Mr. Edward Kuok Khoon Loong holds the position of chairman of the board for Shangri-La Asia Limited. Despite its ranking as a 5 star deluxe hotel, it has had quite a few unfavorable reviews. But it appears that the positive reviews far supersede the negative ones. For instance one guest reviewed the hotel as part spectacular and part unimpressive. According to this guest, The Horizon Club Premier room was far from the exemplary 5 star deal originally promised. However this guest goes on to suggest that while the Horizon Premier wing was unimpressive, when asked for a transfer to another wing, known as the Valley wing this guest was highly pleased, it was everything the hotel had promised and more. The luxuriant 5 star deluxe tagline was apparent in the spectacular yet cozy furnishing and the service was described to be incredible. Another guest however described the service of the hotel to be despicable. First not only were the details of their payments messed up, they were forced to pay more or if they could not, they had to move to the lowest paid room, which was a far cry from the luxurious settings of the Valley Wing, there they were submitted to zero rated service, as it appeared that only affluent guests were applicable to affluent treatment. However their being ushered into a lower class room meant that they were not worth the special brand treatment reserved for the high paying guests. Contrary to the above negative reviews, a couple who stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel described the treatment, services, luxurious settings and furnishings as unbelievably fantastic, they too stayed at the Horizon club and in contrast with above reviews, they described it as a highly pleasurable experience. Many such guests describe their stay at the Shangri-La hotel as a memorable and nostalgic experience. Every hotel despite its efforts at flourishing, obtains bad reviews, this most probably is dependent on the fact that environments are subject to every individual’s personal thoughts and interpretation, what was unpleasant for some, in contradiction was fantastically better for others. Motivations for Internationalization Internationalization is one of the major elements of growth for any enterprise or organization where companies take advantage of the global business environment involving various countries in the world. There are various factors that motivate companies to invest internationally and expand business from local to international levels. These factors include exploring new markets and taking advantage of growth patterns of certain industries in various countries. The Shangri-La hotel also focuses on new markets where there is good potential for hotels and resorts. Take the examples of India, U. A. E, Australia, Thailand and Maldives. These markets are becoming tourist destinations for individuals from all around the world. These countries are not only tourist destinations but also offer attractive environment for businesses like hotels and resorts. Another motivation for the hotel to internationalize is the lower cost of doing businesses in various countries and high level of revenues the hotel can generate from those areas. The foreign exchange a company earns by doing business abroad is also one of the causes of internationalization. Various countries also offer lower tax rates in various specific industries such as hotels, education and other industries. Shangri-La has gained from opening hotels in new locations both financially and in terms of goodwill. As the company opens new hotels and resorts in various locations, it draws closer to becoming a member of the highly reputed hotel chains of the world. The hotel has to keep up with the challenges being faced in the new locations both regarding the culture of the local populace and catering to the tourists flocking to these locations. The hotel has not only opened in various locations but the plans for extending to newer location and increasing the number of hotels in the present international locations identifies the hotel management’s ideology regarding internationalization. As the company benefits in terms of revenue and status from the international locations, its local popularity grows as well as Shangri-La now signifies a multinational hotel resort chain with five star hotels and resorts at various international locations catering to the needs of a diverse clientele base. The intention of opening hotels in U. A. E and Maldives implies how far the management is willing to go to introduce the hotel chain to newer markets and benefit from the hotel and resort friendly atmosphere in these locations despite of major cultural differences. The hotel chain invests in culturally viable human resource to tackle with the cultural differences and relies on a local and expatriate workforce as well. The hotel like other multinational companies depends heavily on these foreign locations for a constant and sustainable growth which is the most significant cause of internationalization of Shangri-La hotel and resorts chain. Functional Analysis – HRM Modern day Hong Kong based multinational organizations are choosing to establish a work force they can rely on to provide them with a working infrastructure that can adapt to various cultures. This is because of the fact that for multinational hotels, the aspect of human resource adaptability has become just as important as the professional abilities that the candidates posses. This becomes all the more significant in scenarios where hotels and hospitality establishments such as Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts are concerned. In the last few decades, the trend of hiring culture adaptable human resource has undergone a significant degree of growth. This is because of the fact that in order to cater to a global clientele and to serve them, it is essential that the elements performing the services are well versed in the language of the clientele. In order for the working elements of hospitality to function on a global scale, they have to be capable of thinking on a global scale. Albeit, one cannot ignore the fact that their functioning will be within a perimeter where foreign clientele will visit, therefore, it is essential to note that the human resource has to be proficient in the areas involved in the functioning of the immediate locale as well. Because of the same reason, hotels & resorts such as the Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts now choose to hire personnel who can entertain clients from all over the world with the same degree of hospitality. The candidates that Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts now seek out are ones who can be cordial, sociable and have former experience in the area of adapting to clients from across the world with a consistent degree of hospitality. For Honk Kong based Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts, knowledge of the language of an immediate region is just as essential as the knowledge of the language used by their clientele from across the world. As Hong Kong based multinationals prepare to expand, the need for personnel who can not only function but also manage the infrastructure at the same time increases. The room for errors is decreasing exponentially over time. The Hong Kong based multinationals are also searching for a workforce which includes people who are affordable. Due to a substantial rise in the operating costs, doing business in Hong Kong has become more expensive in the last ten years. The firms based in Hong Kong are not enthusiastic about giving the incentives and bonuses to foreign workers as they did earlier. The same goes for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, the cost of doing business has affected the human resource policies in hotel management as well. The companies based in Hong Kong including hotels such as the Shangri-La now offer a salary package that includes housing and living costs on into the basic salary. The companies are also starting to offer performance based salary arrangement which are more attractive to new employees (Meijob. com 2008). Entry Strategy  There are three factors which determine the entry strategy for any hotel into international markets which are control of the hotel, commitments of resources and level of risk diversification. The entry strategies available to hotels include complete ownership, franchises, management contracts, joint ventures, strategic alliance and forming a consortium. The entry strategies adapted by Shangri-La hotels for various international locations include sole-ownership, management contracts and equity participation in the form of joint ventures or strategic alliances. These strategies vary from location to location depending on the specific environment of the host countries. The company operates sole-ownership hotels in countries where the gain on real estate is higher and the hotel operations are profitable and have a good potential for growth. In countries where a significant level of risk is involved the company opts for other options such as management contracts where direct ownership of real estate is either not possible or not viable for the company. The hotel chain uses joint ventures in areas where the cost of doing business and the cost of capital is quite high or in locations where there are certain property ownership constraints. The hotels established by the company in various areas were the first luxury hotels of the area and in some areas the company provided luxury hotel services solely. The company had signaled a long term planning structure for the time to come as in 1989 the company started a second hotel chain called Traders. This was a four star mid-ranged hotel brand with lower level of standards than the company’s main hotel chain. The company amended the newly acquired chain and upgraded services to meet the current luxury levels of Shangri-La. The main ideology behind this amendment was to introduce the concept of luxury hotels to newer markets and eventually establishing five star luxury hotels in these regions. Again this market entry strategy reflected the company’s long term goal to take luxury hotels and resorts to newer locations. Though the hotel chain saw difficult times the company gained substantially from its investments in China as the economy of the country flourished. In the starting of the new century the company amended its entry strategy slightly to adapt to global conditions. The company had now acquired hotels in Dubai and Canada. The growth of the company enabled it to open various hotels in different locations during 2000-2005 and there is a long list of hotels which are being planned for newer locations. The entry strategy for global locations has now changed slightly as these markets are already familiar to luxury hotels. The company now aims to gain from its reputation as one of the largest hotel chains of Asia. The company invests heavily in areas with high tourism capacity and targets areas which have a high potential for luxury resorts such as Dubai, Maldives, Thailand and Malaysia which have now become tourist hubs for individuals from around the world with diverse cultural backgrounds.

A Brief History of the Hybrid Vehicle Essay

First built in the early 1900s by inventors tinkering with combinations of the electric motor and the gasoline engine, hybrid vehicles were dropped when gasoline-fueled vehicles became more reliable and easier to start, and gasoline fuel more readily available. Research and development of hybrid vehicles was revived by concern about oil dependency in the1970s and about air pollution in the late 1980s. A number of hybrid vehicles have been built and tested since 1980. Some of these vehicles have impressed analysts with their performance and low levels of exhaust and petroleum consumption. Interest in hybrid vehicles jumped in late 1993 with the announcement of funding for two major collaborations. The US Department of Energy signed a five-year, $138 million development agreement with General Motors and a $122 million agreement with Ford to design and build preproduction hybrid prototypes that could be marketed in less than 10 years. [1] All these were done because hybrid electric vehicles are expected to be the future of vehicles worldwide. Definition One considers a vehicle to be a hybrid when it combines two or more sources of power. For example, a mo-ped (a motorized pedal bike) is a hybrid because it combines the power of a gasoline engine with the pedal power of its rider. Similarly, the gasoline-electric hybrid car is a combination of both an electric car and a gasoline-powered one. That is, it makes use of both electricity and gasoline to provide the energy to turn the wheels of the car. Figure 1 shows a gas-powered car. [2] Components Of A Gasoline Powered Car The 4-cylinder engine converts gasoline into motion so that the car can move. The easiest way it does this is to burn the gasoline inside the engine. Therefore is acts as an internal combustion engine i. e. combustion takes place internally. Gasoline powered car engines typically have over 100 horsepower and operate at speeds up to 8000 RPM. The fuel tank stores and supplies gasoline to the engine. It can typically store enough fuel to provide the engine with energy capable of moving the car through a distance of 300 miles or more. Figure 2 below shows an electric car, which has a set of batteries that provides electricity to an electric motor. The motor turns a transmission, and the transmission turns the wheels. [3] Components Of An Electric Car The batteries store and provide energy to the electric motor in an electric car just as the fuel tank does for the engine in a gasoline powered car. It usually gives the car a range of 50 – 100 miles which is much less than that typically provided by a fuel tank (300 miles). The electric motor is the device that provides motion in an electric car. It converts the energy it receives from the batteries into motion which is used to turn a transmission which then in turn rotates the wheels. It is able to spin up to 15000 RPM and has up to 100 kW of power. Since this motion is connected to the transmission, the transmission also spins the wheel up to this rate. Thus, electric cars would tend to move faster than gasoline powered cars. Components Common To Both The Electric Car And The Gasoline Powered Car The transmission is the device that does the actual turning of the wheel in both cars. There are several ways of combining the two sources of power found in a hybrid car. The Parallel Hybrid Car: This has a fuel tank which supplies gasoline to the engine. In addition, it has a set of batteries that supplies power to an electric motor. Both the engine and the engine motor can turn the transmission at the same time and the transmission then turns the wheels. Figure 3 shows a typical parallel hybrid. The fuel tank and gas engine connect to the transmission. The batteries and electric motor also connect to the transmission independently. As a result, in a parallel hybrid, both the electric motor and the gas engine can provide propulsion power. The Series Hybrid Car: The gasoline engine in this car turns a generator and the generator can either charge the batteries or power an electric motor that drives the transmission. Thus the gasoline engine never directly powers the vehicle. All of the components form a line that eventually connects with the transmission. [4] Hybrid Components Gasoline engine – The hybrid car has a gasoline engine much like the one you will find on most cars. However, the engine on a hybrid is smaller and uses advanced technologies to reduce emissions and increase efficiency. The engine turns the generator. It is not able to power the car directly. Fuel tank – The fuel tank in a hybrid is the energy storage device for the gasoline engine. Gasoline has a much higher energy density than batteries do. For example, it takes about 1,000 pounds of batteries to store as much energy as 1 gallon (7 pounds) of gasoline. Electric motor – The electric motor on a hybrid car is very sophisticated. Advanced electronics allow it to act as a motor as well as a generator. For example, when it needs to, it can draw energy from the batteries to accelerate the car. But acting as a generator, it can slow the car down and return energy to the batteries. Generator – The generator is similar to an electric motor, but it acts only to produce electrical power. It is used mostly on series hybrids. It is where the gas engine’s power gets converted to electrical power to drive the motor or charge the batteries. Batteries – The batteries in a hybrid car are the energy storage device for the electric motor. Unlike the gasoline in the fuel tank, which can only power the gasoline engine, the electric motor on a hybrid car can put energy into the batteries as well as draw energy from them. They can store energy recovered from braking or generated by the motor. Transmission – The transmission on a hybrid car performs the same basic function as the transmission on a conventional car i.e. turns the wheels. The motor can spin fast enough so that the transmission needs only one gear. Some hybrids, like the Honda Insight, have conventional transmissions. Others, like the Toyota Prius, have radically different ones like the CVT. CVT stands for Continuously Variable Transmission. It is used to vary the transmission ratio in vehicles continuously. The way CVT works depends on the type: Friction CVTs vary the radius of the contact point between two rotating objects, thus the tangential velocity; Hydrostatic CVTs vary the fluid flow with variable displacement pumps into hydrostatic motors; Ratcheting CVTs vary the stroke of a reciprocating motion, which is connected to a free-wheel, resulting unidirectional rotation. Image courtesy DaimlerChrysler The Mercedes-Benz M-Class HYPER — a hybrid concept vehicle[5] Reasons For The Introduction Of Hybrid Electric Vehicles To reduce tailpipe emissions: Gasoline cars are a major source of these emissions. Many attempts are being made by several organizations to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from cars through the development of hybrid electric vehicles. For example, Nutley, NJ-based Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. (Roche), the U. S. prescription drug unit of the Roche Group, recently announced plans to integrate Toyota Prius and Ford Escape hybrid electric vehicles into its pharmaceutical sales fleet in an effort to help achieve the company’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent over the next five years. [6] To improve mileage: Automakers in the US need to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards as required by law. At present, all new cars sold should be 27. 5mpg (8. 55 liters per 100km). [7] To overcome the shortcomings of an electric car: Electric cars have a short charge. They lacked the range (energy density of electric-vehicle batteries hovered around 70 to 100 watt-hours per kilogram, which automotive engineers called unacceptable) and the quick recharge time the auto industry said it needed. An example is seen in the case where GM introduced the EV1 in 1996. It had a top speed of 183 MPH, faster than any other production car out. It had a limiter that would not let it get above 85 MPH, because to drive the car at 183 MPH would deplete the batteries of their charge within 10 minutes. [8] Energy Consumption: Hybrid Electric Vehicles consume less energy than Internal-Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. [9] Why Are Hybrid Electric Vehicles A Better Choice? An important aspect of hybrid electric vehicles is that they make use of smaller engines. There are many advantages to this: Big engines are heavier than smaller ones so the car uses more energy anytime it accelerates or drives up a hill. The displacement of the cylinders is larger so each cylinder requires a greater volume of fuel. Bigger engines usually have more cylinders, and each cylinder uses fuel every time the engine fires, even if the car isn’t moving. These are the reasons there is a difference in the mileage of two cars of the same model with different engines. If both cars are driving along the freeway at the same speed, the one with the smaller engine uses less energy. Both engines have to output the same amount of power to drive the car, but the small engine uses less power to drive itself. In a hybrid car, the gasoline engine can be much smaller than the one in a conventional car and thus can be more efficient. The engine in the hybrid car is powerful enough to move the car along on the freeway, but when it needs to get the car moving in a hurry, or go up a steep hill, it needs help. That â€Å"help† comes from the electric motor and battery — this system steps in to provide the necessary extra power. The gas engine on a conventional car is sized for the peak power requirement (those few times when you floor the accelerator pedal). In fact, most drivers use the peak power of their engines less than one percent of the time. The hybrid car uses a much smaller engine, one that is sized closer to the average power requirement than to the peak power. Ways Hybrid Electric Vehicles Reduce Energy Consumption Besides a smaller, more efficient engine, today’s hybrids use many other tricks to increase fuel efficiency. Some of those tricks will help any type of car get better mileage, and some only apply to a hybrid. To squeeze every last mile out of a gallon of gasoline, a hybrid car can: Recover energy and store it in the battery – Whenever you step on the brake pedal in your car, you are removing energy from the car. The faster a car is going, the more kinetic energy it has. The brakes of a car remove this energy and dissipate it in the form of heat. A hybrid car can capture some of this energy and store it in the battery to use later. It does this by using â€Å"regenerative braking. † That is, instead of just using the brakes to stop the car, the electric motor that drives the hybrid can also slow the car. In this mode, the electric motor acts as a generator and charges the batteries while the car is slowing down. Sometimes shut off the engine – A hybrid car does not need to rely on the gasoline engine all of the time because it has an alternate power source — the electric motor and batteries. So the hybrid car can sometimes turn off the gasoline engine, for example when the vehicle is stopped at a red light. Figure 5. The frontal area profile of a small and large car Use advanced aerodynamics to reduce drag – When you are driving on the freeway, most of the work your engine does goes into pushing the car through the air. This force is known as aerodynamic drag. This drag force can be reduced in a variety of ways. One sure way is to reduce the frontal area of the car (Figure 5). Think of how a big SUV has to push a much greater area through the air than a tiny sports car. Reducing disturbances around objects that stick out from the car or eliminating them altogether can also help to improve the aerodynamics. For example, covers over the wheel housings smooth the airflow and reduce drag. And sometimes, mirrors are replaced with small cameras. Use low-rolling resistance tires – The tires on most cars are optimized to give a smooth ride, minimize noise, and provide good traction in a variety of weather conditions. But they are rarely optimized for efficiency. In fact, the tires cause a surprising amount of drag while you are driving. Hybrid cars use special tires that are both stiffer and inflated to a higher pressure than conventional tires. The result is that they cause about half the drag of regular tires. Use lightweight materials – Reducing the overall weight of a car is one easy way to increase the mileage. A lighter vehicle uses less energy each time you accelerate or drive up a hill. Composite materials like carbon fiber or lightweight metals like aluminum and magnesium can be used to reduce weight. [10] Despite the advantages of hybrid vehicles, they are a middling choice whose future is far from assured. They are likely to be a victim of regulatory circumstance in the near term, pushed aside by improvements in gasoline emissions and by the Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) mandate which states that a specified percentage of manufacturers’ sales consist of ZEVs. [11] In the longer term, they will be squeezed between improving batteries and emerging fuel cells. If only fuel cells and advanced batteries falter, hybrid vehicles would have considerable promise and could play a central role in creating a more sustainable transportation system. Nissan Motor Company CEO Carlos Ghosn announced that he is unsure whether hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) will remain competitive in the compact car market if the price of gasoline drops in the future. Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo, Ghosn acknowledged that Nissan will unveil a new HEV in 2006 â€Å"as planned,† but only to meet tightening emission regulations in California. Ghosn expressed doubt that U. S. benchmark crude prices would remain at current levels of $50 per barrel, which is fueling strong demand for HEVs. Reuters said Nissan instead plans to market its new fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered Tiida compact car to environmentally conscious drivers. [12] Disadvantages Of Hybrid Electric Vehicles By combining two propulsion systems and their associated energy storage units, they are inherently more complex than both pure battery-powered electric and pure internal-combustion vehicles. Comments ——————————————————————————– [1] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 101 [2] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car1. htm [3] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car1. htm [4] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car2. htm [5] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car3. htm [6]http://web1. infotrac. galegroup. com/itw/infomark/155/298/52759225w1/purl=rc1_ITOF_0_A122672547&dyn=5! xrn_15_0_A122672547?sw_aep=swar94187, Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Today, Sept 30, 2004 p0 , Article A122672547 [7]. http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car4. htm [8] http://www. morphizm. com/observations/borah/borah_corner1. html [9] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 100 [10] http://auto. howstuffworks. com/hybrid-car8. htm [11] Daniel Sperling; Future Drive: Electric Vehicles and Sustainable Transportation, pg 2 [12] Electric and Hybrid Vehicles Today, Oct. 7, 2004, p0; Article A122947647.