Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Example for Free

Poem Analysis- Robert Fross; Robert Browning; Anne Bradstreet Essay Robert Frost, â€Å"Out,Out—â€Å" 1. In line 15, Frost describes the saw as being sinister. He infers that the saw has a mind of its own, by stating that the saw jumped out of the boy’s hand and cut the boy’s hand terribly. Frost also makes it seem as if the saw is in a way, like a friend. He does this by demonstrating that using the saw is an advantage for the boy because it is making his job ten times easier. Without the saw, the boy would spend hours cutting through the wood. 2. In Frost’s poem, the people that surround the boy must be his family. It could also very much be friends, or members of his community, along with the doctor and nurses working on his injury. The tone of the poem leads me to conclude that the â€Å"they† in the poem weren’t very surprised or moved by the boy’s injury, or death, because this might have happened before, or they just didn’t care for the boy. 3. Frost’s reference to Macbeth’ contributes to my understanding of â€Å"Out, Out-â€Å"that this poem’s theme is about death. From the reference to Shakespeare play, Macbeth, I can expect read about someone dying, an unexpected death. In my opinion, the theme of this poem is the cruel, emotionless, merciless relationships adults had with their children back then in America. Children weren’t given the opportunity to enjoy their childhood. They had many responsibilities and tasks to fulfill. 4. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Out, Out-‘† resembles the medieval folk ballad, â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† in its theme. Both poems are relaying a message about death. In Frost’s poem, the boy acknowledges the fact that he is going to die when he realizes he is losing a lot of blood. In â€Å"Sir Patrick Spence,† the sailor realizes he is coming face to face with death when he reads the letter the king has sent to him. Both of the protagonists in the poems are on the verge of dying a sudden, unexpected death. Robert Browning, â€Å"My Last Duchess,† 1. Throughout the entire poem, it is almost impossible allocate who the Duke is addressing. Towards the end of the poem, lines 49-52, it is disclosed that the Duke is speaking to a servant, or worker of a Count. This specific Count seems to have the Duke interest, because he wants to marry the Count’s daughter. The Duke appears to be hosting some sort of gathering in his home. I inferred this from lines 47 and 48. 2. Throughout the poem, the Duke emphasizes on his last Duchess, kindness and flirtatious attitude. In the Duke’s opinion, and observance, the Duchess was easily impressed, and fulfilled. Everything and anything made her happy. She would always say thank you to anyone, and everyone that would bring her things, or do things for her. The Duke interprets the Duchess’ kindness, and mannered behavior as flirtatious, which leads to his distrust in her. Based on the Dukes description, the Duchess, in my eyes was a well mannered woman. She wasn’t mean, or sought herself above anyone. Which is how he, the Duke wanted her to act. He wished she’d be a greedier or unfulfilled character. 3. In lines 34-41, the Duke explains why he never sought to confront his Duchess on her behavior. He states he didn’t have the eloquent skills to do so. He claims that he didn’t posses the speech to confront her. â€Å"Who’d stoop to blame/This sort of trifling? Even had you skill/ In speech-(which I have not)-to make your will/† This in my opinion is a lame excuse. I believe that he was simply afraid of confrontation. The Duke also states that if he had confronted the Duchess on her behavior, she would have made an excuse for her actions. 4. From this poem, I conclude that the Duke himself murdered, or gave orders to murder his Duchess. There is no clear evidence to support this, but I believe it is a clear interpretation. The poet should have included the Duchess’ fate in the poem. It would leave little room to assume her fate. 5. Robert Browning makes a direct connection between the Duke’s art collection, and the attitude towards his wife. The Duke has the portrait of his wife; his last Duchess displayed in his home, behind a curtain. A curtain, which only he can draw back, or remove. In other words, he, the Duke, controls the Duchess; or he wishes to control his Duchess. The Duke wouldn’t want anyone to see the portrait of his Duchess, with her blushed cheeks, unless he was there. The same can be inferred from the last few lines of the poem, line 54-55, â€Å"Notice Neptune, though,/Taming a sea-horse, thought a rarity,/ Which Claus of Innsbruck cast in bronze for me!† The Duke is implying, that he himself is Neptune, and his last Duchess is the sea-horse. No one could have imagined that a sea-horse could be tamed, but Neptune achieved it. Identical to the way that the last Duchess herself was tamed. Adrienne Rich, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† In her poem, â€Å"Aunt Jennifer’s Tigers,† Adrienne is describing the protagonist’s feelings towards her marriage. In lines 9-10, the protagonist feels that she is a prisoner of her marriage, and will only be set free when she dies. The protagonist uses the tigers as a symbol of who she wished she could be. In the first stanza of the poem, Adrienne describes the tigers as being un-fearful of the men. A trait she wishes she possessed. Sharon Olds, â€Å"Rite of Passage,† 1. The speaker describes the first-grade boys at her son’s birthday party as men. Their behavior is pure imitation of the men they have been around. Her description of them is ironic, because how can first-graders realistically be grown men? She also uses the concept of violence a lot in the poem. 2. In the last two lines of the poem, the author compares the first-graders to generals, and states that they are playing war. This is ironic, because she is inferring how (grown) men glorify war. The first-graders are innocent and naà ¯ve to the truth behind war. They don’t understand the sadness, and deaths behind it. To them, it is a reason to celebrate and rejoice. What is even more ironic, are the lines prior to the last two lines of the poem. The speaker quotes what the little boy has said. In line 22, â€Å"We could easily kill a two-year-old†. Little boys should not be speaking of death. But just like (grown) man boost up their ego by feeling superior to others and educing violence, these first-graders are doing the same. 3. From line 15-20, the mother describes her son as being innocent. She paints her son to be better than the other first-graders, because she seeks him out to be more mature than they are. Throughout the rest of the poem, due to the speaker’s description of her son, it can be inferred that the speaker’s on is the leader of the group. He is the mediator; the peace maker. Suji Kwock Kim, â€Å"Monologue for an Onion,† 1. The tone of this poem is mocking, and judgmental. It implies that humans live their lives chasing false hopes; searching for a truth that does not exist. The poet symbolizes this by using the analogy of shaving an onion to get to its heart; searching for a heart that does not exist. It depicts that humans are hopeless, and helpless. Humans are viewed as lost creatures. The speaker expresses hostility towards the human. It begins to mock humans by describing them as an idiot, thirsty (to find the truth), soulless, foolish, and destined to die. The speaker does this by comparing how a human cuts an onion over and over again, even though the onion makes the cutter cry relentlessly. 2. In line two, â€Å"I mean nothing† is projected to be interpreted on two ways, â€Å"intend†, and â€Å"signify. The poet is saying that the onion’s intentions aren’t to make the â€Å"cutter/human† cry. As the onion is cut, it forces the cutter’s eyes to fill up with tears. A reaction that is not intended, but occurs automatically. The poet also uses the phrase â€Å"I mean nothing† to symbolize that the onion feels like it is no one. It feels as if it has no value, or meaning of existence. 3. If someone said this to me, it would prove how close-minded and naà ¯ve they are. Poems generally convey a meaning far beyond what the poem explicitly reads. In poetry, you must read between the lines to understand the underlying significance of the poem. The poet is using the analogy of an onion’s (chemical) reaction to a human’s tear ducts to deploy how foolish human beings can be, and are. Continuing to cut through an onion, knowing that the onion will force us to cry is foolish. This simple action is identical to human life. Human’s cut through life searching for a truth they never attain. 4. I personally feel that the author is trying to give everyone a wake-up call in this poem. Suji Kwock Kim is trying to give her readers a few words of wisdom. She is exploring, and revealing a new approach on how one should view the world. Trying to encourage her readers to refrain from what an onion cutter is doing: cutting away at life causing them harm. Anne Bradstreet, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† Anne Bradstreet’s poem, â€Å"The Author to Her Book† is a complex narrative concerning the conflicting emotions and thoughts an author can have for a piece of literature he or she has written. Through metaphor and personification, Bradstreet examines the similarities between being a parent and being an author. The love, discouragement, and fear that all come into play when something is going to be revealed to the world at large are present in both a parent and a writer. Metaphor is used to relate authorship to parenthood in order to convey to the reader the complex emotions the narrator is feeling about sending a book he or she wrote out into the world. As the narrator points out, â€Å"Thou ill-formed offspring of my feeble brain†, drawing the parallel between the author and a parent and all of the complicated emotions that go with it (line 1). The narrator refers to the book-child as â€Å"My rambling brat†, revealing the negative side of the emotion (l ine 7). As a frustrated parent with a child who will not behave, so the narrator feels towards the book because it is not as perfect as he or she would want and the narrator sees this as a reflection upon the author, just as a parent would see a naughty child as a reflection on themselves. But later the narrator writes, â€Å"Yet being mine own †¦ affection would thy/Thy blemishes amend† demonstrating the conflicting emotions associated with love (lines 10-11). The metaphor of the book as a child reflects the conflicting emotions of the narrator as the book is seen as an extension of the narrator, just as a child is seen as a reflection of a parent. Personification of the book as a child creates empathy within the reader and makes it easier for the reader to relate to the anguish and love felt by the narrator. â€Å"I washed thy face† the narrator writes, speaking to the book, giving it life even as the book’s qualities as an inanimate object are examined (line 13). The narrator cares for the book’s presentation to the world just as a parent would care for the presentation of a child to the world. â€Å"I stretched thy joint to make thee even feet† the narrator writes, emphasizing the care needed for the book (line 15). The personification of the book and the metaphor of the book as a child work together to give the reader a full and complete understanding of the complex emotions felt by the narrator towards the book. The understanding needed and the guidance required to make the book the best possible so that it reflects well on the narrator is cast in light of parenthood and the ways in which a parents must care for and bring up a child. There is shame and the love that go along with an imperfect child, but it all is ultimately overshadowed by the pride felt in the final product.

Price Competition Versus Non Price Competition Economics Essay

Price Competition Versus Non Price Competition Economics Essay When there is competition in firms on the basis of change in price, it is known as price competition. Price competition can involve discounting the price of a product (or range of products) to increase its demand. Various forms of market indulge in price wars in order to earn a large market share and a profit margin. As price of a product increases or decreases, it leads to fluctuations in the demand of the product of particular firms. So all the firms always keep a watch on the market forces of demand and supply, the derived equilibrium price, competition etc. in order to skim the market. Non price competition When there is competition in firms on the basis of factors other than price such as advertising, sales promotion, product differentiation, branding etc., it is known as non-price competition. Price competition vs. non-price competition Price Competition Non Price Competition Competition between the firms based on price where one firm tries to beat or match the price of the other. Firm tries to be the lowest cost giver for the product in the market. The firm must have the vision to respond to the strategy of other firm very quickly. High cross price elasticity must see more of price competition. Here the firms compete with each other with the strong factors like product differentiation, quality of the product etc. The firm tries to build consumer loyalty so that it can sell its product to the maximum number of consumers and increase its market share. They promote awareness in the consumer for the differentiation of their product. High own price elasticity must see more non price competition. Effect of price on Quantity Demanded Quantity Supplied An increase in price has an inverse relationship with the quantity demanded and a positive relationship with the quantity supplied i.e. an increase in price decreased the demand and increases the quantity supplied and vice versa. Determination of Equilibrium price The market forces of demand and supply determine the equilibrium price. This equilibrium price becomes the basis for firms in perfect or imperfect competition to charge a price for their product. Thus the firms make a cost minimising production function Figure 2: Equilibrium price: Supply and Demand forces Supply_curve_shift In the figure, equilibrium price is p0 and equilibrium quantity is QO i.e. when quantity demanded is equal to quantity supplied equilibrium is achieved. These points only show the equilibrium state but do not show the response of the change of quantity demanded and supplied with respect to price. Here comes the importance of elasticity of demand and supply. ANALYSIS OF DIFFERENT MARKET SITUATIONS WHICH GIVE RISE TO PRICE AND NON-PRICE COMPETITION Elasticity and price and non-price competition play a vital role in determining various forms of market structure, their price, demand and supply, total revenue, shape of the demand curve etc. the market structure can be delineated as follows: MARKET Market Structure Imperfect competition Monopoly Perfect Competition Monopolistic Oligopoly Market is not merely a geographical expression but it can be any place where buyers and sellers are in regular contact and they have a perfect knowledge of price. BASIC FEATURES OF MARKET Very large number of buyers and sellers exist in a market. Both homogeneous as well as heterogeneous products are available in a market. Free mobility (movement) of and services goods in a market area. Firms are free to enter and exit. FORMS OF MARKET Perfect competition Monopoly Monopolistic Oligopoly PERFECT COMPETITION Perfect competition is a market situation where large number of buyers and sellers exist. In this market, firm is a price taker whereas Industry is the price maker. FEATURES OF PERFECT COMPETITION Large number of sellers and buyers exist in perfect competition. Homogeneous products are sold in this market where the price may increase or decrease but for the whole industry otherwise it will be a given price. In this market, price remains uniform for two reasons Homogeneous products Perfect competition Firms are free to enter and exit. Price = average revenue = marginal revenue because of price uniformity. Price has no role to play due to homogeneous goods. Price remains uniform but not constant. Example stock market. Non-price competition is not possible as the products are homogeneous, advertising, promotion and branding help the firms to differentiate and create niche in the market. D S P=AR=MR=D S D INDUSTRY FIRM Figure 1.1-Price determination under perfect competition MONOPOLY MARKET It is a market situation where a single seller exists with a large number of buyers and no close substitute is available of monopoly product. FEATURES OF MONOPOLY MARKET Single seller exists in monopoly market with large number of buyers. Close substitutes are not available of the monopoly products as it may work as an obstacle for the growth of the monopoly product. Entry of new firm is very difficult in monopoly market. The existing monopoly power will take all legal as well as illegal concepts to stop the entry of new firms. Price discrimination is one of the most striking features of a monopoly market. It may be defined as charging different price from different customers for the same product on the basis of segments of consumer, quantity to be purchased and degrees of elasticity of demand. Selling cost or cost of advertisement is negligible. Demand curve facing a monopoly firm is downward sloping but less elastic and MR is always less than AR. PRICE MR AR=D QUANTITY Figure 1.2-Demand curve under monopoly market Price leadership is present in monopoly as the firm can charge a high price and take the advantage of being a sole seller but they can charge a reasonable price because it helps in long run growth. In the long run, new firms may enter the market and the existing firms market share may fluctuate. So in their own interest monopoly firm charge a reasonable price. MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION It is a market situation where elements of both monopoly as well as competition coexist together and differentiated products are sold in the market. FEATURES OF MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION MARKET Very large number of buyers and sellers exist. This is a virtual market which exists in reality. Differentiated or heterogeneous products are available in this market. Each seller is selling different products from others creating a monopolist tendency. In this market, price always remains in a very close range as the commodities are perfect substitutes of each other. The demand curve facing the monopolistic competition market is again downward sloping but more elastic. In this market MR curve is always less than AR i.e. the additional revenue earned is always less than the average revenue. Firms are free to enter and exit. Price competition is there in monopolistic competition market. Because of the availability of close substitutes, a change in price of one product affects the demand of other product. Price AR=D MR Quantity Figure 1.3-Demand curve under monopolistic competition Non-price competition under this form of market is possible due to availability of close substitutes of the product. The firm in order to attract more customers and retain them would compete with each other on the basis of non-price factors on promotional front i.e. advertisement etc. However, the elements of price competition are also present in this form of market but the price always keeps in a very close range. Example, Once Coke increased its price from Rs.20 to Rs.22 in order to compete with Pepsi. OLIGOPOLY MARKET It is a market situation where few sellers exist with large number of buyers and both homogeneous as well as heterogeneous products are available. There is intense competition among them as far as price and output policy is concerned. FEATURES OF OLIGOPOLY MARKET The number of sellers are more than 2 and less than or equal to 10. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous products are sold. Both collusive as well as non-collusive form of oligopoly market exists. The demand curve in oligopoly market is very difficult to determine (Indeterminate demand curve). There is non-price competition in collusive oligopoly and price competition in non-collusive oligopoly. The demand of other firms is determined by the price variation of any of the existing firms. Until and unless the rivals reaction is not known when there is a change in price, the demand curve cannot be determined. Lets discuss the concept of elasticity so that we can know about the different degrees of elasticity in various forms of market. ELASTICITY Elasticity is the degree of responsiveness for a commodity to a change in its price. Elasticity measures the sensitivity of one variable to another. When a consumer is giving response to the price change he is more elastic whereas if a consumer is not giving response to the price change, he is less elastic. DIFFERENT TYPES OF ELASTICITY Price Elasticity of Demand Price elasticity of Supply Income elasticity of Demand Cross Elasticity MEASUREMENT Elasticity can be measured by following three methods Proportion method/percentage method Geometric method/point elasticity method Expenditure or total outlay method Terminology of elasticity Term Numerical measure of elasticity Verbal Description Price elasticity of demand(supply) Perfectly or completely inelastic Zero Quantity Dd(supplied) does not changes as price changes Inelastic Greater than zero, less than one Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by a smaller % as does price Unit Elasticity One Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by exactly the same % as does price Elastic Greater than one, but less than infinity Quantity Dd(supplied) changes by a larger % as does price Perfectly, completely, or infinitely elastic Infinity Purchasers(sellers) are prepared to buy(sell) all they can at some price and none at all at an even higher(lower) price. Income Elasticity of Demand Inferior good Negative Qty dd decreases as income increases Normal good Positive Qty dd increases as income increases Income-inelastic Less than one Less than in proportion to income increase Income-elastic Greater than one More than in proportion to income increase Cross Elasticity of Demand Substitute Positive Qd of some good and price of a substitute are positively related Complement Negative Qd of some good and price of a complement are negatively related COMPARISON OF MARKETS ON THE BASIS OF ELASTICITY Market forms Price elasticity of demand Perfect competition The demand in perfect competition is perfectly elastic which means with or without change in price, quantity demanded may increase or decreases to any extent. Monopoly The demand in monopoly market is less elastic. A change in price will not affect the demand by much. As there is only single seller in monopoly market, buyers do not have much options in front of them therefore the demand is less elastic. Monopolistic The demand is more elastic in monopolistic competition. It simply means that as soon as there is a change in price, there will be a greater change in quantity demanded. The demand curve facing a monopolistic competition is downward sloping but MORE ELASTIC. Oligopoly In oligopoly market, the demand curve can be both more elastic and less elastic depending upon the rivals reaction to change in price. CONCLUSION In current market scenario, most firms compete on the basis of non-price competition. Though there are some discrepancies in the prices charged by different firms, firms most often prefer and follow non-price competition because it leads to consumer welfare as well as firms profit in long run. PART II I visited Reliance Fresh (a departmental store) in order to conduct a research on floor cleaning detergents. As I entered the store I observed that on the left hand side there is a rack with five shelves on which all the toiletries items are displayed. Floor cleaning detergents are kept on three upper shelves of the rack. Adequate space is provided for the floor cleaning detergents and they can be seen easily from both sides of the rack. Glass cleaning detergents are also put along with floor cleaning detergents. On the topmost shelf, DOWSIL which is the in house brand of reliance chemicals is putted. The store is promoting DOWSIL because the profit margin is high as compared to other brands as it is a product of reliance chemicals. And they are giving a complementary floor cleaning brush with DOWSIL in order to attract larger number of customers. It is priced lower than other brands available. BRANDS I saw six floor cleaning detergent brands that were available. They are: LIZOL DOMEX CIF Easy off bang Mr Muscle DOWSIL perfumed floor cleaner(phenyl) COMPANY FLOOR CLEANERS VARIANT QUANTITY AMOUNT (Rupees) RECKITT BENCKISER LIZOL BLUE 975ML 99.00 BLUE 500ML 52.00 PINK FRAGRANCE 500ML 54.00 LEMON EXPLOSION 500ML 54.00 BEACHPOWDER (LIQUID) 500ML 50.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER CIF 500ML 78.00 250 ML 53.00 120ML 27.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER DOMEX WHITE 500ML 54.00 WHITE 1 LTR 108.00 HINDUSTAN UNILEVER DOMEX 2IN 1 BLACK 500ML 50.00 SC JOHNSON MR. MUSCLE (floor cleaner) 500ML 50.00 RECKITT BENCKISER EASY OF BANG 400ML 65.00 RELIANCE CHEMICALS DOWSIL PERFUMED 1LTR 66 2LTR 149 3LTR 250 I asked consumers some questions such as How do you choose your floor cleaning detergent? Do you go by advertisement, if yes what are the features that attract you the most? This helped me to come to these inferences: People go by experimental ads i.e. the ads which actually show how their product is different from others and the offers that they are getting such as buy 2 and get 1 free. Price, packaging and product quality matters for them but they dont know much about the ingredients. Here the demand of floor cleaners goes on increasing with the cost, packaging changes and the attractiveness of the advertisement. In my observation I can say that the floor cleaning detergent market is an oligopoly market structure because there are only 6-7 main players present in the market while considered individually. Entry is relatively easy but each brand is a different product in itself, hence even though firms are competing with each other each one is a monopoly by itself. ECONOMIC CONCEPTS BASED ON OBSERVATION Price and non-price competition All the brands compete with each other. The competition is price and non-price depending upon the elasticity. The brands mainly compete with brand differentiation. The different brands fight with packaging, new innovation and advertisements. So here we can say the floor cleaning market is having mainly non price competition as the prices are relatively same. On the other hand, local in-house brands are competing on price; they are placing themselves relatively cheaper than others in order to increase their sales The competition here determines the place and position of the firm which is named as producer. Elasticity of demand The demand in floor cleaning detergents market is more elastic i.e. if one brand increases its price, demand for other brand increases as it is consumers behaviour to shift to substitutes when price of a particular product increases. Packaging and product quality The market share depends upon the amount of work the firm puts on in differentiating its product from the other ones. For example when seen the differentiation LIZOL and DOMEX are coming in many variants which gives consumers a wide choice of variants according to their need. They are focusing more on packaging and product quality. This helps in increasing the demand of a particular brand. So we can say that here DOMEX has created its monopoly in the market till the time another firm gets into this very idea i.e. responds to it with its product with some new innovation in this segment of the consumer to challenge its monopoly When this happens the players in the market get into competition again introducing new product with some new difference. Pricing strategy Big brands such as DOMEX and LIZOL are following price skimming policy as they are relatively charging high prices than other brands in order to skim the market. On the other hand, there are some local brands such as DOWSIL which are competing with other brands on price. They are following price penetration policy. As compared to other brands, these brands are relatively cheaper. CONCLUSION This floor cleaning detergents market actually is a good field to study the economic concepts like market structure, elasticity and competition, and cost factor. According to me, this segment of the market is catering to the high income consumers, there is non-price competition. Since here consumers are less-price sensitive and are affected by the advertisements or product development undertaken by the firm. Hence, we do not see much price competition in this segment. But there are some local players who are competing with other brands on the basis of price. Instead firms catering to this segment only try to price themselves as cheaply as possible to attract the maximum number of consumers. In this survey, I have tried my level best to touch up on the different economic aspects that are prevailing in the floor cleaning detergent market.

Effect of Ayurvedic Drug on Drosophila Melanogaster

Effect of Ayurvedic Drug on Drosophila Melanogaster Dr. Sonali Sengupta* Namrata Sain,  Lathika J,  Akshay Tharali Abstract:- The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster known as a model organism is widely used in mammalian cellular and developmental studies. Its vast genome similarity with the humans has facilitated for various genetic and physiological studies. Ayurvedic medicine represents a traditional form of medication used to treat various human illness and anomalies. This paper aims to study the effect of an anti-paralytic ayurvedic drug on the physiological and behavioural pattern of locomotion defective and neurophysiology defective strain of Drosophila. This study will also help us to draw an analogy to the effect or action of these ayurvedic drugs on human system and further lead us to better understanding of the condition. Keywords:- Drosophila melanogaster, Ayurvedic , behavioural, physiological Introduction:- Drosophila melanogaster acts as an ideal species for model systems and drug interaction studies. Due to its feasibility for culturing and short reproductive cycle it is used in various genetic research prospectives. The drosophila genome on account of its similarity with the human genome can be studied extensively to identify certain genes involved in disease condition and also aid in understanding the various regulatory mechanisms that are associated with it. Study of drug interaction in Drosophila can be very well co-related to its effect on humans and therefore various drug interaction studies have been conducted in various conditions thereby relating it to the genotype. Drug interaction with Drosophila can be used to study its genotoxic effect as well as any rectifying effect on the expressed phenotype of the organism. Locomotion rhythm and neurophysiology defective mutants of Drosophila melanogaster exhibit both structural and functional abnormality and can be considered analogus to human paralysis condition owing to the non-functioning of neurons stimulating the muscles. The ebony (e11) mutants of drosophila show locomotor rhythm defect along with a defect in the electrophysiology properties of the neurons, muscles leading to the characteristic movement defect. This condition can be related to the paralytic condition in humans and drug interaction with these mutants can be used as a future way for analysis and cure of the condition in humans. Ayurveda has represented a field of medications and formulations that have been used to treat various human abnormality conditions in India. Ayurvedic medicine represents various treated plant extracts and formulations which contain certain important compounds that target the affected sites in human disorder conditions. These ayurvedic medicines can be considered as an example of medications which have their efficacy related to the genoptypic constitution of the subject. Various anti-paralytic ayurvedic drugs target the neuronal and muscular components of the affected condition. This paper aims at studying the effect of such an Ayurvedic drug on the locomotion and neurophysiology defective mutants of Drosophila melanogaster and relating it to the human complex disorder conditions. Materials and Methods:- 2 types of strains were used. 1.Canton-S: Drosophila melanogaster of Canton-S wild type strain were obtained from Dr. Kavitha Thirumurugan, VIT University. They were maintained, cultured and outbred in large population in optimum temperature in our laboratory. 2. e11 (Dmele11tm3) The ebony e11 mutants were obtained from NCBS, Bangalore. They were cultured on corn meal medium maintained at 24C. The mutants showed phenotypic characteristics of locomotion rhythm and neurophysiology defective. Drug:- The Ayurvedic drug used was Amukkara choorana purchased from a local ayurvedic medicine shop in Vellore in form of tablets .The main ingredient of this medicine is Amukkara or Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). Amukkara Choornam has an anti-arthritic activity and it is a restorative and nervine tonic. Experiment:- The wild type flies were cultured in 3 types of food:- (i) corn meal medium without drug (ii) medium with 0.01g drug i.e 100microgram of drug for 100 ml.(iii) medium with 0.05g drug i.e 500microgram of drug for 100 ml. (iv) medium with 0.1g drug i.e 1000 microgram of drug for 100 ml. The e11 mutants were also cultured in corn meal medium with and without out drug of the above mentioned concentration of drug. To observe drug administration from larval stage, 30 Wild type larva were also culture in normal medium as well as in medium with the above mentioned drug concentrations. The larva were transferred using a thin paint brush and carefully planted on the medium and cultured at constant temperature. Assays:- 1. Survival Assay:-The wild type and mutant flies were cultured in normal and drug medium for 7days (1 week) and their rate of survival was measured. 2. Climbing Assay:-10 wild type and mutant flies were observed for their characteristic climbing ability in normal and drug medium. 3. Light Sensitive Assay:-10 wild type and mutant files from each category were exposed to a light source for 2-5 minutes and their anti-geotrophic behaviour was observed. 4. Polytene chromosome analysis:-Wild type larva were dissected and polytene chromosomes were observed by acteocarmine staining for any chromosomal abberations. The larvae were collected from both normal and drug medium which were dissected with a mounted needle on a glass slide under the microscope and the polytene chromosomes were removed from the salivary glands. The polytene chromosomes were then fixed using freshly prepared chilled fixative (Methanol: Acetic acid 3:1) and stained with acetocarmine dye. It was then washed with glacial acetic acid,cover slip was placed . Mounting was done and observed under microscope. RESULTS:- Rate of Survival:- Fig 1:- Graph representing the survibility assay of the Wild type and e11 mutant flies over a period of 7 days cultured in corn meal medium without drug and with drug at 3 different concentrations (0.01g, 0.05g and 0.1g per 100 ml) Fig 2:- Wild type and e11 mutant flies cultured in corn meal medium. Climbing assay:- Fig 3:- e11 mutant in 0.1g drug food showing static behavior (lower one) Light Sensitive Assay:- The light sensitive assay was performed on Day 4:- Wild type in normal food:- The flies showed anti-geotropic behavior i.e attraction towards light. 8 out 10 were attracted towards light Wild type in 0.01g drug food:- showed jumping movement and falling cycle. Wild type in 0.05g drug food:- Flies showed geotropic behavior i.e withdrawl from light source. Wild type in 0.1g drug food:- Flies show complete withdrawl from light i.e they prefer to stay in dark Mutant in Normal food:- On exposure to light it showed mostly static behavior with minimal movement and difficulty in climbing due to weak muscle strength. Mutant in 0.01 drug food:- Extreme static behavior and difficulty in moving. Mutant in 0.05g and 0.1g drug food:- Not viable. Fig4:-Wild type flies in 0.1g drug food showing withdrawl from light exposure. Polytene chromosome analysis:- Polytene chromosome analysis revealed no chromosomal abberations in the wild type flies post exposure to varied concentrations of drug DISCUSSION:- In the above study both wild type and ebony mutant flies were cultured in three types of drug medium with each medium having increasing concentration of drug. Both the wild type and mutant flies showed decrease in survival rate in food with drug concentration 0.1g as well as in 0.05g with a more potent decrease in the 0.1g indicating lethality due to the drug dose. So the drug concentration was decreased to 0.01g which showed no decrease in survival rate for the wild type flies whereas the mutant flies showed less decrease in survival rate indicating minimal concentration of drug may induce a positive effect on survival rate. The Climbing assay showed that the mutants in 0.1 and 0.05g drug food showed shibire behaviour and inability to cling to the wall thus inferring muscle weakness before the drug proved lethal. Whereas mutants in 0.01g drug medium showed reduced climbing pace and static movement but had a positive effect on survival rate. Wild type flies in drug food showed no change in initial days but depicted slow climbing rate in later days. But when the drug was exposed from the larval stage, it showed a positive effect on the climbing as well as jumping behavior. Thus it can be concluded that the if the drug is exposed to the organism from the larval stage it produces a better effect as compared with adult stage. Thus it may concluded that incorporation of the drug during the larval stage may produce a curable effect as compared to that during adult stage, but further studies need to be done. Light sensitive assay revealed that wild type flies in 0.05g and 0.1g drug food showed geotropic behavior and complete withdrawl from light respectively. Mutants in drug food showed mostly static response to light. This study aims at finding out the drug interaction with the defective gene thereby drawing an analogy with the human genome. The effect of these drugs on the drosophila genome may provide an analogy as to which gene may be affected in case of patients with paralytic or muscular disorders and may also provide possible means of therapy for the management and treatment of the disorders. REFERENCES:- In Vivo Effects Of Traditional Ayurvedic Formulations in Drosophila melanogaster Model Relate with Therapeutic Applications by Vibha Dwivedi et.al 2012. The effects of exogenous antioxidants on lifespan and oxidative stress resistance in Drosophila melanogaster by Tapiwanashe Magwere et.al 2006 Dopamine modulates acute responses to cocaine, nicotine and ethanol in Drosophila Roland J. Bainton et .al 2000. Mutant human torsin A responsible for early onset dystonia, dominantly suppresses GTPCH expression, Dopamine levels and locomotion in Drosophila melanogaster by O donnell JM et al 2011. Drug resistance of bacteria commensal with Drosophila melanogaster in laboratory cultures Sultan, R et al 2001. The pattern of campaniform sensilla on the wing and haltere of Drosophila melanogaster and several of its homeotic mutants by Eric S. Cole et al 1982. A gene necessary for normal male courtship, yellow, acts downstream of fruitless in the Drosophila melanogaster larval brain by Mark David Drapeau et al 2003. Tyrosine and catecholamine metabolism in wild-type Drosophila melanogaster and a mutant, ebony by Ross B. Hodgetts et al 1976. Neurophysiological defects in temperature-sensitive paralytic mutants of Drosophila melanogaster by Siddiq et al 201. Electrophysiological Correlates of Rest and Activity in Drosophila melanogaster by Douglas A Nitz et al 2002.

Catalytic Converters :: essays research papers fc

Catalytic Converters   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Notice when a vehicle drives by nowadays, that it is so much quieter than those loud oldies that pour out the blue smoke. Ever wonder just what is underneath a vehicle that makes the new ones so much cleaner. It is called a catalytic converter. The main function of a catalytic converter is to decrease pollution emitted from a vehicles exhaust. The concept behind this is to add a catalyst and force a reaction between the automobile's exhaust and oxygen in the converter. To see just how this happens let's look inside of a catalytic converter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A catalytic converter is made up mainly of a mufflerlike chamber which contains porous, heat-resistant materials coated with either platinum or palladium. These materials are known as catalysts. A catalyst is an element which although causing a reaction to occur, does not change at all during the reaction. This is the idea behind a catalytic converter. The carbon monoxide gas and hydrocarbons emitted from the engine will travel along the exhaust system until they reach they catalytic converter. There it comes into contact with the described catalyst. This forces a reaction between the carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons with the oxygen inside the converter creating products of carbon dioxide and water vapor. The reaction which occurs inside the converter is as follows:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main compounds involved are carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons (compounds of hydrogen and carbon), as well as oxygen. When these three are combined with the provided catalyst, a reaction occurs as above. During the reaction the oxygen splits apart the carbon monoxide and the hydrocarbons and allows them to combine with its elements forming the aforementioned products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The catalytic converter first made an appearance in vehicles in 1975. The government of the United States of America had established a law controlling auto emissions. There was one minor detail that was outlined in the use of a catalytic converter, however. There must only be the use of lead-free gasoline. The reasoning behind this was that if a leaded gasoline was used the lead would cover the platinum and palladium pellets rendering them ineffective and thereby ceasing the reaction to exist. Phosphorus had much of the same effect on the pellets so the gasoline must contain minimal amounts of it as well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A catalytic converter can be located in every new vehicle today, unless the vehicle runs on diesel fuel. In case you were interested in finding the catalytic converter nearest you, you may want to take a look under the nearest vehicle. It looks like the muffler only it is a little bit larger and more to

intelligence Essays -- essays research papers

Intelligence is the level of competence, ability to learn or to some people it is how well an individual performs on an IQ test. The structure of intelligence is best subdivided into two significant categories. They are environmental and hereditary influences. Environmental differences can be divided into different factors. The deprivation model of social class and intelligence consists of three variables. These variables explain, in terms of environmental factors, development and performance which are correlated with social status. The first of these variables consists of the combination of birth order, nutrition, and prenatal care. Children who are first born, on average score better on mental tests. There is a definite higher number of first born children among higher socioeconomic groups as opposed to lower socioeconomic groups. According to Bruce Eckland, children of higher economic class tend to be brighter, on average, than children of lower economic groups (65). Both prenatal stress and malnutrition, impair development and are found much more frequently among lower socioeconomic classes. According to Philip E. Vernon, the fetus can have lack blood supply and growth of the fetus can be disturbed if the mother takes certain drugs or suffers from certain diseases. Severe stress on the mother can also be hazardous to the fetus (84). These conditions expressed are both genetic and or resulting from environmental conditions and are known to as constitutional factors. The second variable of the deprivation model which helps exhibit differences in performance is the cultural variable. It seems that lower socioeconomic classes experience a unique pattern of behavioral and psychological traits which impair development in children raised in these conditions. The last environmental variable that accounts for differences in the cognitive development is the social cultural variable. This variable includes deprivation which involves socially structured inequalities in education and other social opportunities for improving performance. Sidney W. Bijou states that in order to help development, an ample supply of physical stimuli for cognitive development is favorable along with the people who have to manage these stimuli in contingent relationships after the birth of the child (230). Another environmental contribution to intelligence, which Bijou points out is th... ...ort the conclusion that both genetic and environmental components have a significant effect upon the intelligence of the child. There has also been some research done on identical twins who live in different environments. They have been compared with siblings who are not twins but live in the same environment. The correlation results for twins who live apart is .75 and .24 for no-twin siblings who do live together. It seems that together, these two correlations almost add up to 1.00 which is the total phenotypic variance. Vernon points out that the effect of genes is much more powerful than that of the environment. Even though the precise values of the correlations are of dispute, analyses of kinship data, concludes Vernon, provides the most convincing demonstration of genetic influence on intelligence. Undoubtedly ,the subject of intelligence can be defined in many ways. To better understand intelligence psychologist have rendered two main influences as cause for variable intelligence levels. These two main influences as discussed previously cannot be explained as one being the main determinant of intelligence. This two influences are environmental and hereditary influences.

Discuss psychological insights into understudied relationships

Until recently relationships between gays and lesbian, and also Internet relationships had had little attention from researchers, hence the term ‘understudied relationships'. Gay and Lesbian relationships – no one really knows what makes a person homosexual, though Garnets and Kimmel (1991) say there are likely to be multiple components. Unlike ethnic minorities, homosexuals are often surrounded by negative stereotypes from friends and family whilst they are growing up. As well as being asked, when they ‘come out', what makes them that way inclined, which is something that isn't typically asked of a heterosexual person. In 1973 homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or DSM (which cited homosexuality as a mental disease), though it is still illegal in many countries in the world at present and is still part of the International Classification of Diseases. Although often only in certain, prescribed situation, there are some cultures where homosexuality is encouraged and in Greco-Roman society it was quite normal practice to have a homosexual relationship. However, even in the 21st century and the ‘progressive' West things are not easy for gay men and lesbians. Many people in the public eye (such as entertainers and politicians) have had their careers pretty much ruined after being ‘outed'. Gay people experience pressures that can affect their relationships, which include such things as the psychological effects of growing up in a (heterosexual) society that characterises homosexuality and lesbianism as unacceptable. Also the unequal age of consent for gay men and the way few happy and successful gay relationships are presented by the media. Gay characters tend to be secondary to the plot (unless it is a ‘gay drama') and gay relationships are often presented as superficial, unstable or problematic can cause relationship problems. To establish a reliable figure of the number of gay or lesbian people is almost impossible (estimates from North America range from 4%-17%).Evidence suggests that for many people sexuality classification is not permanent and is always shifting, where one orientation may be embraced after a lengthy adult experience of another (Sequential bisexuality – Money, 1988). There is often an assumption that homosexual culture is unitary. This, however, is incorrect, as homosexuals can be any class, culture, race, etc. For obvious reasons many homosexuals prefer to spend social time in the company of other gay people, but this isn't such an easy option for those who have children. The world of schools and child-orientated situations needs to be arranged. As well as this they must protect their principles and living arrangements, protecting privacy, but also being sensitive to the children's needs. Electronic friendships and computer-mediated communication (CMC) – CMC can be email, chat rooms, notice boards etc as well as more sophisticated computer programs (MUD's, MOO's and MUSHs) where they can assign themselves a character where they can join in or listen to discussions. They can contrast to face-to-face relationships (corporeal, meaning bodily, physical or material), obviously there is nothing corporeal about a CMC relationship. Though they may have the opportunity for a corporeal relationship, many people prefer CMC, perhaps feeling that they can say what they want without having to worry about embarrassment. CMC can offer support, as well as friendship, and simply because people have not met face-to-face does not mean their relationship is not real. In a 1994 survey out of the top ten AOL chat rooms 3 were gay, 1 lesbian and 1 ‘swingers and groups' with the other 5 being heterosexual. Though it has only really developed over the last 10-15 years, it seems that it is here to stay.

Critically examine the architecture, routines, and culture (ARC) framework of organisational design as proposed by Saloner, Shepard and Podolny in Strategic Management Essay

The design of an organisation is highly crucial for a firm in today’s world in order for it to achieve and sustain its competitive advantage that will place the firm in a stronger position than its rivals. The firm can manipulate the components of organisation design, fit these elements with one another and with the strategy, to impact the firm’s performance. Hence, the goal for the organisation is to have a good fit between the firm’s design and its competitive advantage in order for the firm to be strategically aligned with the strategy. Any effective design will have to address 2 general problems: the coordination and incentive problems and must do so in a way that supports the organisation’s strategy. The firm can make use of the Architecture, Routines and Culture (ARC) framework to grapple these problems. This essay will firstly describe how the ARC framework can be implemented accordingly. An effective design will depend on the 3 elements working together and so, these interactions will be analysed. In addition, the implications of the framework will be examined too. To start, we need to define each component of the ARC framework. Firstly, the architecture refers to the dividing of the firm into subunits and establishing linkages among these groups. Secondly, routines are the formal and informal procedures while carrying out tasks developed from repetition. They embody established interfaces which pertains certain expectations about what will flow across them and a protocol for accomplishing the transfer. Lastly, culture is the commonly held values and beliefs of individuals within the organisation and once deeply embedded, is the evaluative criteria for behaviour and decision making in the firm. The 2 main challenges of organisation design are the coordination and incentive problems. As they are interrelated, their effects are intertwined and addressing one could impact the other. The coordination problem refers to the challenge of establishing an organisation design that achieves an efficient deployment of assets within the firm so that it can achieve its objectives as efficiently as possible. There are several crux of the coordination problem: balancing the gains from specialisation and the gains from integration; and how the decision making process is designed with the need for access to information flows. The incentive problem refers to eliciting the right amount and type of effort in the presence of hidden information and hidden action. It arises from the divergence of interests and objectives of the manager and the shareholders and is most commonly linked to the Principal-Agent problem. Having explained the key concepts, the coordination and incentive problems will be addressed with the ARC framework. In order to construct an organisation structure, the firm is broken down into subunits and such delineation impacts information and resource flows within the firm. To tackle this, one has to match an architecture structure which minimises coordination problem. An argument from the Strategic Management would be whether functional or divisional structures would be better to deal with it. A functional organisation is one which groups individuals according to the tasks they perform. The different functional groups (R&D, marketing, finance et.cetra) are clustered together to be overseen by a superior. Such a classification of groupings reaps the benefits of specialisation as information sharing and learning is facilitated. There is an efficient spread of knowledge and incubation of ideas among the specialists such as in the R&D sector where creative ideas can be built upon other’s ideas to attain innovation. Functional division allows better problem solving process as having similar specialists such as engineers in a group can lead to early detection of a manufacturing glitch and faster solving speed. In addition, there is a clear hierarchy with well-defined positions established within each function. The role of advancement is clear and hence employees are motivated to specialise and invest heavily in human capital to advance. On the other hand, divisional structure differs as the primary subunits are classified based on business divisions and under each of them are functional sub divisions. This allows for better facilitation of coordination across functions especially as the firm increases in scale and scope. If a retail firm divisions according to the different customer group it serves: Women and Children, both sub-divisions are served by functional groups. The design team could learn quickly about the change in taste of its customer group from the sales team of which will not be possible if the teams did not operate under the same subunit. This supports Alfred Chandler’s claim that divisional structure enhances accountability and communication. Hierarchy too, is an important factor to consider when structuring a firm to address coordination problem. Since the communication among managers together with the dissemination of information and shared resources to the groups coordinates the actions of the subunits, the level and nature of hierarchy affects the effectiveness of the communication process. Passing information through each level consumes resources, causes delays and degrades the information by introducing noise and distortion. This justifies the allocation of decision-making rights to those who have the most immediate access to the relevant information. However, decision makers may not know how their decisions will affect the other subunits. Away to address this is to create a formal linking mechanism that coordinates the decision across subunits or to centralise authority for only decisions which require more coordination. Horizontal linkages can also be established across units to achieve coordination. Its mechanisms facilitate information and resource flows without affecting the organisation of the subunits and this allows cooperation across units without sacrificing the gains from specialisation and decentralisation. There are several forms ranging from informal to formal procedures which include personal network, liaison, task forces and integrators. The selection among these options depends on the interdependence among subunits. More interdependent subunits will require a more tightly coupled design. Horizontal linkages benefits are 2 fold: they promote information flows and they get the firm away from rigidity. An apt example would be the strategy of the Japanese auto mobile firms located in the United Kingdom. The managers and workers share common facilities and by doing so, horizontal linkages are built in the firm on a less formal setting with a flatter structure. Managers dine with the workers and this provides the platform for the quick dissemination of information and decision making. Under the ARC analysis, routines also solves coordination problem as the established interfaces bring about large coordination gains. With each worker clear of his roles and the procedures, gains from specialisation is reaped. More importantly, huge informational efficiencies are gained as when tasks proceed from one unit to another, minimal amounts of information is needed to be communicated between units as each unit only needs to know the information to carry out its part. Decision making routine also facilitates the decision making process as it is applied every time a decision is made, thereby excluding biased and inefficiency from disagreements among decision makers. Lastly, a routine way for one division to access the resources in another division enables the firm to coordinate in ways that would be difficult if the firm has to make a new resource sharing decision each time. ulture too, induces cooperation. With a common set of beliefs, members of the firm will not approve of actions that violate the culture of the firm. The workers are naturally coordinated in actions and appropriate behaviour. With a well developed norm of reciprocity, resource and information sharing can be achieved between and across subunits and this enhances cooperation. Also, culture helps employees focus on tasks that are important for the competitive advantage of the firm. The ARC framework can be implemented to deal with the incentive problems as follows. Compensation and reward schemes can be designed to induce desirable behaviour. Financial incentives are a strong motivation for workers to act in profit-maximising behaviour. However, this can lead to the substantial variation compensation over time and it is difficult to ascertain the profit impact of the units’ activities. To reward more accurately, compensation can be tied to a combination of imperfect indicators of unit performance according to the 4 rules of thumb. However, these indicators are subjective and the cost of collecting and analysing the data could be too great. Architecture structure should also be considered to minimise the incentive problem by affecting the importance of cooperation across units. If decisions cut across 2 separate organisation units, the identities and performances of them are intertwined and this brings a self-interest reason to assist the other and cooperate. However, not fully owning the consequence of performance will dilute incentives for individual performance. Architecture has its limitations in dealing with the incentive problem and the other elements are important to better solve it. Routines improve the incentive problem, but also not to a great extent. They do create opportunities to get better indicators of performance of which can be incorporated with the architecture compensation scheme of combining incentives from other indicators of performance. Routines can also automate activities for which it is otherwise difficult to provide incentives for. Lastly, culture plays a stronger rule in addressing the incentive problem as it targets the foundation of the issue of aligning interests. With a strong culture, it is possible to have the firm and subunits share similar goals thereby evoking that particular behaviour from individuals without pecuniary rewards. Suppose a consultancy firm’s competitive advantage lies in providing effective solutions to their clients’ problem, it can spread this belief to its employees. If the employees attain considerable satisfaction from delivering results, they will behave in ways aligned with the company’s competitive advantage without the need of the firm to offer financial incentives for this behaviour. However, the difficulty in reinforcing culture has to be accounted for as it could meet resistance in a change in mindset among the employees. Yet once established, culture leads to an effective organisation design. Within the ARC framework, the elements of the organisation design interact with each other to solve the challenges posed. An example could be how the culture could influence the routines of the firm as the standardised interfaces could be derived from the culture. With the norm of reciprocity in the firm, resource sharing routine will be established in such a way that subunits are more willing to share resources in order to solve the effective deployment of resources from the coordination problem. Another perspective of the ARC interaction could be how culture affects architecture. If a firm has an open-minded culture, it could direct the style of structure to a flatter hierarchy with more interaction between subordinates and superiors. This encourages improved flow of information asset in the firm. Using the ARC framework suggests many implications for the organisation. Given the complexity and intricate relationships between the elements of the firm’s ARC and the organisation design problems, designing the organisation is not as straight forward a task for the managers. The managers will require a deep understanding and strong execution of the elements of the firm’s ARC or more problems could arise. A possible solution proposed by Saloner, Shepard and Podolny is to have a systematic approach to collecting information on the design challenge facing the firm and design elements. There are 2 parts to carrying it out of which the first is to ask and analyse problems that would be addressed if the organisation is restructured. The second part poses questions to gather a good description of the firm’s current ARC. The managers are to identify any inconsistencies among the elements that are making the organisation less effective as it could be. Although this approach allows more accurate identifying of the weak areas of the ARC, managers will still have to learn by doing and tweak their policies over time for the optimal design. A second implication would be the need for the framework to be dynamic so as to achieve organisation agility. As an organisation is designed to obtain a competitive advantage for the firm, it is pertinent that the nature of its competitive advantage is considered. The organisation design has to be flexible and change in tandem with the changing needs of the competitive advantage. Hence, there is no one best design to accommodate all considerations. Firstly, firms must continually develop and deepen its current competitive advantage to meet the challenges of competition (exploiting). Secondly, the firm may want to alter its strategy to pursue another form of competitive advantage (explorer). A retail firm in an economy recession will need to change its competitive advantage to producing lower priced goods to garner market shares and can do this by flexibly changing its incentives to reward the manufacturing department based on sales volume, thereby producing at lower cost. Firms can meet this challenge by possessing elements of both exploration and exploitation to profit. Lastly, does the ARC framework act solely to design an organisation to achieve the firm’s competitive advantage? It could work better if complemented with other processes such as innovation. Innovation could be connected with organisation design to ensure a more sustainable competitive advantage. A firm could incentivise its employees based on how good they are in coming up with cutting edge technologies to promote innovation in the firm. In conclusion, the ARC framework has given a reasonable approach to design an organisation. Most of the arguments, however, assume according to Alfred Chandler’s view that â€Å"structure follows strategy†. Does this relationship need to follow as such so that the company structure runs parallel to the strategy? I beg to differ as the strategy and structure relates reciprocally and hence, the ARC framework could be at times used at the deciding factor of the company’s strategic planning too.