Lyndon Baines Johnson Essay Example for Free

Lyndon Baines Johnson Essay In President Lyndon B. Johnson’s State of the Union speech in January of 1964, â€Å"The War on Poverty† was declared. Johnson personally appointed Sergeant Shriver to assist him in assembling a committee of academic and civil rights activists. Shriver asked Johns Hopkins University pediatrician, Dr. Robert Cooke, to gather a committee of the best specialists in all fields relating to children (University of Michigan, n.d.). All members of the committee met in January of 1965 to discuss a program intended to assist children in overcoming obstacles or setbacks caused by poverty. The University of Michigan (n.d.) Web site reports that among the suggested names for the program were â€Å"Baby Corps† and â€Å"Kiddie Corps.† Many of the committee members felt that having â€Å"corps† in the title would help link the program to positive political activism. However, it was ultimately agreed that the name Head Start was most suitable. The name refers to the intended close in the achievement gap between lower class students and their middle class peers. The program’s design afforded these students from lower class communities the opportunity to get academically closer to the assessed levels of their future fellow classmates (University of Michigan, n.d.). A few months later, in May of 1965, President Johnson publicly announced Project Head Start in the White House Rose Garden. The same year, Head Start began as an eight-week summer program for children from low-income communities on schedule to be enrolled in public schools in the fall. In that summer, more than 560,000 children across the country were served. The program provided preschool classes, dental care, medical care, and mental health services (University of Michigan, n.d.). The rationale for the institution of the Head Start program, and more importantly, its federal funding, is based on several factors. Children from low-income families are associated with higher rates of academic failure and are at a greater risk for being held back in grade school (Bendersky Lewis, 1994). There is a higher incidence of teen pregnancy as well as poorer adult employment records among those raised in poverty (Lamb, Land, Meadows, Traylor, 2005). Teens that have become pregnant are more likely to drop out of school and once out of school they are forced into accepting lower paying jobs. In turn, they raise their children in poverty. Of children raised in low-income families, 36% attend college, while 88% of students from affluent homes do so (Howard, 2001). Consequently, the disadvantage in terms of wage earning power is perpetuated. There has also been a correlation shown between poverty and an increased likelihood of smoking and illegal drug use (Klerman, 1991). In order to combat the negative consequences of poverty upon a childs outcome and disrupt the cycle, it was hypothesized that intervention programs in early childhood would positively affect long-term development. In fact, research results have borne this out. A great deal has been learned from research regarding the knowledge and skills required for children to be academically successful. Among preschool-aged children, letter knowledge, vocabulary, and phonological awareness, in addition to emotional and social factors, have significant impact on later academic success. For instance, predictions of tenth grade students’ reading scores can be, and have been, made with relatively precise accuracy based on knowledge of fundamental concepts such as the alphabet in kindergarten. As a matter of social policy, ensuring that children are equipped with the basic skills proven necessary to begin school ready to learn is a national responsibility (White House Bush Administration, 2004). Eighty percent of states in the United States have developed initiatives aimed at preparing young children for kindergarten. These 40 states recognize that children from low-income communities typically enter school several steps behind their more privileged peers with regard to skill and basic knowledge. The difficulty is on not only the student, but also the school in compensating for this variance. According to the Head Start Policy Book Web site (White House Bush Administration, 2004) more than half of the children growing up in today’s society are not cared for solely by their biological parents. These various guardianship arrangements play a role in preparation and take a toll on a child’s willingness or ability to focus and be ready to learn the offered curriculum. In 2001, states were given an additional reason for development of high-quality programs geared toward preschoolers with the No Child Left Behind Act. The Act holds states responsible for making sure that math and reading are proficiencies for all children. Based on research related to the positive effects of quality preschool programs coupled with the accountability factor on states for student performance, states should want to take control of delivering Head Start programs to provide a preschool experience that readies children for entering kindergarten (White House Bush Administration, 2004). Head Start’s comprehensive program includes activities intended to promote emotional, cognitive, and social development of children, in addition to providing health services for impoverished children. Taking into account studies on quality preschool programs discussed, seven presidents to date have felt that emphasis on early learning, and education as a top priority is the best method for preparing children for success in the long-term. Research shows that successful acquisition of specific language, reading, and social skills early on in a child’s development predicts future success not only in school, but also in life. This success in and out of the classroom has both a direct and indirect impact on the country as a whole. According to the Head Start Policy Book Web site, â€Å"Head Start sites that have implemented carefully designed programs that focus on school readiness have shown significant gains for children† (White House Bush Administration, 2004). The Strengths Framework has been utilized in composing this document. The first component of this framework states, â€Å"Social policies are societal responses to social problems.† Head Start is a policy that was designed as a direct response to poverty, which is one of America’s historically greatest social problems. In order for the policy to remain continuously successful for another 44 years, politicians must not lose sight of the positive impact that a high quality education has on children as they develop and ideally become productive members of society. Two of the most noted studies on early childhood intervention include the Abecedarian project, which began in 1972 and continued to monitor results for over 21 years, and the Perry Preschool study, which began in 1962 and concluded 27 years later. The findings of the Abecedarian project (Campbell, Ramey, Pungello, Sparling, Miller-Johnson, 2002) included higher cognitive test scores, higher scores for reading and arithmetic, a greater likelihood of attending a four-year college, and a lesser likelihood of becoming a teen parent or using marijuana, for those who participated in the program. Recounting the results of the Perry Preschool program, as a member of the research team, Dr. Lawrence Schweinhart (2002) reported that 7% of adult participants had been arrested five or more times compared with 35% of those who had not participated and 7% of participants had ever been arrested for a drug-related offense compared to 25% of non-participants. Participants were four times more likely to earn $2000 or more per month, almost 3 times as many own their own homes, and twice as many own a second car. Seventy-one percent of participants either graduated high school or received a GED compared to 54% of non-participants. When taking into account the results of higher earnings and income tax revenue, decreased utilization of special education and welfare services, and savings resulting from crime reduction, the study found that every public dollar spent on the program saved $7.16 in tax dollars. Early childhood is identified as the period between birth and age five. This period is a critical time as a child develops emotionally, physically, socially, and cognitively in a way that will affect the rest of his or her life. The pre-school learning is vital to success from kindergarten on into college (White House Bush Administration, 2004). Therefore, the overall goal of Head Start is to influence the level of social competence positively in children from families considered to be living at or below the poverty line. For the purpose of this paper, social competence refers to the child’s effectiveness in dealing with not only his or her current environment, but more about future responsibilities. The interrelatedness of intellectual and cognitive development, mental and physical health, and nutritional requirements are among the most important factors taken into account with social competence (City of Phoenix Human Services Department, 2008). In the 1998 Reauthorization of Head Start, Congress concentrated on perpetuation of the ideals that school readiness has a tremendous influence on the future of the nation. This was based, in part, on current research showing that improving the educational components of preschool programs is the best predictor of childrens future success in school. According to the White House Bush Administration (2004), â€Å"Congress set specific educational goals, including a requirement that at least fifty percent of Head Start teachers have an Associate degree or beyond by 2003, and required prioritized inclusion of reading and math readiness skills in Head Start curricula.† The Head Start program was created to provide comprehensive services to preschool children of low-income families. Included in these services are health services such as frequent medical screening, immunizations, nutritional assistance, and dental care. The services mostly associated with the Head Start program are cognitive development, school readiness, social skills training and enhancement, and mental health services. In addition, parents are given the opportunity to take part in the decision-making process as to the care of their children and as such, the program fosters parental involvement enhancing community cohesion. Additional support services for the families of Head Start participants are also provided. Originally, these services were only available to children between the ages of three and five. In 1994, Head Start was expanded to provide these services for infants and toddlers as well with the program extension of Early Head Start. The program also provides services to children with disabilities and their families. Head Start development programs are intended for low-income families. Family income is one of the primary factors in determining entitlement. The federal poverty guidelines, which are updated annually, are used to evaluate a family’s income. In addition, Early Head Start and Head Start programs must make at least 10% of their enrollment opportunities available to children with disabilities. A family is eligible for Head Start and Early Head Start services if it is able to meet the income guidelines and also one or more of the following: You have children from 6 weeks through 5 years, or You are pregnant, or You have children with special needs with an Individual Education Plan (IEP), or Individual Family Services Plan (IFSP), or You have foster children with high risk factors, or You are a parent with a disability and/or possessing disabling conditions. (Source: Parents in Community Action, Inc., 2009) Additionally, recent changes to entitlement eligibility under 37 U.S.C. 402a (g) allow children and spouses of members of the armed forces who receive supplemental subsistence allowance to withhold that income when being considered for Head Start services. The official verbiage states that any person â€Å"who, except on account of such allowance, would be eligible to receive a service provided under the Head Start Act, shall be considered eligible for such benefits notwithstanding the receipt of the allowance. The subsistence allowance would therefore not be counted in determining eligibility for programs authorized by the Head Start Act (Administration for Children Families, 2009). Grants are awarded by the federal government to local private and public agencies for the sole purpose of implementing Head Start programs to provide comprehensive child betterment and development services to families and children within their communities. Head Start was primarily enacted as a means of helping children, but it does provide services to low-income families as well in order to indirectly provide positive support to the child’s care system in the home. The mission of Head Start is to â€Å"promote school readiness to enable each child to develop to his or her fullest potential† (White House Bush Administration, 2004). As of 2004, more than 900,000 children annually had been reported as taking advantage of the services offered. These services included comprehensive health services, dental and physical exams, immunizations, and nutritional services, in addition to the education-related services. However, only 20% of the 900,000 children served in 2004 were enrolled in programs that provided full-day/full-year services for children of working families. In the fiscal year 2004, President Bush, according to the White House Bush Administration (2004) requested $6.8 billion in Head Start Program funding, which was an increase of more than $148 million over 2003. Beyond Head Start, federal legislation has created several other preschool programs aimed primarily at improving upon the academic growth of children considered poor and/or disabled. These include: Title I preschool program, which is intended to help prepare children for school in high poverty communities Early Head Start to promote healthy prenatal care for pregnant mothers and to enhance the development of infants and children under age 3 Special Education Preschool Grants, State Grants program, and the Special Education Grants for Infants and Families program, which between them provide funds for states to build early education programs for children with disabilities between birth and age 5. In addition to the preschool programs that have a primarily educational focus, the federal government provides states with $4.8 billion through the Child Care and Development Block Grant in order to pay for childcare programs. States have also used as much as $4 billion annually from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program to pay for childcare that serves working poor and low-income mothers (White House Bush Administration, 2004).

Large Corporations Essay Example for Free

Large Corporations Essay Large corporations such as Wal-Mart or Home Depot often come under criticism for putting mom-and-pop shops out of business. While this may be a valid criticism, the consumers neglect to realize that they play the biggest part in shutting these businesses down. Consumers across the country are always looking for the best deals or the lowest prices, and in most cases the larger corporations are where products can be found at the lowest price. Many small business owners and the populations of small towns dislike large corporations moving into the area because they believe it negatively effects the local economy. In reality, we should embrace large corporations moving into our communities because they boost the local economy, they lower prices on products we use every day, and they create hundreds of jobs. Some believe that large corporations harm the local economy. While this is true in some cases, studies have shown that placing a Wal-Mart in an area actually increased sales for businesses in or around the area. In a study conducted in 2002 by Jim Simmons, a retired University of Toronto geography professor, the professor states: â€Å"We tried to see if there was a substantial sales decline in the nearby areas, but it was difficult to find,† said Mr. Simmons. â€Å"We couldnt find any situation where people lost sales or went out of business.† (Shaw, H. 2002). This is just one of the many findings from the study. In an effort to further boost the local economies of the areas new Wal-marts are opened in, Wal-Mart has implemented a Locally Grown program that has been enacted since 2008. Pam Kohn, who is a senior vice president and general grocery merchandise manager, had this to say about the program. At Walmart we are committed to increasing our locally grown offerings and the number of local small farms we work with. Through this program we are able to cut shipping costs and decrease food miles, but most importantly we are offering our customers an opportunity to support their local farmers without worrying about the impact on their wallets. (Economics Week, 2008) This means that not only are they benefitting the stores around the area, but also the farmers in the area as well. This leads to a stronger local economy, and ultimately a thriving community. Stores like Wal-Mart are famous for keeping their prices so low. This is one reason why they are able to maintain a grip on the consumers of an area. They accomplish this by keeping the cost to produce and transport the goods low. In January, a study by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found that, â€Å"an individual family could save $589 a year on groceries by shopping at a supercenter. Overall, shoppers could save $3.76 billion in merchandise nationwide.† (Blazier, A, 2004) A major reason they can keep prices lower than mom-and-pop run businesses is their ability to buy merchandise in bulk. Buying in bulk works the same way it does for a consumer. The more of a product that is purchased, the less the cost is per unit. Consumers see this every day when they go to stores like Sam’s Club or Costco. When they buy their merchandise in bulk, they are able to offer it to the consumer at a lower price. (Kale, 2011) This is what could eventually drive the mom-and-pop owned businesses out of the area, and draw a negative criticism from the public. The interesting thing about this criticism is that the public complains about Wal-Mart driving these smaller businesses out, yet continue to shop at the Wal-Mart to save money. It would seem as though all that would be needed to be done would be to stop shopping at Wal-Mart and start shopping at the locally owned businesses. On the topic of jobs, there is a general increase in the availability of jobs after a large corporation moves in. Going back to the Wal-Mart example, a study was conducted to show how Wal-Mart affected job creation. In a study conducted by University of Missouri-Columbia professor Emek Basker, Wal-Mart creates a net value of 50 jobs more than it â€Å"destroys.† In her study, she presents these findings: â€Å"I find that immediately after entry, retail employment in the county increases by approximately 100 jobs; this figure declines by half over the next five years as some small and medium-sized retail establishments close. Wholesale employment declines by approximately 20 jobs over five years. Restaurant employment increases slightly; there is no change in employment in manufacturing or in automobile dealerships and service stations.† (Basker, 2005) In addition to the new jobs that are created, most Wal-Mart employees can enroll in health benefit programs, whether part time or full time workers. This means that smaller communities where health insurance options may have been limited will now have jobs where health insurance is a benefit. Also the low income families who can not afford pricey health insurance have the opportunity to receive benefits. Another benefit of having a Wal-Mart move into a community is the money it brings into the area. As with all businesses, large corporations have to pay taxes that go to local governments in the area they operate. In a bi-monthly publishing by the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, Mitch Renkow writes, â€Å"Wal-Mart generates substantial sales tax and property tax revenues for the county in which it locates. This could potentially be of great benefit to the fiscal well-being of the local government in the town or county where the Wal-Mart is located.† (Renkow, 2005) This means that there is more money being generated for local spending, With all of the business that Wal-Mart can do, that is that much more money for the local area, much more than any mom-and-pop shops could provide. We should embrace bigger corporations moving into the area because it ultimately creates a stronger local economy. These corporations bring in products from around the world to communities that would have never gotten a chance to purchase them. They also keep the prices low so that low income families can afford them. Through job creation, slashing prices, and the attention to the area that comes with a big store such as Wal-Mart, it can be said that local economies benefit from these new stores opening in the area. WORKS CITED: Shaw, H. (2002). Wal-mart boosts local economies: Study: Finding shows retail behemoth benefits neighbouring stores. National Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/329926525?accountid=32521 Sailee, Kale (2011) How Does Walmart Keep Its Prices So Low? Retrieved from: http://www.business-online-news.com/how-does-walmart-keep-its-prices-so-low.html Blazier, A. (2004, Apr 15). Study concludes Wal-Mart creates more jobs than Retail chain chases away. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/464131659?accountid=32521 Matthews, C. (2012, 07). Ten Ways Wal-Mart Changed the World. Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2012/07/02/ten-ways-walmart-changed-the-world/#ixzz2IYS1yFFm Renkow, M. (2005). N.C. State Economist. Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics. retrieved from: www.ag-econ.ncsu.edu/VIRTUAL_LIBRARY/ECONOMIST/novdec05.pdf Basker, Emek, (2005) Job Creation or Destruction? Labor-Market Effects of Wal-Mart Expansion. Review of Economics and Statistics, Vol. 87, No. 1, February 2005. retrieved from SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=371102 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.371102

Static Channel Versus Dynamic Channel Allocation Systems Computer Science Essay

Static Channel Versus Dynamic Channel Allocation Systems Computer Science Essay Abstract- Channel Allocation Schemes have always held a vital role in achieving better performance of wireless networks. This paper has studied the comparison between two of the most known techniques of channel allocation namely: Static Channel Allocation and Dynamic Channel Allocation. The comparison is made over two types of networks single radio network, in which each of wireless node is equipped with only one radio interface, and multi radio network, in which each of the node is equipped with at least two transceivers. This paper presents the detail survey of all the existing comparison made between these two schemes. Keywords- Channel Allocation Scheme, Dynamic Channel Allocation, Static Channel Allocation, Single radio network, Multi-radio network Introduction Growth in the customers of the wireless networks, let it be cellular systems or any other Wireless network, has amplified the need to have the networks which can have more capacity and accommodate more and more users. Enlargement of wireless market has made capacity of the wireless network a scarce resource. Methods to improve effective capacity utilization of the wireless network are under consideration and in [4], it is realized that these methods involve source coding schemes, power control, better modulation schemes, improved antennas. Other then these methods capacity of wireless system can be improved by installing more bas stations i.e increasing number of transmitting equipment or improving hardware equipment of current system. Using better channel allocation schemes is also one of the methods to improve capacity utilization of wireless network. The aim of this paper is to focus on channel allocation schemes. These channel allocation schemes are not much of importance in the wired networks because their topology is stable and they do not offer any mobility to the users/nodes. But in the wireless networks, channel allocation of key importance. The vital role of the wireless networks is that they offer mobility to users hence, the channel allocation algorithm has to assign channels to ports and portables so that best trade-off between the quality of service and system performance is maintained [3]. A given spectrum of frequency, can be divided into several independent sets, these independent sets are completely disjoint with each other. Hence even if they are used simultaneously, they will not interfere with each other. So splitting the frequency spectrum into independent channels and then using all the channels for communication simultaneously present improvement in the capacity utilization [6]. The channel allocation strategy is considered to be the core of mobile networks because it not only affects the quality and the availability of the channels to the user but changes the distribution of the traffic and hence, overall shapes the capacity of the network [3]. Two of the most common channel allocation schemes are considered in this paper namely, FCA- Fixed Channel Assignment or Fixed Channel Allocation and DCA- Dynamic Channel Allocation. Fixed Channel Allocation (FCA) Fixed Channel Allocation is also known as Static Channel Allocation. It is known as Fixed or Static because once the channel is allocated to a port or a user it does not change for the entire course of operation. It is used in all TDMA/FDMA digital cellular mobile networks [5] as number of frequency carriers in each cell stays fixed and does not depend on traffic load. It is a time insensitive solution, as with the passage of time allocation of the channels to nodes does not change. Although in real-time, traffic load in a cell varies, there are peak hours when the traffic load reaches to almost 100% and then there are quiet hours in a cell when traffic load is very low. This limitation dispirits the use of the FCA. But if a static condition is considered there is most likely a chance to get good performance with this channel allocation algorithm [3]. In a cellular system based on the FCA, channels are partitioned among the cells permanently so that if all the cells use all the channels assigned to them simultaneously, there will be no interference [1]. Figure cell pattern for Static Channel Allocation with N = 7 With more complex systems other channel strategies can achieve higher efficiency but they require processors with more memory. But it is an essential sacrifice to make as in [4] it is discussed that in each cell there are no static conditions, space traffic imbalance varies from 10% to 70%, and this imbalance in the traffic depends on the size of the cell or service area and type of the environment, whether its urban, suburban or rural area [4]. Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA) In DCA, frequency channels are not fixed for any node or user. Depending upon knowledge of the environment, channels are assigned to the user. The distribution of the frequency carriers in a cell depends upon distribution of the users/nodes in the cell and also on offered traffic load. DCA is currently supported by the GSM [5]. In Dynamic Channel Allocation Scheme all the channels which are available for a system, are kept in a queue or a spool. These channels are allocated to any cell temporarily. The only constraint is to fulfil the distance criteria, so that interference can be minimized [2]. The existing schemes for the Dynamic Channel Allocation can be categorized into three main types: IA-DCA (Interference Adaptive Dynamic Channel Allocation), LA-DCA (Location Adaptive Dynamic Channel Allocation) and TA-DCA (Traffic Adaptive Dynamic Channel Allocation), these schemes are based on the type of network dynamics they consider while making decision [4]. All DCA schemes basically evaluate the cost of using each available channel and opts the channel which introduces lowest cost [2]. For most accurate and good decision for channel allocation, the algorithm should have accurate knowledge of the environment [3]. The main algorithms which are considered under the study of Dynamic Channel Allocation are: DCET, Bellcore and Segregation DCA [3]. In DCET and Bellcore DCA algorithms, the decision of channel allocation is based on only single measurement of channel dynamics, while in the Segregation DCA, a radio interface acquires the channel depending upon its learning through past experience of channel usage. With the past knowledge, channel which has highest probability of success is chosen for operation. Although this algorithm requires processors with memory yet as decision is more meaningful so its performance is better than the DCET and Bellcore DCA algorithms [3]. In figure 2, in [7] results of performance of different type of DCA schemes are compared. Figure Performance of Different DCA methods Section II of the paper compares both of the channel allocation schemes in a single radio network and Section III shares the comparison done of channel allocation schemes in multi-radio network. Section IV shares the identified regions in which future work can be done and Section V concludes the paper. Comparison of DCA and FCA in Single Radio Network A single radio network a network in which all of the nodes of the wireless network consist of maximum of one radio interface and this single radio interface is used for the communication purposes. In this section the comparison of the DCA and FCA in single radio network is presented. Figure Algorithms for Dynamic Channel Allocation In a given cell, if a node requests a call, it will be served only and only if the cell has an unused channel available, which fulfils the reuse criteria, otherwise the call will be blocked [1]. Such is the case with Static Channel Allocation Scheme. But this is not the case with the Dynamic Channel Allocation Schemes, as for each of the call that is to be served; channel is taken from the overall pool that holds all the channels available for wireless system. In any channel allocation strategy, main aim is to find the best possible way to reuse the channels to maximize the systems capacity, while keeping interference in the system at minimum and provide quality of service to the user [4]. From another view, for allocating channel, the objective is taken as to allocate the channel to a call so that number of blocked calls is minimized and the number of dropped calls is also minimized. In the end, the channel allocation scheme finds the best trade-off between these two objectives because generally priority is given to minimize the number of dropped calls, as having a call dropped is more undesirable then not having the call connected at all [1]. Both schemes for channel allocation FCA and DCA are compared under the assumption that the call arrival distribution is Poisson [5]. For the purpose of modelling in FCA it is considered that there are z numbers of channels per frequency carrier and y is the number of control channels. In a given cell i, let total number of frequency carrier be Ci and the total number of channels in the cell, which will be used to serve a call will be ci. The expression for ci is given as: (1) While this will not be the case for DCA, as frequency carriers are not permanently assigned to any of the cell. As the channel assignment depends on environment so, if we take n as the number of active calls in any cell, then frequency carriers allocated to that cell will be: (2) Total number of channels required, for any cell should be equal to the number of active calls and the control channels. But the number of frequency carriers which has z number of channels each should be either more or equal than actually required [5]. In equation (2), shows that value is always taken equal or greater than a [5]. For the first simulation, the arrival rate of the calls is set at the overload value; this means that the overload period is considered where the numbers of calls initiated per minute are more than the actual capacity of the system. The observation made over here is that, under heavy traffic load, efficiency of the network or the channel utilization and capacity of the network does not improve by using DCA instead of FCA. Although it was considered as the fact that DCA will always perform better than FCA. Figure Effect of the handover on FCA and DCA In figure 4, the phenomenon observed is known as phenomenon of low capacity island [5]. Under heavy load, no benefit is achieved by using DCA, as in such a scenario both of the schemes will be utilizing capacity to the full extent. Rather DCA may perform worse than FCA. The reason is that due to dynamic channel allocation, a cell may borrow some of the frequency channels form the neighbouring cells during the low traffic period and the neighbouring cell does not get the channel back. The cell which has obtained the channel is let us say known as the lucky cell, and the cell which donated the channel and in the end, was unable to get it back is known as unlucky cell [5]. Now during the high load traffic period, if lucky cell wants to handover the call to a neighbouring unlucky cell. But as the unlucky cell would already be out of available channels to be able to serve the call, call will be dropped. Hence under such a scenario the drop out probability of dynamic channel allocation sch eme would be higher than static channel allocation algorithm. Other simulation is to find out the effect of the arrival rate on call blocking probability. Arrival rate is the number of calls initiated per minute. Through simulation, it is concluded that DCA performed better if the traffic load is within the range 0.6 to 0.9 Erlang/BS/Channel. (figure 5) Figure Analysis of DCA and FCA, call blocking ratio with respect to the arrival rate of the calls During the next case it was considered that arrival rate is Poisson and the other parameters like handover rate and call holding time etc are evenly distributed all over the cell. From the figure 6 it is clear that as probability of call blocking increases with the increase in the arrival rate of calls. Which is fairly obvious, more are the number of the users which are to be served, there is more likely a chance that some of them may not be able to get a free channel. Figure Performance analysis of FCA and DCA, Arrival rate of calls with respect to the over all blocking probability Under such consideration as can be observed from the figure 6, DCA performs better than FCA, as in case of congestion in a cell, DCA can borrow channels from the neighbouring cells but in case of FCA, the scheme has no option but to reject the oncoming calls in case of congestion. Figure 7 shows the amount of traffic carried by FCA and DCA according to the traffic load. Figure comparison between FCA and DCA with respect to the carried traffic under the traffic load Figure 8 shows the performance of the channel allocation schemes when traffic imbalance is considered. It is observed that network capacity to carry data, in case of FCA, reduces significantly when data imbalance is considered. But in case of DCA, there is no significant degradation in networks capacity to carry the data. There is also significant increase in the number of calls blocked by FCA, because of the increase in the traffic imbalance. But as the carried capacity does not decrease much in case of the DCA, there is not much of the increment in number of the blocked calls. Figure FCA Vs. DCA, effect of the traffic imbalance on the both channel allocation techniques Comparison of DCA and FCA in Multi Radio Network A multi radio network is the type of the network where each node is equipped with at least two or more than two transceivers. Fixed Channel Allocation in Multi-radio network It is pointed out in [14], throughput and overall performance of wireless networks decreases with increased density of radios, but major reason for this problem is that these radios do not transmit the data simultaneously as the nodes are generally configured with single radios only and this factor basically limits the forwarding capacity of the network. In [15], the authors have emphasized that with the introduction of more than one NIC (Network interface cards) in wireless networks, performance of the system can be improved 6 to 7 times, instead of just doubling the performance. The same phenomenon has been confirmed in [16]. There has been much work done, in which the performance gain in wireless mesh networks with multiple interfaces is discussed as compared to single radio interface network. In [13], capacity gain between single radio, dual radio and multi-radio wireless mesh networks is compared and realistically the gain achieved by having multiple radio interfaces in the network has been discussed. Apart from that, in [17], authors have proposed that with implementation of multi-radio Diversity approximately 2.3 times performance gain is measured in the single radio network. Under the multi-radio scenario, one important factor is to consider proper channel assignment. Each of the radios should be tuned to a frequency through which the throughput of the whole network is maximized. The introduction of multiple radios is not without the trade off of increased complexity of channel assignment schemes and the traffic allocation methods [20] and apart from that, more work is done in this domain. In [10], [8], [19], the authors have proposed some approaches to get maximum possible throughput by different channel assignment algorithms. The concept of the Static Channel Allocation in this section is extended to Wireless Mesh Networks, as before the start of the operation in the wireless mesh networks the channels are properly allocated and then till the end of the operation, the channel assignment does not change. In this section, multi-radio wireless mesh network is considered and it is observed that how by having multiple radio interfaces the performance of the network improves. Figure Performance of the FCA algorithms with 3 channels Figure 9 shows the impact of the different algorithms for the channel allocation in the three channel scheme [8]. Figure performance of the FCA algorithms with 12 channels Figure 10 shows the impact of the different algorithms for the channel allocation in the twelve channel scheme [8]. Figure 11 shows that with different channel allocation algorithms, how the increment in number of interfaces per node impacts the performance of network. In all algorithms it is observed that with the increase in number of radio interfaces per node, throughput of wireless networks improves [9]. Figure FCA algorithm comparison with different number of radio interfaces per node Figure effect of increased number of interfaces per node on the over all normalized broadcast latency In figure 12, it is shown that with different channel allocation schemes for multi-interface wireless mesh network, normalized latency for broadcast decreases with the increase in number of radio interfaces per node [9]. In figure 13, it is simulated that with the increase in the number of interfaces per node, there is not an unlimited increment in capacity utilization. Multi radios are used so that in a network there could be as many concurrent transmissions as possible. But even this has a limit to it. In [10], it is shown that after achieving the maximum level of capacity utilization, even after by adding more number of radio interfaces in a network, no advantage is gained. Figure capacity degradation with increase in the number of radio interfaces per node Figure Effect of the number of channels and multiple radio interfaces on the throughput In figure 14, it is shown that as long as the number of the available channels in a cell; are more than the number of interfaces per node, with increase in number of radios per node, throughput of the network will increase [11]. Figure throughput increment of a network by increased number of the interfaces per node In figure 15, it is shown that under a proper channel assignment and routing method, with more number of interfaces per node, the throughput of the system improves considerably [12]. In [13], as shown in figure 16 and 17, performance of fixed channel allocation scheme is compared in detail with respect to single radio network and the multi-radio network. Figure overall network capacity increment with more number of radio interfaces present at each node In figure 16, it is proved that the capacity of the overall system improves with the usage of multiple radios per node. Figure capacity of each AP with multiple interfaces per node Comparison between single radio to the multiple radios In figure 17, per Access Point capacity is simulated to have comparison between multi-radio interface per node and single radio interface per node. Dynamic Channel Allocation in Multi-radio Network: There has been little work which proves the introduction of multiple interfaces while using the Dynamic Channel Allocation provides any performance up-gradation. Analytically it is assumed that, as the introduction of multi-interfaces in wireless mesh networks improves performance, similarly the performance of networks using Dynamic Channel Allocation can be improved by introducing more than one interface on a single node. Some of the analysed parameters, which show the relative improvement in performance, are listed below: Parameter I: Improvement in the throughput of the system: In a single radio cognitive network, as shown in figure 18, the node D has two data packets of equal size in its internal queue, one for node C and one for node. Nodes E and C are at the equal distance d from the node D but are tuned at different channels. In this particular case each packet will take time t to reach the destination. Even if we neglect the switching time, cognitive radio present at D will take to switch from one channel to the other channel, the time taken to completely transmit both of the packets will be t+t = 2t. Figure Single Radio Network Now even if the same network topology is considered but now consider that each of the nodes is equipped with two interfaces (figure 19). Node D will be able to transmit both of the packets simultaneously to node C and node E, considering that interface 1 is tuned to the channel on which communication with node E is possible and interface 2 is tuned to the frequency over which communication with node C is possible. In this case there will be no delay caused by the switching of the channel. Figure Multi-interface radio network Figure Effect of channel switching Conclusion: The transmission time is decreased with the factor of N, where N is the number of interface each of the node will have. Throughput is improved with the factor of N. Parameter II: Latency of the network will decrease: With the introduction of the multiple interfaces in the cognitive radio network, latency of the network will decrease. Figure Multi-hop Single interface Wireless Network Initially considering the multi-hop scenario, considering an intermediate node, it has to receive an incoming transmission on channel 1 and then it has to tune its radio to the channel 2 to be able transmit the received transmission to the destination node. Latency of such network will consist of: Transmitting time of packet over channel 1 from source node to intermediate node: t1 Transmitting time of packet over channel 2 from intermediate node to destination node: t2 Switching time required for the interface on intermediate node to switch from channel 1 to channel 2: t3 Hence the total latency of such a system will be: t1+ t2+ t3 Figure Multi-hop Multi interface Wireless Network Now comparing the previous scenario with the one in which each of the node is equipped with at least two interfaces. Now on the intermediate node interface 1 will be tuned to channel 1 and interface 2 will be tuned to channel 2. If there is an incoming transmission on channel 1 and it is to be transmitted to the channel 2, the total latency will be: Transmitting time of packet over channel 1 from source node to intermediate node: t1 Transmitting time of packet over channel 2 from intermediate node to destination node: t2 Hence the total latency of such a system will be: t1+ t2 The switching time will not be considered over here; hence comparatively the latency is decreased with the introduction of another interface on the cognitive radio node. Conclusion: The latency factor is dependent on switching time of the cognitive radio. This factor comes into effect with more dominance with increase in the number of hops in the multi-hop network. Latency can be greatly reduced with the introduction of multi interfaces on the cognitive radio network. Parameter III: Connectivity of the network will improve: The probability of isolation of any node in a network will be reduced with the introduction of the multi-interfaces in the cognitive radio network. Figure Single interface node with the available channels Considering the scenario, in figure 23, where a secondary network has four channels available for its utilization, now for a given condition, all radio interfaces are tuned to either one of the channel 1, 2 or 3. If a single interface chooses channel 4, it will be isolated from the rest of the network. Assuming that the probability of opting for such a channel is p then the overall probability of getting a node isolated from the rest of the network will be p. Figure Multi-Interface node with the available channels Now for multiple interfaces, a node will only be separated if both the interfaces of a single node choose channel 4. A node will be isolated if and only if: Interface 1 chooses channel 4 AND interface 2 chooses channel 4 P2 As according to the probability rules p Conclusion: The probability of isolating a node, is decreased with the factor of N [N is the number of radios] as compared to the probability of node isolation in case of single interface cognitive radio networks. Here mutual independence among the DCA algorithms running on both of the radio interfaces is considered, but this is not generally the case. The performance of a cognitive radio network is strictly dependent on the number of cognitive radios present in its vicinity [21]. Figure Improvement in throughput using multiple radios Figure Improvement in throughput of the network with multiple radio using different number of available channels Figure 25 and 26 shows the throughput improvement gained by the introduction of multiple radios as compared to a single radio and in both of the figures different number of available channels are considered [24]. Comparison: Up till so far, none of the research has been carried out to find out whether any advantage is gained by deploying Dynamic Channel Allocation scheme in the multi-radio wireless network domain as compared to the implementation of the Fixed Channel Assignment algorithm. Considering the study made regarding the performance improvement gained by fixed channel allocation scheme and dynamic channel allocation scheme in multi-radio wireless network, there could be several hypotheses made. The complexity of implementation of Dynamic Channel Allocation algorithm will be more than that of Fixed Channel Allocation algorithm. Although the same is true in case of single radio network, but in case of the Multi-radio network, the complexity increment will be more significant. The reason can be taken as if the spectrum view of a single interface of a node changes in multi-radio network, for the similar node the situation changes for the other interfaces as well [21]. The performance improvement obtained by implementation of the Dynamic Channel Allocation algorithm as compared to the Fixed Channel Allocation in the multi-radio will have similar effects as it has in the Single radio network. The same effect on the throughput of the system, data carrying capacity and the effect of the traffic load and traffic imbalance will be observed. Another important factor that can be predicted because of the observation made via simulation figures is as the performance of the wireless network depends upon the density of the nodes in a network. As compared to the Fixed Channel Allocation Scheme, Dynamic Channel Allocation Algorithms will be more sensitive to the density of the network [23]. There will be no matter of connectivity in case the Fixed Channel Assignment Scheme is deployed on the wireless network. As before the point of operation with FCA, it is made sure that all of the nodes are connected and none of the node is left isolated. With the Dynamic Channel Allocation there will still be a small probability that a node can get isolated from the rest of the network. In the Fixed Channel Allocation for the multi-radio wireless network the distribution of radio interfaces do not matter for the performance. But in case of the DCA, better performance can be improved if radio interface distribution on the nodes is not uniform. DCA will perform better if the first hop nodes have more number of radio interfaces than rest of the network nodes [22]. Future Work The points raised, during this study are just concluded through observation and analytically studying the response of the Fixed Channel Allocation Algorithm in the Multi-Radio network and Dynamic Channel Allocation Algorithm in Multi-Radio Network. These observations can be further improved by using proper simulating tools. Conclusion In the single radio wireless network, DCA exhibits better performance than FCA. The same behaviour is predicted for the multi-radio wireless network, but with the increased complexity. And much better performance can be achieved by taking care of the distribution of the radios in the network. Still it should be considered that there will not be infinite performance gain obtained by using multi-radio network and DCA. The limitation imposed is that number of channels available to a cell should always be greater than the number of interfaces per node has.

Ironic Circumstances in Greasy Lake by T.C. Boyle Essay -- Greasy Lake

Ironic Circumstances in Greasy Lake by T.C. Boyle Sudden and Ironic events that happen to the narrator in T.C. Boyle’s short story â€Å"Greasy Lake† are the same type of events that in an instant will change a person forever. The ironic circumstances that the narrator in â€Å"Greasy Lake† finds himself in are the same circumstances that young people find themselves in when fighting war. The viewpoint of the world that the narrator has, completely alters as certain events take place throughout the story. His outlook on nature transforms into a wholly different standpoint as the story progresses. As his tale begins, the narrator sees himself as a tough guy or â€Å"bad character†. He believes he is invincible. There is nobody as cool as he is or as dangerous as him and his friends are. With his followers, the narrator goes to Greasy Lake, he takes in the nature that surrounds him. He thinks of himself to be a kid who knows everything. To him, the lake represents a night of misbehavior and partying. The unhealthy, treacherous atmosphere of Greasy Lake is alluring, fun, and exciting to someone as threatening as he is. â€Å"We went up to the lake because everyone went there, because we wanted to snuff the rich sent of possibility on the breeze, watch a girl take off her clothes and plunge into the festering murk, drink beer, smoke pot, howl at the stars, sa vor the incongruous full-throated roar of rock and roll against the primeval susurrus of frogs and crickets. This was nature.† This quote gives a clear idea of what the narrators perception of what not only nature is, but of what the world is. He lives to have fun. He is fearless and lives for the moment. All that life is to him is sex, drugs, and rock and roll. His observations of surrounding nature changes after a few ironic incidents occur. The role he plays reverses itself and he finds that he is merely a scared child who is lost and alone in a big scary world. While at Greasy Lake, he is involved in a terrible fight where he almost kills another person, and attempts the heinous crime of rape onto an innocent girl. As he begins to gang rape an innocent victim he is forced to run for his own safety when more people show up at the scene. Ironically, within minutes he converts from being the bad guy, forcing himself on an unwilling victim, to becoming a scared kid hiding in the woods from attackers. While... ...but scared children who are alone and lost in the world, the kids who fought battle in Vietnam went to war thinking they knew all of the answers and somewhere in the middle of it all they realized that they are scared kids who don’t understand what is going on the world around them. They wish only to be in the safety of their mothers home. Everything in the story symbolizes and relates to the truth in war, attitude and actions that cause war are the same that take place with the characters inGreasy lake. The changes that the narrator goes through at Greasy lake are similar changes that happened in young kids who fought in the Vietnam War. The sequence of events that take place at Greasy Lake cause the narrator to grow up and see reality for the first time in his life. The young nineteen year olds who fought in Vietnam went through the same metamorphose as the narrator in Greasy Lake did, War is started by plain stupidity and you figure it out when it’s too late and there is nothing that can be done to change your actions. The characters in Greasy lake are allegorically young men who fought war, their actions and feelings grasp and relate to the actions and feelings of war.

Essays on Death and Suicide - Waiting for Death :: Personal Narrative Writing

Personal Narrative- Waiting for Death She suspects she has only ever had one true affair with the knife, and all those since have been meager attempts at regurgitation, petty rivalries borne of intention and tainted by the anticlimax of recreation. She sits daily watching the synthetic roses, virulent with red, fluoresce persistently on the porch. Moth bitten, with broken stems and a hairline crack running the length of the ceramic pot that marks their station on the brick step. She sits observing their activity, disassociates herself from the solemn sermon their blushing heads deliver, ducking in the wind. Waiting for something to happen. She has lost, or perceives she has lost (and looks for death on the horizon because she fears she has lost) the ability to make things occur. How useful youth was in the day to day creation of happenings. Now she has displaced the seasons, and the pleasant expanse of nothingness, a featureless backdrop, assimilates itself to her emotionless countenance, as she welcomes the weather. Her father’s house, in the Polish town. Its healthy walls, its strong bone structure. She found it easily, buried knee-deep in the liquid winter, and enquired of the locals as to whether anyone currently resided there. They regarded her, not more obliging than they were wary, with the heavy, knowing gaze of people carrying the burden of the past – both pervasive and private. Her accent was rusty, the native tongue had long since been liberated – a stray cut loose from its derelict cultural confinement. She spoke in dislocated dialogue; the secure, prosaic language of dinner parties and familial get-togethers. Of pleasantries exchanged between well-wishing strangers. Broken German from an elementary text-book. How she hated the sluggish tongue, the barren vowels that tripped reluctantly from the lips, imprisoned by the teeth. The English language seemed a positive ballad of elegant syllables. She had wished never to hear these sunken verbs again. She had tried to forget it all, but they spoke with a dramatic flourish, demanding that she remember, their tone didactic and intense with purpose. Those primitive villagers, deeply set in their archaic ways, the spit in the palm. Such old gestures seem a blessing on unimaginative bones, bones of gypsy ancestry; wrapped in incense and adorned with elaborate jewelry. She briefly caught the delicate, sickly scent of patchouli and lavender, an odor that seeped from their pores, traveled on the breath and suggested unrelenting hardship and wisdom and infinite strength.

Spanish Food Essay -- Food Culture Cultural Research Papers

Spain, the third largest country in Europe, has a strong history and diverse culture dating back to when the Iberians first inhabited the land. The country lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean and the land ranges from mountains to meadows. Over hundreds of centuries, many different civilizations have inhabited the land influencing the people there today. From the Visigoths and Celts to the Romans of the Middle Ages, Spain has received a rich history and background. One of the strongest of its cultures is the food. All of these cultures brought a particular type of food and combined and blended with the food that exists there today. Spain is very popular for olives, vineyards, and citrus fruit. Another well-liked food is garlic, including varieties of peppers and spices. Once spice specifically—golden saffron—is essential in many recipes, including the Spanish Paella. There are many distinguished Spanish foods that encompass the daily life and culture of the country. The tapa is a way to sample a variety of Spanish foods. This method of eating is the cornerstone of Spanish cuisine. A tapa is a small dish of food, similar to an appetizer in the United States. Mainly in bars, they are served throughout the day. No single food makes up a tapa; it can be seafood, vegetables, or meat. Tapas normally are eaten primarily at two times of the day. The first is at or around 1:00pm for an early-afternoon snack. Normally, tapas are served prior to a large afternoon ...

ALDI Business expansion through training and development Essay

Aldi (short for Albrecht Discounts) is a globally operating and expanding discount retailer with over 8,000 stores all over the world. The company was founded in 1913 in Germany by two brothers. In 1960 the former Albrecht KG was separated in Aldi Sued and Aldi Nord. The headquarters are located in Essen (Aldi Nord) and Mà ¼lheim an der Ruhr (Aldi Sued). Both companies still have a friendly relation and use the same brands occasionally but operate independently. Aldi Nord operates in Denmark, the Benelux countries, France, the Iberian Peninsula and Poland. Aldi Sued makes its business transactions in countries including Ireland, the United Kingdom, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, USA and Australia. In Austria and Slovenia Aldi is represented by Hofer KG. Overall Aldi is one of the world’s biggest grocery chains. The sales strategy is well known as they offer the opportunity to buy cheap and good/fresh food. The main focus is on key markets in Europe, North Am erica and Australia. Store layouts are simple and opening hours focus especially on the busiest times of the day. The retailer is a specialist in food, beverage and household items but within the years the portfolio was extended. The company acts now among other things for example, as travel agency. Many of the offered products are own brands. The number of other brands is limited to a maximum of two for an item. Therefore it is possible to keep the shops smaller and to sell a larger quantity of a specific brand. The slogan â€Å"Spend a little, live a lot† reflects the strategy of Aldi. In a nutshell to keep prices low they are not taking effort on presenting their variety of goods. Worldwide main competitors of Aldi are Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., METRO AG and Lidl Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG. Particular Austrian competitors are Zielpunkt, Norma and Penny. The strategy of the mentioned chains is similar. They are all driving their main business in the food industry as they are primarily competing on price in order to increase their market share. Main customers are bigger families, housewifely people and people with less income. The marketing mix of every business is different. Aldi focusses on providing high quality products that are cheaper alternatives to famous brands. Moreover, the advertising strategy is very simple and cost saving. Apart from a weekly newsletter of  special offers Aldi is not advertising at all. Primarily this low price grocery chains arose due to the increasing population and economic challenges. Therefore it was necessary to construct bigger plants which resulted in fewer and larger firms. This had a negative effect on farmer’s return and all of a sudden people started to concern about the products they were consuming. Aldi was very hard affected by these changes and implemented sustainable products. Now they offer especially in the diary product sector regional goods. Certainly important to mention is the simple organization structure of Aldi. The very flat management hierarchy allows leaders to get their people known. At Aldi managers should be open for new ideas, improvements and it is common to involve all employees in decision making. They represent a philosophy of promoting and supporting talents within the organization. Consequently the performance of each employee is recognized easier. As the responsibility is increasing within promotions it is essential to support a transparent and effective decision making system. Subsequent the discretion of the Aldi organizational chart. On the very top of the management is the Vice President followed by several Directors like Director of Warehousing & Transportation and Director of Administration. The District Managers are directly reporting to the Director of Operations and are leading the individual Store Management Teams. The number of Store Employees is based on the frequency of customer visits. Worth to mention is also financial situation. The revenue of Aldi was not published until 2000. Since 2001, Aldi Nord publishes its numbers in the Federal Gazette. Sales in Germany in 2010 amounted to 22.5 billion euros. Furthermore the worldwide turnover was 52.8 billion euros. Aldi Nord and Aldi Sued are completely family owned. The capital is very solid and Aldi has no liabilities. Aldi Nord owns all logistic centers. Leased objects are increasingly replaced by own objects. Aldi Sued also owns almost all buildings and land but had to borrow money for further expansion properties. So they left the path of total independence. The return on sales constitutes between 3 and 3.7 % in 2010. The core values and principles that the brothers founded are still important for decision making today. These are presented from the management team as follows: Consistency – leads to reliability. We mean what we say. We are consistent in our dealings with  people, product, price and all other aspects of our day to day professional life. Simplicity – creates efficiency, clarity and clear orientation within our organization as well as for our customers. Responsibility – stands for our commitment towards our people, customers, partners and the environment. It also includes principles such as fairness, honesty, openness, service orientation and friendliness. Aldi places great emphasis in efficient human resource development. In the daily sales business they try to keep everything simple and cheap. This can only be realized with an increase of company’s performance. Furthermore it demonstrates how the training and development program ensures that their employees have the required skills. First of all the goal is to identify training needs in order to be prepar ed for the future. It is mandatory to plan both, the number of workers and specific skills and requirements. The company can then recruit new staff and is furthermore able to ensure that training and development programs are ready when needed. Training needs are identified through constant monitoring of the company’s performance. Aldi expands rapidly and therefore it is necessary to recruit more than 4,000 people within the next 12 months. Therefore the retailer follows the strategy to offer industry-leading salaries to make sure that they also attract the best candidates. Clear and detailed job descriptions help the Human Resource Department to find people with the right set of skills and competencies. Moreover there is process of interview and assessment where managers will find out if the applying person fits. After the most suitable candidate is recruited the training period starts. Depending on the position different trainee programs are offered. For example as a district manager you have to participate in a nearly one-year long training. This program is divided into several different phases where knowledge and skills are being strengthened. Furthermore the new recruits learn about the philosophy of Aldi and its expectations of them to make them feel part of the family. The training and development continues throughout the career with internal and external training seminars. Besides the effect of higher business efficiency training can enhance and motivate staff. Promotions are quite encouraging as personal growth and development is very much appreciated and supported. On the one side Aldi expects an immediate contribution to the business but on the other side they provide special trainings to help developing their careers within the company. Over  85% of Aldi Directors are recruited within the company. They start after school or college and work themselves u p into the general management. Additionally, they offer also an international Expatriate program. This is especially for experienced District Managers who want to learn more about the business in an entirely different culture. Aldi is looking for individuals who are willing to develop themselves further. What is more is that Aldi offers an internship of 10 weeks. During this period interns are given real responsibilities and they have the opportunity to show their competencies and skills. This work placement is for students in undergraduate or graduate programs and is well paid. Internships are very common in such big companies as they offer options for both, the company and the intern. The company has the chance to test the employee for a few weeks and can then decide to offer high potentials a permanent position. However, this is also an advantage for temporary employees because they do not have to sign a permanent contract. Furthermore, Aldi uses on-the-job trainings to continue the training of the employees. T his form of education is taking place in the working environment. Skills are improved by dealing with daily challenges and employees get the chance to learn through re-equipment and materials. Another advantage is that feedback is given right after the accomplishment of the task. Besides also Aldi benefits by saving costs as they don not lose working time and a specific training is although provided. In a nutshell, on-the-job training is very economical. There are four different forms of providing on-the-job trainings: Coaching: The trainee will be trained by a senior employee. These coaches are providing instructions to the trainees to improve their knowledge about the daily work processes. Even though coaching is often used wrongly as a synonym for mentoring. Mentoring: Is characterized by a strong communication between the trainee and the mentor. The main role of a mentors is to guide and help the trainee. Additionally communication. Compared to coaching the relationship of these two parties is more personal. Job rotation: Means that employees are moved within different positions just for a planned period of time. As a result they should be able to gain a wider variety of knowledge and learn about the processes in other departments. „Sitting next to Nellieâ€Å": Is a training very special technique where skills are provided by working alongside to a colleague. This method is very popular. It shows much more  efficiently than reading or studying a written documentation. At Aldi the training follows the principle â€Å"tell, show, do†. First of all the process is explained by the manager followed by a demonstration. Subsequently the trainee has to conduct the task and the manager observes. All kind of positions follow this structure. Prospective area managers get the possibility to become acquainted with different departments. Thus the trainees understand how each department and processes relates to each other. In the trainee period of one year they are supported from an area manager and they get the possibility to represent the branch manager for four to six weeks. In addition to on-the-job trainings Aldi provides off-the-job trainings as well. As indicated, these trainings are taking place away from work. Whereas on-the-job training is very specific, off-the-job training transfers more general skills which are transferable and therefore can be used in many parts of the company. Aldi uses this kind of development for courses covering: Hiring Techniques: Recruitment, interviewing and selection Employment law Influencing skills Performance reviews (appraisals) Aldi Management System (how to develop and performance manage people) Off-the-job training shows positive outcomes like motivated staff and greater staff productivity. Moreover it provides employees with better skills and Aldi profits from improved customer service. Beside these positive aspects it must be admitted that off-the-job training creates higher payroll costs. These additional costs are shown in payments for the trainings organization, the training itself and absenteeism which has to be covered from other employees. Aldi decides whether on-the-job or off-the-job training is more suitable for the given aspect of training. In general the different internal and external training seminars accompany employees through their whole career. Aldi defines learning and growth as a career-long process where there is always an opportunity for more. An example for the combination of internal and external training is Aldi’s apprentice scheme. Beside the regular apprenticeship the trainees are studying for an NVQ (national vocational qualification) in Retail Apprenticeship. When the traineeship ends after 3 years the apprentices  gained Level 3 – advanced qualification. Due to the growth of Aldi, trainees have good opportunities to be promoted. Fully trained have the possibility to acquire a position as a deputy manager or assistant store manager. The next step on their career ladder is to become a store manager. All these forms of training provide employees with work-related knowledge and skills that are needed to carry out their jobs. Besides on-the-job and off-the-job training there is another possibility to educate the employees of a company. Development is similar to training as it supports personal growth and improves skills which are directly related to the job. Furthermore, employees gain qualifications and which results in a higher value in the job market. At first glance it looks as if companies do not benefit from development, but they do in every way. Beyond employees can be used more flexible. Additionally they are able to take over more responsibility. Moreover, people are considered to be an important member of the business. Hence, the company cares about the performance and capabilities of employees, which enhances motivation. Aldi is greatly aware that further development of employees increases the change of losing high potentials. Due to better knowledge people are more likely to leave as other companies often promise better career objectives. Nevertheless Aldi is conscious of this risk but in order to remain competitive they prefer to invest in human capital. As this food retailer has a lot of subsidiaries it is possible to offer its employees relocation to different international countries. This helps to develop all-round expert ise and motivation. At first, strengths and weaknesses of each employee need to be identified. Next step is to help them to improve their skills. To support this process Aldi launched an appraisal form. In this special system the manager and the employee evaluate the past and current performance. According to this process it is easier to decide which development is necessary or useful for the individual. A very important procedure is also the personal goal setting. At Aldi managers and employees work very close together to find the right targets. The discounter also tries to attract especially university students. Students have the possibility to prove their theoretical knowledge during a one year long working experience. They enjoy the first time to be part of a company. Moreover Aldi benefits greatly from this system. If the students are doing well they usually get a permanent job offer. In this  case no further recruiting process is needed and subsequent time and money can be saved. In a nutshell Aldi puts great emphasis on training and development. Even though the company does not have a human resource department, it is rewarded with number 6 in â€Å"The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers 2013†. 85% of all directors have been recruited within the company this shows that the firm has a strong policy for internal recruitment. So promotion is permitted to every employee. Another factor of success is that staff is recruited from schools or colleges. The appropriate on- or off-the-job training guarantees that recruits are well-trained and lays the foundation of the employees’ careers. The retailer’s global competitor Wal-Mart has a similar training and development strategy. Wal-Mart uses a training and development system inspired by Nike. The difference to Aldi is the e-training process, which is a web-based training concentrating on selling skills and product knowledge. Besides all these positive aspects some valuations of former employees on the internet tell another story. Zeit online reports that discounters like Aldi are fallen into disrepute and try to clear their names as good employers with training and development offers. On the one hand former employees are largely satisfied with Aldi’s further development, but on the other hand they claim that the promised prospects for promotions and career are rare. To guarantee that every employee gets equal career development opportunities, we would suggest a development account like Fraport AG uses. Fraport is the operator of the airport Frankfurt and organizes staff development with the so called Q-Card (qualification card). The Q-Card is a credit account for further development, which gives each of the 13,000 employees the chance to redeem â‚ ¬ 600 per annum for personal development. If the development credit is not consumed, it expires on their own responsibility. All in all, Aldi has an effective way to train and develop staff. Open communication of the career prospects brings orientation for recruits and employees. The flat management hierarchy combined with career possibilities enables the staff to take over responsibility. Training ensures well-trained employees and promotion is open to all staff. In respect of staff development Aldi deservers number 6 of the 100 Graduate Employers 2013. Primarily, people associate Aldi with cheap products, but hardly anyone knows that they care about their employees especially in staff development. (2739 words) Reference List: http://www.aldi.com/?aldiurl=true https://corporate.aldi.co.uk/en/responsibility/our-people/everyone-achieving-their-best/ https://www.hofer.at/ http://www.aldi.de/