Quantitative Methods for Business Essay

In January 2008, Northern Airlines merged with Southeast Airlines to create the fourth largest U.S. carrier. The new North-South Airline inherited both an aging fleet of Boeing 727-300 aircraft and Stephen Ruth. Stephen was a tough former secretary of the navy who stepped in as new president and chairman of the board. Stephen’s first concern in creating a financially solid company was maintenance costs. It was commonly surmised in the airline industry that maintenance costs rise with the age of the aircraft. He quickly noticed that historically there had been a significant difference in the reported B727-300 maintenance costs (from ATA Form 41’s) both in the airframe and engine areas between Northern Airlines and Southeast Airlines, with Southeast having the newer fleet. On February 12, 2008, Peg Jones, vice president for operation and maintenance, was called into Stephen’s office and asked to study the issue. Specifically, Stephen wanted to know whether the average fleet age was correlated to direct airframe maintenance costs, and whether there was a relationship between average fleet age and direct engine maintenance costs. Peg was to report back by February 26 with the answer, along with quantitative and graphical descriptions of the relationship. Peg’s first step was to have her staff construct the average age of Northern and Southeast B727-300 fleets, by quarter, since the introduction of that aircraft to service by each airline in late 1993 and early 1994. The average age of each fleet was calculated by first multiplying the total number of calendar days each aircraft had been in service at the pertinent point in time by the average daily utilization of the respective fleet to total fleet hours flown. The total fleet hours flown was then divided by the number of aircraft in service at that time, giving the age of the â€Å"average† aircraft in the fleet. The average utilization was found by taking the actual total fleet hours flown on September 30, 2007 form Northern and Southeast data, and dividing by the total days in service for all aircraft at that time. The average utilization for Southeast was 8.3 hours per day, and the average utilization for Northern was 8.7 hours per day. Because the available cost data were calculated for each yearly period ending at the end of the first quarter, average fleet age was calculated at the same points in time. The fleet data are shown in the following table. Airframe cost data and engine cost data are both shown paired with fleet average age in that table.

Gold Mining in South Africa Essay

The critical issue facing the mining industry according to Zoli Diliza chief executive, chamber of mines is ensuring that the mineral policies of South Africa aligns with the highest standard of administrative justice, promote an internationally accepted level of security of tenure and invariably promote an enabling environment that will attract investors into south Africa, hence, improving her competitiveness. Gold’s rarity, beauty and durability have ensured its use as a medium of exchange as well as astore of value There has been a power crises issue in South Africa which has led to the shut down temporarily of major gold operations. This is a serious problem that in that there is limited capacity to bring the mine workers of the enclosed spaces in the mine due to ventilation breakdown. Continues power outages which have resulted in disrupted operations in the goldmines obviously have a significant impact on world gold supplies mine, this is one of the reasons South Africa is taking the backseat as the world’s largest producer of gold with china taking the front seat. Lawrence William) (2008) It was recorded in 2010 that gold production was down to 200 tons. Despite the substantial increase in the real price of gold in recent years, there has been a continuous decline in gold production , unless substantive new capital investment in new mines is attracted the decline in production is likely to continue. There is also a decline in engineering and manufacturing activities associated direct ly to the gold mining industry. Inorder words, the consequence of the decline in gold production in south africa has been the loss of major sectors of South Africa’s previous substantive heavy engineering and manufacturing capacity The gold industry in the early 1990s experienced a tight profit squeeze and voilatility in prices, that period was also seen by rampant inflation. The pressure that generated the profit squeeze was as a result of workers demand related to their salaries as awell as housing, health and safety. Another important cause was due to stagnant prices which reducesd reserves amd discouraged exploration of mines. And as expected, the profitabilitu constraint led to retrenchment of workers as a management mechanism for the mines. The gold industry in SA faced a tight profit squeeze in the early 1990s. The gold price was kept at a constant nominal rand value by the Reserve Bank from 1988 to 1992 despite rampant inflation. The 1987 great mineworkers strike was the highpoint of employment numbers. Profit margins were under severe pressure both from worker demands–related to wages as well as housing and health and safety–and from stagnant commodity prices which reduced reserves and discouraged new exploration. In addition to profitability constraints, retrenchments were a weapon of mine management to reduce the effectiveness of the National Union of Mineworkers as it recovered from the strike–which had seen the dismissal of many union leaders. There was common cause that the industry needed to restructure in order to extend its life. The article put forward proposals from a labour perspective.

Civil War Essay

A nation in four decades had been multiplied several times its territory, purchase of Louisiana to France, Florida to Spain, the annexation of Texas and the subsequent war with Mexico (1846-1848) ambient. The political states of north and south had been mounded by the interest of the second in their plantations and the conservation of slavery, while the firs inclined towards trade; shipping and financial interests on one side were the debtor farmers, and other creditors’ capitalists. After independence, the first were represented by Democrat Thomas Jefferson and the last by the Federalists under Alexander Hamilton. The congress in Philadelphia in 1787 was the problems faced by the new state, debt, inter-state trade conflicts, war with Mexico, who snatched the Aztec country half of its territory, got to the United States, territories of California and New Mexico social. The civil war was in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America, also known as â€Å"the Confederacy. † Led by Jefferson Davis, the Confederacy fought against the United States (the Union), which was supported by all the free states (where slavery had been abolished) and by five slave states that became known as the border states. The fireman in Bradbury’s world began their version of the fireman job â€Å"around about a thing called the civil war† (54). Captain Beatty, the main antagonist of Fahrenheit 451, and captain of the fire brigade that Guy Montag works for, reasons that the decline of people’s interest in books came about because of photographs which came about during the civil war. the allusion is to the American war of secession from 1861-1865, which is the only civil war of American history. In it, the Northern States were able to defeat the South and to proclaim the abolition of slavery in 1863;

Chicago Bulls and DNA Testing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chicago Bulls and DNA Testing - Essay Example As the discussion outlines, a DNA test would have detected any anomalies in their systems and would have given the club’s medical team a head`s up and thus prevented these situations. It is crucial for professional athletes especially the ones whose families have a history of these diseases and complications to undergo a DNA test. Examples of such diseases include heart diseases, blood pressure complications, asthma and hypertension. If the symptoms are detected, the medical team can determine if the athlete should be allowed to play or not, it all depends on how the level of the threat posed by the discovered signs is handled. There are no clear laws that prohibit or disallow DNA testing although some players feel that the club asking for a DNA test is abusing its powers. The club and the affected individuals to decide on whether the test should be conducted. Clubs and professional sports associations conduct DNA tests for different reasons. Some clubs especially in Major Lea gue Baseball conduct these tests to insulate themselves from lawsuits and spending of millions of dollars on players` medical bills and lawsuits. In the recent past, sports prospects from the Dominican Republic often lie about their age to gain access in the United States where they are offered millions of dollars only to find out that the player lied about his age and name. Clubs also perform the tests to prevent any future situation that may arise from earlier detected complications and spare the fans from witnessing terrifying spectacles as players collapse while playing on the field. Some countries such as Australia have made strides that ensure predictive genetic information cannot be used to make decisions affecting employment and this law extends to professional sports.

Explain Jim's character and why he treats Laura as he does Essay

Explain Jim's character and why he treats Laura as he does - Essay Example That is how the play gets its name â€Å"The Glass Menagerie†. Beyond every sentimental elements found in this play, its theme circles around the two characters, Laura and Jim. Jim O’ Connor in the play is portrayed as a hero in his high school age itself. He mastered everything he did and convinced others that he could go farther than they would expect him to. In his teen days, he would sing well and make a circle of fans around him with his wits. He is a pleasing personality that can easily gain room in anybody’s heart. Although he does nothing that impresses others, the conviction in his words leaves an unshakable trust among his listeners. An adventure loving man he is, he changes his life style time to time and searches the new entertaining things to enthrall himself. When Tom meets him at the work place, Jim is an absolute movie fan. Loneliness and youthful inspirations drive his way from one spot to another in search of joy. Jim has been introduced as â€Å"a nice, ordinary, young man† (p. XIII) but his nature is rather skeptical as the way he meets Laura and recollects his past in the play. Jim never seems to be concerned about Laura except for the little love he has for her from the memories. Altogether, his character in the play is nurtured with ambiguity that of a man who willfully conceals his desire to escape situations for better choices with unwillingness to leave his little old love. He poses a role for self deceit when he leaves Laura for Betty, his fiancà ©e. Jim’s character in the play grows rather displeasing to normal audience at the end of the tale because of his ill motivated school days and the loneliness he chose to grow with. As the way his days with Tom’s family grow affectionate, he regains everything he wanted to have right from his teenage. Though he loves Laura, his insider always suggests him a way out- a way that meets his desires at reality. Laura-though is very beautiful like a glass toy, is very fragile

God exists OR God doesn't exist OR We should believe in God OR We Essay

God exists OR God doesn't exist OR We should believe in God OR We shouldn't believe in God - Essay Example The planets, the stars and the suns move in certain direction that their gravitational systems do not collide with each other. In our own solar system, planets revolve around the sun in an orderly and predictable manner which makes us wonder, who created all these things to move in such controlled and orderly manner? If there is no God out there who created the universe and all the creatures that exist on it, then, who created all these things? The universe is so vast and almost impossible to comprehend and it revolves along logical paths that are exact and well defined. Many scientists and scholars suggest that the universe was created through some kind of random engineering design but if we take a close look at the solar system (Peacock, 1999), the planetary system and all of creation, there is nothing random in these things and everything has to be in their right places to achieve balance and harmony. If it was not God who created all the heavenly bodies and set the rules as to how they should move around and produce elements that sustain life, then, who created all these things? If the universe has been created by an accident of nature as some people would like to believe, such accident would have been of phenomenal magnitude that it created order in the universe. Besides, if we go with the idea that the universe and us who live in it, are created by accident of nature, then we are not as special as we are supposed to be. If we do not believe in God, then we do not consider ourselves as made in the image and likeness of God. By believing that we are created by accident is like denying our own divine beginning. On the other hand, by accepting the existence of God, we also accept our divine nature. In arguing against the existence of God, many scientists suggest that at the beginning of time, the chaotic first elements ordered themselves to form a complex system that we now call the universe (Singh,

Brown v. board of education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Brown v. board of education - Research Paper Example The law does also not recognize the lack of equality in segregating the two races and actually turns a blind eye to the fact that one race is being treated superior while the other remains inferior in their segregated premises. The fact that they had equal facilities does not mean that the facilities were of the same quality only quantity. Having equal number of teachers for example but who are not very much qualified (as they are also of similar race and hence not very much educated) does not shout the name equality at all. The same applies to the state of the other facilities such as the transportation and the building compared with what the whites were receiving. If the same quality of facilities cannot be accorded to the different races and the same treatment being offered to the white cascaded down to the blacks, then there can never be any form of equality even though the law rules that there is according to the fourteenth amendment as equality cannot exist just in one form or term and the rest of the issues ignored or