Airlines Customer Relationship Management Crm Systems Computer Science Essay

Airlines Customer Relationship Management Crm Systems Computer Science Essay During the early 1920s, several small scale airline companies had come up in different parts of Europe but only two of them made it to the top. They were-The Deutscher Aero Llyod and Junkers Luftverkehr. On January 6, 1926, they merged and founded Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Since then Lufthansa has been continuously transforming itself into a competitive corporation with maximum customer satisfaction and modern organizational structure. Deutsche Lufthansa is divided into 2 main divisions: Lufthansa Airlines Lufthansa Systems Airlines comprise of the different passenger airline services like Swiss airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, German Wings, JetBlue and SunExpress. Systems comprise of various MIS and Software system divisions like Lufthansa Systems, Lufthansa cargo, Lufthansa Technik and Financial Services. (Refer figure 1.) Lufthansa Systems is the major player in the Software systems and provides consulting and IT services to various companies. Companies from different sectors like transport, logistics and industry rely on the expertise of Lufthansa Systems. Apart from developing individual applications, it also provides airlines with integrated platform solutions that help them to optimize their core processes. Its Platform solutions include: The Integrated Operations Control Center (IOCC) Platform for airline operations The Integrated Commercial Platform (ICP) for network management and revenue control The Sirax AirFinance Platform for revenue management The Operations Platform for flight planning and execution The GroundSolutions Platform for check-in and boarding The AdvancedCargo Platform for all cargo processes Customer Relationship Management systems: Any airlines success basically depends on its capability to manage sales, marketing, and to maximize advantages for both from a better understanding of its customers. To achieve this, airline e-CRM models not only provide a comprehensive solution but also contribute towards improving the relationship of the airlines with its customers. An airline e-CRM model is a system made up of various components, different linkages amongst these components, and the dynamics- that can take advantage of the Internet to generate revenue. This is accomplished by building each of the components-value, revenue sources, rates and pricing, scope, capabilities and sustainability-and crafting linkages amongst these components. Hence it enables an airline to achieve an advantage over its competitors. Various softwares and MIS systems not only reduce the manual labour but also cater to the needs of the customers better. A broad classification of all the CRM services provided by Lufthansa includes: Passenger core systems Value added services Passenger Airline Competence Centre (PACC) MultiHost Sales, MultiHost DCS, e-ticketing interlining GroundSolutions Platform, NetLIne, Revenue Integrity. Strategy Vendor, Selection, Migration and Integration, Process Engineering. GrandSolutions GroundSolutions/ Mobile uses SMS dialogues or a mobile website to guide passengers conveniently throughout the entire check-in process. Passengers can use any PC and choose the seats, of their wish from an aircraft-specific seating plan, online. Further they can also print their boarding pass or can send it to a mobile device like a PDA or cell phone. Special check-ins like group check-in or employee standby flights are also integrated in this system. Charter passengers flying with a voucher instead of a ticket can avail this service as well. The system requires the customer to place his ID card or passport on the Check-in machines scanner. Then the flight number and destination for the flight is to be entered. The touch screen helps in entering the personal details. Once the booking is done, it can be confirmed online on lufthansa.com under my bookings. The payment is done via a credit card. GroundSolutions offers other services such as: Up gradation to a higher class Lounge access Reservation of special seats including window seats or exit route seats. This shows that the airline is in complete control of its various ancillary revenue channels. As soon as some change is made in the administrative department, this information is available to the passengers. This includes offering an upgrade to the next class or even a change in the advertisement on the boarding pass depending on the time, location or even the flight number. This has not only reduced the cost and time many folds but has also provided better customer satisfaction by addressing the needs of various customer groups differently. Furthermore, because of the flexibility in the system, the customers can be informed about any kind of changes easily. Key features: On to and return check-ins both possible Selection of the seats by the passengers on an interactive seating plan The e-boarding pass available on the cell phone Key benefits: Passengers have a better control over various processes This satisfies customer needs and increases compliance Paperless check-in proves to be more convenient and time saving Altea Customer Management System by Amadeus: Altea MIS is owned by Amadeus IT Group, the largest GDS (Global Distribution System) provider in the world with an estimated market share of 37% in 2009. Spread over 195 countries, its customers include airlines, hotels, travel agencies, rail and road transport companies. In 2009, 238 million passengers boarded different airlines using Amadeus Altà ©a. Air France and Lufthansa are its major customers. Altea is a new-generation CRM system which addresses airlines key functions like sales and reservations, arrival and departure control and inventory management. Altea reservations Altea inventory Altea DCS Availability, Booking, Fares and pricing, Customer profiles, e-ticketing Schedules management, Inventory control, Seat map management. Check-in, Boarding pass issuance, Baggage management, Flight boarding. Altea enables the customers to manage their booking and ticketing conveniently.it also helps airlines to manage their schedules, seating capacity and the associated fares. The user-interface is further simplified by the preferential use of XML over HTML or SOAP. This minimizes the implementation time and enables seamless connection with any ERP system. The Amadeus Altà ©a service unifies end-to-end IP network using highly reliable components supplying a fully managed business class of service. This allows Airlines and Ground Handlers to access the Amadeus Altà ©a DCS services from airports. The system enables the airlines to share network connectivity at airports to reduce operating costs and to provide a simpler solution. It guarantees access to Amadeus applications with better services and response times than what other airports can offer today. It provides access to best speeds available and is a very flexible system for the entire community of users. It provides different Class of Service (CoS) functionality for assigning higher priority to business critical traffic (e.g. Check-in) and lower priority to non-critical traffic (e.g. back office). The Amadeus Altà ©a CRM System is designed around the following core concepts: Single data source- this eliminates inconsistency of data. Customer centricity- entire information about the customers journey made available Automation and flexibility- Intuitive graphical user interfaces facilitate efficient service Common platform- offers benefit due to the combined input of all the world-leading airlines. Key features: Fully automated ticket availability and booking Higher customer satisfaction Increased staff productivity Faster and more efficient ticketing Enhanced self service options via web or kiosk Reduced cost and higher reliability NiceView : NiceView is an in-flight infotainment system which has been recently introduced by the airlines to make each passengers journey a memorable one. It enables the passengers to experience all the beautiful and mesmerizing scenes as though seeing them directly from the pilots cockpit. The NiceView is a moving map system which provides high-resolution 3-D maps and hence provides information and entertainment at the same time. It further provides an impressing 3-D view of the aircraft at its current geographical location as well as the flight path. On zooming in, high-resolution maps of 1 meter per pixel can be configured which display the entire flight route. The view of the entire route, flight track line, destination airport and the arrival time can be seen in 2-D or 3-D. Current flight data can be obtained from airborne communication links via ARINC-429 (ACARS) or Ethernet (Sat-Com/Broadband) . Virtual flights are also possible between the starting and the ending destinations by typing in their names. Lufthansa Airlines has implemented this software in majority of its international flights. It has also customized the software by including several other options like playing audio or video clips including movies or pre-recorded TV series, sports or political news, information regarding the estimated time of arrival, airport or boarding information or other safety briefings. It further gives environmental information like the estimated temperature outside, weather conditions, time change etc. The system also facilitates language translations as well as feeding and editing of geopolitical data. Working: At the time of take-off, NiceView automatically displays a welcome note on the touch-screen. Out of the several options including route map, movies, audio clips, weather information, news, flight related information and others, the passengers are free to select any one of their choice. High definition video output (HDTV) is also available apart from the standard definition video signals (NTSC/PAL). To support multi-channel and multi-language content around 4 mono audio channels are provided. With the help of touch screen, the passengers can surf various components of the system and can go back to the main or previous menu whenever desired. Further the alignment of the maps can be changed as per convenience and the entire time and route of the flight can be displayed. Any kind of selection of an item can be done via the touch-screen followed by a similar exit. Key benefits: Virtual camera views in 2D and 3D from around the aircraft A virtual flight route Display of movies and audio clips Various geopolitical, graphical and information overlays News and information 2-D and 3-D locations relative to the aircraft Illustrations of oceanographic data Thus all in all NiceView is truly an infotainment as it serves the purpose of providing sufficient information as well as entertainment during the flight. Appendix: Fig 1- Organizational structure of Lufthansa Group Fig 2- Display of Amadeus Altea Fig 3- Route of the flight illustrated in 2-D

Designing An Effective Juvenile Delinquents Rehabilitation Center

Designing An Effective Juvenile Delinquents Rehabilitation Center The vision is to design a secure state of the art rehabilitation center. To eliminate and decrease the juvenile delinquency in society by helping juveniles in restoring their sense of self worth so that they can become a productive individuals of the social order and to get them rid of the feeling of remorse because of the offense they have committed. The aim is to design a center which would provide them such opportunities of living a normal disciplined life and a chance of learning technical education, in order to reduce crime as a whole in the society leading to social and human development. The goal with juvenile detention is often rehabilitation rather than punishment. Who is a juvenile? A young person, a child who is not fully grown or developed. Marked by immature behavior. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/juvenile DISTINCTION BETWEEN A CRIMINAL AND A JUVENILE DELINQUENT: If children commit crime in their younger age of life, deviate from their normal behavior of patterns, they are called delinquent not criminals. Criminals are those who violate the common law of society, beyond the age handled by juvenile courts. Kaurser perveen, offense among youth in urban population and its impact on family, 2007 WHAT IS JUVENILE DETENTION? When people who are not old enough to be held in jail or prison, they often go to a juvenile detention center. This is a prison like atmosphere for people under the age of 18. A juvenile detention facility must be safe and secure for the occupants of the facility. PRESENT SCENARIO: Throughout Pakistan, thousands of children are locked inside police cells or overcrowded jails, victims of a justice system that treats the very young much the same as adults. Kids as young as seven can spend years behind bars before the courts have even decided if they are innocent or guilty. And despite the fact that around half Pakistans population is under 18, the country has only one juvenile court. Elsewhere, children are trialed in adult courts (BBC NEWS | South Asia | Tragedy of Pakistans prison children). Most imprisoned children are held in company with adult prisoners, where they can get easily involved in illegal activities, drug dealing, drug addiction, sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape and physical abuse etc. These youthful offenders later on become adult criminals, if otherwise they are left uncontrolled and unlooked for. Kaurser perveen, offense amoung youth in urban population and its impact on family, 2007 Children spend years of their lives in miserable conditions in cells filled with the stench of human feces eating unhealthy and unhygienic food and being forced to do labor. In 1st July 2000, a better legal system was hoped for children when Pakistan introduced the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO) for the protection of children who come into conflict with the law. Amongst other things, it defined the age of a child as someone under the age of 18, it set out guidelines for granting of bails, for the establishment of special juvenile courts, set out guidelines for the arrest and legal representation for children and it prohibited certain forms of cruel treatment and the death penalty on children. But once again, the rights of children in Pakistan suffered a major setback when in December 2004 a Lahore High Court judgment revoked the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance (JJSO), because it found it to be impractical, unreasonable and unconstitutional. Juvenile courts that were set up under the JJSO were to be abolished and children were now to be tried once again under the same system as adults. http://www.ansarburney.org/childrens_rights-prisons.html need of the project: Economical factors involve promoting crime in Pakistan such as rising poverty, increasing inflation, broken families, Religious discrimination, poor schooling, Drug addiction, Child abuse and neglect etc. Children cannot make their own decisions; they are usually influenced by the people and environment around them. These factors make them involve in illegal activities. The youngsters in this age have a delicate mind. They are indecisive and are mostly governed by emotions and sentiments. Their mind, aptitudes and thoughts have no perfection and endurance. That is why they are supposed immature and inexperienced and so they are probably not to be called criminals but as delinquents. According to Holy Prophet Three categories of persons are immune from the operation of law: a sleeping person until he is awake a minor until he/she is major A lunatic until he is sane. Islam terms the minors as innocents. They are not supposed to commit a crime. If innocents have committed a crime it is treated as an offense not a crime, so they should be treated mildly by a separate court of juveniles cases. In overcrowded Pakistani jails juveniles lodged in the company of hard core criminals, where they might become adult criminals. There is a need to provide a separate juvenile rehabilitation center instead of keeping them in adult prisons. In this way offenders may be controlled rehabilitated and reformed as the early stage to prove a useful member of the society instead of being a potential criminal. Kaurser perveen, offense amoung youth in urban population and its impact on family, 2007 It is the mind of the child being affected by sociological issues which determines his behavior. In order to change this behavior there is a need to bring back their self confidence and reduce the negative delinquents behavior. Creating a constructive change in there thinking, activities and over all life. OBJECTIVES: The aim is to propose such a platform that would recommend something constructive for delinquents to do or learn and be capable to fight for better lives. Illiteracy and lack of technical education is also one of the big issues within our society. These issues would be addressed through architectural design. In prison there is a necessity to motivate them where delinquents learned such technical skills and to be the part of crime free society. That can empower them to lead productive, crime free lives when they return to their communities. According to U.S. Bureau of Justice Assistance, these kinds of services should be present to make them productive member of society. Balanced Education Character building through religious support Vocational/Technical Education Counseling Programs Psychological/Psychiatric Counseling Family Counseling Employment Counseling Health and Nutrition AIDS Prevention Counseling Youth Alcohol and Drug Treatment Youth Violent Offender Treatment To accommodate these services spaces would be designed in rehabilitation center with the provision of relevant architectural design for crime prevention. ISSUES TO BE ADDRESSED: During research the issues found in exiting juvenile cells are that They are over crowded and congested. Occupants are filled up more than space available. Poor ventilation. Bad hygiene and sanitation facilities. The cells are usually small and confided with poor facilities for lodging and dining. All these issues would be addressed through design, developing healthy, social and living spaces for juveniles. Explore best possible architectural solutions for rehabilitation center that will lead to a positive society. Provide sustainable and economical solutions for all above mentioned spaces, creating a juvenile rehabilitation prototype for future implementations. Security measures metholody: The research methodology would be done by case studies of existing juvenile detention facilities e. g. Adyala jail Rawalpindi, interviewing people associated like researchers on juvenile delinquency, non government organization working for child prisoners child psychologist, child physiatrist, juvenile delinquents, parents, jail management, studying and observing requirements for the juveniles. The literature that would be helpful in the research of the project will be mainly focused on the issue of juvenile delinquency, judiciary system of juvenile courts, juvenile justice system ordinance, child psychology and development, sociology, human behavior and psychological impact of detention on juvenile. As an individual, architect cannot resolve this kind of critical social factor but being a part of the society one can contribute for the betterment of the society. Society is not all about building sky scrapers, market complex and Convention centers while our little children are imprisoned like animals. The space planning, orientation, color, texture, room sizes and landscapes go beyond than just being beautiful.

Lears Character Development in Shakespeares King Lear Essay -- King

Lear's Character Development in Shakespeare's King Lear Though King Lear, of Shakespeare's play, King Lear, wrongs both Cordelia and Kent in his harsh treatment against them, the unjust actions of Regan and Goneril against King Lear cause him to be "a man more sinned against than sinning" (3.2.60-61). In order to relieve himself of the problems and work associated with holding his position so he can "unburdened crawl toward death," King Lear, of pre-Christ Britain, divides up his kingdom into three portions, one for each of his daughters (1.1.41). To decide the daughter to whom he should give the largest portion of the kingdom, King Lear holds a competition that merely serves to feed his ego. He requires each daughter to publicly profess her love for him and promises the largest portion of land to the one who loves him the greatest. Both Regan and Goneril flatter King Lear, telling him what he wants to hear. On the other hand, Cordelia responds honestly, first expressing that she can say "nothing" in response to the question (1.1.92). When Lear presses her further, she explains, "You have begot me, bred me, loved me;" and vows to "return those duties back as are right fit" but that someday she will get married and will not possess the ability to give her father all her love (1.1.1 02-103). King Lear makes his first error here; he bases his decision on the superficial aspect of his daughters' words. He favors Regan and Goneril because their words sound nice to the ear. In actuality, though, their statements have no true feeling behind them. On the other hand, too caught up in his own pride and ego, King Lear perceives Cordelia's honest words as "pride, which she calls plainness" (1.1.137). Because Cordelia does not give... ...osing a loved one in the September 11 attacks, while King Lear does die of anguish over his daughter's death. Since the concept of fate – the belief that all actions are planned out, and regardless of what people do, no one can change the outcome – frequently prevails in literature, one could also attribute King Lear's death to his acknowledgement of fate. King Lear comes to the realization that no matter how hard he tries to do good, his actions have no bearing on what happens. Therefore, he no longer has a reason to live. Though King Lear is by no means completely innocent and free of blame – his actions prompt some sort of punishment – his two daughters wrong him more than he wrongs the other characters of the play. Through this injustice, though, King Lear learns a lesson and transforms into a better person, even though he dies at the conclusion of the play.

The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults Essay -- Psycholog

The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults Elderly people are continuously faced with the debilitating effects of the aging process. Age-related diseases are part of the aging process that put the elderly population at risks for physical, mental, and social incapacity in dealing with their everyday functioning. However, more than the external deleterious consequences of these diseases are the psychological ramifications that they have to older adults that are worth investigating. Cerebrovascular accident or stroke is one of the many age-related diseases that affect both the physical and psychological functioning of many older adults. To understand the extent of the effects of stroke to older adults, this research paper will enumerate various physical, mental, and social aftermaths of this disease. Furthermore, it will utilize the most recent studies to explain the consequences of these aftermaths to older adults’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Also, this paper will discuss the psychological effects of caregiver burden that a spouse or immediate family member may experience while caring for a stroke victim. To gain a better understanding of stroke, it is imperative to first get a closer look at the background information and underlying factors that surround this disease. Stroke is a serious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects the biological functioning of the brain. It is precipitated by an occlusion in the vascular system that supports and nourishes the brain cells with oxygen and other vital minerals (Welch, 2008). With the brain deprived of the necessary nutrients to maintain its fundamental metabolic processes, it is often times altered irreversibly to the point where it affects the... ... J. (2011). Differential aspects of stroke and congestive heart failure in quality of life reduction: A case series with three comparison groups. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9, 65. Pohl, P. S., McDowd, J. M., Filion, D., Richards, L. G., Stiers, W., & Kluding, P. (2007). Task Switching After Stroke. Physical Therapy, 87(1), 66-73. Rogalski, Y., Altmann, L. J. P., Plummer-D’Amato, P., Behrman, A. L., & Marsiske, M. (2010). Discourse coherence and cognition after stroke: A dual task study. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43(3), 212-224. Thompson, H., & Ryan, A. (2009). The impact of stroke consequences on spousal relationships from the perspective of the person with stroke. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 18(12), 1803-1811. Welch, R. (2008). Considering the psychological effects of stroke. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 2(7), 335-346. The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults Essay -- Psycholog The Psychological Effects of Stroke in Older Adults Elderly people are continuously faced with the debilitating effects of the aging process. Age-related diseases are part of the aging process that put the elderly population at risks for physical, mental, and social incapacity in dealing with their everyday functioning. However, more than the external deleterious consequences of these diseases are the psychological ramifications that they have to older adults that are worth investigating. Cerebrovascular accident or stroke is one of the many age-related diseases that affect both the physical and psychological functioning of many older adults. To understand the extent of the effects of stroke to older adults, this research paper will enumerate various physical, mental, and social aftermaths of this disease. Furthermore, it will utilize the most recent studies to explain the consequences of these aftermaths to older adults’ cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning. Also, this paper will discuss the psychological effects of caregiver burden that a spouse or immediate family member may experience while caring for a stroke victim. To gain a better understanding of stroke, it is imperative to first get a closer look at the background information and underlying factors that surround this disease. Stroke is a serious and life-threatening disease that mainly affects the biological functioning of the brain. It is precipitated by an occlusion in the vascular system that supports and nourishes the brain cells with oxygen and other vital minerals (Welch, 2008). With the brain deprived of the necessary nutrients to maintain its fundamental metabolic processes, it is often times altered irreversibly to the point where it affects the... ... J. (2011). Differential aspects of stroke and congestive heart failure in quality of life reduction: A case series with three comparison groups. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9, 65. Pohl, P. S., McDowd, J. M., Filion, D., Richards, L. G., Stiers, W., & Kluding, P. (2007). Task Switching After Stroke. Physical Therapy, 87(1), 66-73. Rogalski, Y., Altmann, L. J. P., Plummer-D’Amato, P., Behrman, A. L., & Marsiske, M. (2010). Discourse coherence and cognition after stroke: A dual task study. Journal of Communication Disorders, 43(3), 212-224. Thompson, H., & Ryan, A. (2009). The impact of stroke consequences on spousal relationships from the perspective of the person with stroke. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 18(12), 1803-1811. Welch, R. (2008). Considering the psychological effects of stroke. British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, 2(7), 335-346.

AI and American History :: essays research papers

â€Å"Artificial Intelligence And America†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Artificial Intelligence played a crucial role in our American history and the history of the world. Some view it as the vain pursuit of man to become god-like and create life, others, as the next logical step in computer technology. However, the conclusion is not nearly the most important part of it. The process of the pursuit of the creation of mechanical sentient life has also led to a much deeper understanding of how our own biological minds work, creating new methods to treat brain diseases, and other brain related disorders. Through this, life is longer sustained, but modern life itself would not exist without some AI programs today. Several AI programs control the stock market, and the military has countless uses for it, and we even rely on it at home. AI has advanced greatly since it began, bringing neurology with it, and modern America could not function today without it. ‘Computers are nothing to be afraid of’. An idea clung to like a religion by IBM promotional people in the late 1970’s. That’s when the first AI programs were being produced and the public became concerned over basically, whether or not computers would take over the world. IBM raced to put the public’s fears to rest, so they created an ad-campaign. Pretty soon, every salesperson for IBM was parroting the phrase: â€Å"Computers are nothing but quick morons†. This seemed to halt the fears of the public, but as long as AI research progressed, the uneasiness continued. Computers can process information at speeds thousands of times faster then the human brain, but can only do as they are instructed. So, what happens when there instructed to learn from their mistakes, or react with their surroundings? What constitutes intelligence? The earliest attempts at AI were at making computers sentient, based on the theory that something must be alive to have intelligence. Needless to say, this didn’t work out and left many disappointed investors and researchers alike. Later on though, scientists found that the problem early AI developers had been that they tried to take too big of a step. They believed if they could just create qualities of intelligence in a machine and the rest will stem from there. One of the major off products in artificial intelligence was the further study our own brains. The theory is that if we can make a machine that can accomplish and display the process behind a complex human task, then we can be shown how we work by our own creation.

Pilgrim by Timothy Findley Essay

Pilgrim is introduced in the story in a strikingly interesting manner – a suicide attempt resulting to his death – a â€Å"temporary death† which only lasted for a few hours. From the beginning of the story which was supposed to be the end of the central character’s life, the character of Pilgrim presented a big mystery. Having failed to commit suicide, Pilgrim was though to be schizophrenic so he was placed in a clinic where he tells his astonishing story of how his life – or rather â€Å"lives† – spanned 4,000 years. The introduction of Pilgrim set the whole plot of the story. It introduced many mysterious questions that were seemingly illogical and irrational – Is Pilgrim really a madman or an immortal? Which side should the reader take – one who supports theories on psychological disorders or one that accepts the possible mysteries of life? Having lived â€Å"multiple lives†, why did Pilgrim want death? Such questions only show that Pilgrim was a very complex character – one that symbolized a wide selection of societal themes. Pilgrim, A challenge In the story, the character and nature of Pilgrim satisfied the intellectual and psychological challenge that Dr. Jung was looking for. The peculiar life of the supposed schizophrenic provokes many philosophical, spiritual, psychological, and scientific questions and these questions direct the action of the other characters. As they interact with Pilgrim, the other characters adapt his mythical makeup and doing so encourages them to question their own identity and their own real story of existence. As an effective and astounding mystery novel, this plot relation between the characters is also adapted by the readers. As one goes deep into the story, readers are encouraged to share with the questions of Pilgrim’s character. Findley and Pilgrim Pilgrim was a Timothy Findley character who presents all of author’s favorite themes. Findley loved to write about the past and history and that is probably why Pilgrim was depicted as a man who spanned several lives – not forward, but back to the past. This character also depicted isolation and war, though not literary. In the story, Pilgrim was seemingly â€Å"isolated† because he was one of a kind – the â€Å"immortal† supposedly who cannot die no matter how he tries to do so. Moreover, there was no other story character that showed support for Pilgrim’s claims. Logic demands story characters – and even the readers – to disregard what Pilgrim believes in. So, in that sense, he is alone, isolated, and is at war with himself and rationality. What’s more obvious here is the fact that Findley tries to evoke people to be more conscious with their own identity and sanity in the same way as Dr. Jung was after he examined the case of Pilgrim. Pilgrim was presented as â€Å"nothing† in the story – an ageless and genderless with no exact definition of himself other than the notion that he was a human being. However, that presentation also made him â€Å"everything† about the story – from how it began, how other characters behaved, how the readers will react, how the story will progress, and how the story will end. This character served as the â€Å"backbone† of the story, a character which summarizes the plot, setting, ideas, and themes that can be found or deduced from the novel. What does Pilgrim represent? â€Å"I have lived many times, Doctor Jung. Who knows, as Leda I might have been the mother of Helen–or, as Anne, the mother of Mary†¦. I was also crippled shepherd in thrall of Saint Teresa of Avila; an Irish stable boy and a maker of stained glass at Chartres†¦. I saw the first performance of Hamlet and the last performance of Moliere, the actor. I was a friend to Oscar Wilde and an enemy to Leonardo†¦. I am both male and female. I am ageless, and I have no access to death. † The character of Pilgrim can be interpreted in two opposing ways – from a psychological and irrational standpoint or following a mystical approach. Taking into account the view of another prime character in the story – Dr. Carl Jung, Pilgrim is a representation of the psyche or the â€Å"collective unconscious†. He is just a schizophrenic – who, because of his condition – seemingly had experienced different personalities which he himself concocted in his unconscious. The fact that he recognized that he had â€Å"multiple lives† implied that he has finally became in touch with consciousness after he has spent years imagining that he â€Å"lived† the lives of multiple personalities. This claim is supported by the fact that Pilgrim remembers nothing about being a child again after being â€Å"reborn† several times. Using the first line of reasoning, there is no point in analyzing the behavior and actions of the character because all of the irrational actions will only lead to the fact that he is psychologically ill. If Pilgrim is taken as a schizophrenic character then analyzing whether he is just or unjust is pointless because a mentally ill individual does not have a concrete concept of justice and righteousness nor is he capable of making the right decisions. On the other hand, if analyzed using a mythical standpoint, Pilgrim is taken as a special being – an immortal. If the concept of Pilgrim’s immortality is accepted, then the actions of the character can be further analyzed. Immortality, an illogical â€Å"ability† which is doubted but definitely aspired by many is presented as the key to the full understanding the complex persona of the character and the motivation he has for his actions. In the story, Pilgrim doesn’t talk and he exerts all of his efforts on committing suicide. His main goal is in contrast of what most people want to avoid – â€Å"to die†. To explain this willingness to die in this case, it should be noted that unlike normal human beings, Pilgrim has lived multiple lives. Pilgrim lived as both male and female for thousands of years. He has witnessed to some of the greatest events of human history and he was involved with many notable people who have shaped the world’s history and culture. Despite being part of the continuous evolution of the society, he also experience and endured the miseries of being a human being. And, based on that experience, his willingness to die implies that perhaps most of the aspects in human life were more wearying than pleasing. Pilgrim’s persona provides character to the novel The character of â€Å"Pilgrim† can be analyzed as what the term means – a journey. Pilgrim is society and Pilgrim’s life is human history – a mixture of ages, genders, values, and events that affected the evolution of the human life. As noted by Pilgrim, society has witnessed more hardships than progression – there were more revolutionary wars than radical advancements. So, it might be better if the society will end the changes that it had to endure. But, society cannot die – no matter what it does to destroy itself. Throughout the long human history, civilizations have been developed and destroyed by various factors but as represented by Pilgrim’s temporal deaths, these social groupings will always be born again. When the society is reborn, it then takes a new form – just like the new persona that Pilgrim develops each time he â€Å"lives again†. As such, in the same way that Pilgrim needs Dr. Jung – the society also needs logic and reasoning to â€Å"cure† the delusion of weariness and restore its willingness to exist no matter how hard it may be to live and live again. Reference: Timothy Findley, Pilgrim. New York. HarperCollins. 2000 (c1999). 486 pages.

Manpower Planning Essay

In manpower planning Analyzing the current manpower plan Reviewing utilization Finding out current demand Finding out future supply Finally developing a manpower plan The MDI campus Is lush green and has a dedicated area for various Indoor sports and leisure activities Each leisure area requires a dedicated gardener and each such garden/lawn requires manpower planning to estimate the number of gardeners required in the area. Thorough analysis we concluded that the present number of Gardeners are somewhat overstaffed. The staffing is more appropriate during monsoon and rainy season when there is an overgrowth of grass. In other seasons the number of gardeners required is lesser. We interviewed a number of gardeners to ascertain their working habits and methodologies. The findings are documented below: 2. 3. 4. 5. Primary Job: Trimming grasses pruning bushes Secondary Jobs: Keeping the bushes and the plantation in order Soil upkeep and enrichment Cleanliness of the gardens and lawns Pesticide spraying New plantation and expansion of green area Primary analysis results: 1 . Gardeners are normally late and they also are not in their full capacity. At any given time not all the gardeners employed are present. 2. Working hours: 40 hours a week 5 days. 3. Overtime, if required is taken cared of. 4. All the gardeners have one supervisor whom they report to. 5. Few gardeners are cross skilled and may work across domains 6. Each gardener has the same salary which is around 6500 Per month Page 4 The gardens are of three types according to their function: 1 . Sport grounds- 2 namely Golf Course and Football grounds 2. Utility Lawns- 3 namely the Inland Greens, the lawn near CM/Odyssey and Library Greens 3. Leisure lawns- 5 namely the lawns near Lash, the lawn inside Scholar’s Building, Director’s Bungalow and the Staff Quarters and the lawns at the main gate Garden/ Lawn Number of Golf Course Football ground hours/day Reek. 26 Gardeners Reek. 4. 5 3. 5 Inland Greens 21 9 3 2 Lawns at main gate Lawns near CM/ Odyssey Lawns near Lash 14 2. 5 0. 5 Lawn inside Scholars Bungalow Lawns near Staff Quarters 8 1. 5 6 10 Cost analysis We estimated that the manpower planning be done according to the seasonal variations. During off seasons the cross skilled gardeners can be accommodated in other works whereas during on season these same gardeners can be taken back into the gardening work. In this way MDI can optimism the utilization of each gardener even better. Page 5 Recommendations We recommend a change in the number of gardeners required as we promote cross killing of gardeners and each gardener would be then better utilized, the number we came up with was 23 gardeners. The current number of gardeners present are 24 gardeners. Thus, the final number according to us comes out to be 23 gardeners.