Human resource management function Essay Example for Free

Human resource management function Essay Human resource management function -Able to outsource production or manufacturing in other countries such as Italy, Morocco, Poland and Turkey which are able to make the shirts cheap enough and good enough. -Under a smart boss who is Passionate and skilled in his business. -Limited human capital especially operation directors so that Robert can concentrate on design. The opportunity to bring more operations director on board so that Robert can concentrate on design. -An adverse Change in the international market environment given that they are unable to manufacture cheap and good quality shirts off the road. Accounting and finance function -Very healthy financially especially due to use retained profits to expand. -Has been self-financed after the paternal startup deal. -Good enough people apart from Robert who are able to do tasks such as analytics, accounting and warehousing much better than Robert. -A paternal startup deal which had higher interest rates than local bank rates. -An extremely conservative approach to financing -Angel investors and equity financiers will be willing to invest in the business given its good financial health. -Cutthroat angel investors who has the potential to affect the growth of the business. Issuing out part of equity will dilute control of ownership which may bring wrangles in future. Marketing function -E-commerce which is already accounting for 15% of sales. -A Loyal customer’s base that is able to market the business by word of mouth and thus no much marketing needed. -Broad patterns of up to 500 patterns -A number of details about the expansion plan still remain sketchy. -Marketing and promotion only rely with word of mouth. -A chance to build itself as a brand by diversifying into other products such as jackets, shoes, belts. -An opportunity to diversify customers seeming to be demanding diversification. -Opportunity for increased number of outlets -The opening up of an online shop which has potential for multiplying sales from the current 15%. -A longer term vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. -Limitation by design and material. A number of parts or areas of the business need more strengthening so as to accelerate the growth and expansion of the business. The area that should be given priority in terms of strengthening it is accounting and finance since it will affect the other functions. The very conservative approach of financing ought to be loosened and the cutthroat angel and equity investors avoided so as avoiding problems that may arise in the future. The human resource management function should be strengthened by encouraging more specialization within the organization such as by hiring operations directors to manage operations that other may concentrate on other tasks like design. Also trying to engage in manufacturing off the road may help to overcome eventualities such as incase of change in the international market environment. The marketing function can be strengthened by having a clear and concise expansion plan and also by getting more materials and designs to help in curbing shortage in future even after outlets have been increased. Culture is a set of shared expectations, beliefs and norms by the members of the same organization. In depth Organizational culture can be described as the ideological system that is shared by the members of the organization, this culture is transmitted through interaction and socialization in the organization and help to shape the behavior of individuals (Schwartz and Davis, 1981: p. 33). The culture in Emmett shirts is shaped by the following factors. First the sector in which the Emmett shirts business operates in greatly influences it and in this case given that the business deals with clothes and specifically shirts where they sell them on retail to the customers. The fact that they are in direct contact with their final consumer makes them to be more friendly to consumers, listening to their suggestions and demands and showing them that they care. Secondly the influence of the founder or the business leader shapes the organizational culture. Robert Emmett being the owner and boss of the organization is key into formulating ideas and ideologies that are embraced by the others in the organization. Robert refers to himself as a smart boss but also quick to note that he is not there yet, this depicts him as someone setting the precedent to work smart and still seeking to do it better and better. He is also very passionate about his business having has started it from scratch and also not to fail to mention his skills especially in design. The other people in the organization tend to benchmark themselves with the leader and thus in Emmett shirts Robert is very crucial in terms of changing the organization culture. The history and tradition of the business also shapes the culture of the organization. Emmett shirts started as a really small entity with a loan from Robert`s father and now through retained earnings it has grown to three outlets all of which are doing great. The history of the business to its current position shapes the ideas and beliefs of what the business can achieve in future. These ideas and beliefs about the business in turn affect the actions and behavior of the workers and all members at large. The organization expectations in terms the growth plan, returns expected, expectations on the workers, the objectives, long term and short term goals, mission and vision to a great extent dictates the culture of the organization. The culture of the organization should support the realization of the organization expectations. The reward system and measurement of performance of the organization also goes a long way in determining the member’s culture. Emmett`s shirts business is also dictated mostly by this factor since its culture has to support its expansion plan of establishing more outlets. The customer base combined with the broad business environment such as legislation and other aspects like competition defines the culture of the organization. A change in the business environment may necessitate a change of culture as the organization adjusts to the changed environment. Emmett shirts may have to change a few aspects so as to address customer’s demands, respond to their feedback and move along with them. The culture of the organization can also be shaped by its environment such that an environment which is competitive may call for the organization to believe in its being the best, deliver quality products and offer excellent services. A Stakeholder of any organization refers to any person or party with an interest in the organization, the interests of different groups may at times conflict. Financial stakeholders in an organization are those who have financial interests in the organization or they will be affected by the state of the organization financially. Table 1.2 showing different stakeholders and their interests. Stakeholder category. Stakeholder. Interests. Internal stakeholders Owner(s), Robert Emmett Financial return or profits and capital gain or increase in value of his investment. Management team or Employees of Emmett shirts. A sense of belonging, payment, job satisfaction, and training. External stakeholders Lender, Robert`s father. Security and interest rate Community Contribution to community. Government/Authorities Taxes and compliance. Customers Supply of properly priced quality goods and services. Plans concerning future growth of Robert`s business through consideration of a number of available business opportunities. The growth plan will affect the different groups with a financial interest in the business. Robert want to expand his business by establishing more outlets, having an online shop, increasing production and in the long term the vision of taking advantage of the growing appetite for the British luxury brands in emerging markets. Implementing these expansion plans means more risks, increased costs and multiplied management problems. The costs will be elastic to changes in the market in which the organization is operating in and thus the cost is likely to vary with future plans. The owner(s) interest to get higher financial returns could be thwarted in the short run if the expansion plans are implemented. The cash which could have been considered as returns to the owner are used in conjunction with other resources to implement the expansion plan. The owner, Robert will have to contend with nil returns for a time as he awaits the newly established projects to break-even. Expansion also means more finances are needed in the process and Robert may be forced to surrender a good proportion of the ownership of the organization to investors who are ready to invest their money in the organization in exchange to a share of ownership. The management and employees of Emmett shirts will also encounter more management problems in the expansion process and also later as they manage the new establishment in its new environment. Some of the workers may be transferred to different locations and others assigned different and more challenging roles. The above will in turn kill the sense of belonging amongst the employees as they are shifted to different locations and probably also diminish job satisfaction. The management and workers may also have to spend cash and time training so as to be able to handle the new challenges in the organization. Lenders of the business such as Robert`s father who provided the capital for starting the business, their financial interest in the firm i.e. repayment of principal amount and interest may be adversely affected. Loans are supposed to be repaid periodically of which it may not be possible if the expansion plan is quite over-ambitious or done over-aggressively without considering the ramifications of doing that. To avoid a scenario where loan repayment plan fails it is instrumental to plan and budget wisely. Costs can be differentiated into different types and categories which require different treatment in the budget. Variable (VC) or proportional and fixed costs (FC) are the main costs incurred in any business. Although there are intermediaries between the two main costs such are: semi-variable costs, semi-fixed costs. The above classification depends purely on the cost responsiveness to changing levels of business activity. Fixed costs remain constant throughout and do not change even if the level of business activity changes, semi –fixed costs tend to change a little bit to changes in business activity. Variable or proportional costs change with a change in the level of business activity; semi-variable costs have an element of not being very much responsive to change in the level of business activity. In the expansion phase FC rarely change much but VC will change with a slight change in activity level. Table 1.3 Showing the different types of costs in Emmett shirts business and their classification. No Item(Cost) Category Description Rent Fixed costs Cost of hiring space for retailing or warehousing. Labor and wages Variable costs Payment to workers and casual laborers. Designing Variable costs This is the cost used to make designs for manufacturing. Materials Variable costs These are materials or garment used to make the shirts License Fixed costs The newly established outlets will need licenses for them to start operating. Research Variable cost This helps to determine aspects such as location and demand. Depreciation Fixed cost It is the cost of loss of value of machines Motor vehicle Variable cost It will help in transportation of materials and personnel Marketing Variable cost Promotion and advertising especially for new outlets. Consultancy costs Variable costs To help comply with regulations and requirements in the new environment Packaging materials Variable costs Management Allowances Variable costs Establishing new outlets may necessitate additional allowances. Furniture Fixed costs Such as additional tables and chairs The human resource management in the case of Emmett Shirts is wanting in terms of specialization of tasks in the organization. Those doing design should be different from those engaged in managing the operations of the business. Hiring more talented personnel such as operation directors may go a long way in enhancing efficiency and dealing with future challenges that may arise as the business grows. Under the marketing function the expansion plan should be clear and the option to take that is whether to diversify as per customer demands. E-commerce has more potential and can help much in online marketing of the shirts. (Hurley 2011 p. 16) Globalization is the integration of economies, markets, industries, cultures and policy formulation. Globalization has both positive and negative effects on the economy of each country that has embrace it. Emmett shirts to a really sensible extent can be termed as a globalised business, due to the following reasons and aspects that can be seen in it. First under globalization there are four drivers that drive globalization namely: cost driver, market driver, technology driver and competition driver. Emmett Shirts have greatly embraced technology and has plans to continue to do so. Already 15% of the organization total sales are from E-commerce and plans are underway to have a well established online shop which is the same as establishing six physical stores. Having embraced E-commerce the business can be able to sell its product to any person in any place in the world and also do its promotion, marketing and advertising online. This intense online presence will help create more awareness about the product, announce introduction of new products and outlets. It is also easier to solicit support from the existing loyal customer base and even benefit from customer referrals online. Technology level is the number one determinant of whether a business is a globalised business. In my opinion I would say that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business given that it has embraced technology in its operations and has embraced E-commerce and continues to do so. Market driver is another key driver of globalization under which companies take into consideration the various markets to invest that is giving attention to open market economics. Emmett Shirts considers as part of its long term ambition or goal to take advantage of the emerging markets in the east such as in China and others awakening giants. These markets have got high appetite and demand for British luxury products or brands. We also see the business benchmarking itself against a brand from Dunhill road which has more shops in China than in London. This action tells us more about what the business is likely to focus on in its long term plan that is establishing shops in the emerging markets in the Far East. This reason leads me to conclude that Emmett Shirts is a globalised business. In regard to whether Emmett Shirts is globalized we realize that the business outsource its production or manufacturing of shirts from other countries such as Poland, Morocco, Ital and Turkey depending on style and material. The reason doing for this is that in the country it is hard to produce cheap enough and good enough shirts. In summary this action shows us that the business has embraced cost driver as a key factor driving globalization and thus can be termed as a globalized business. There are four drivers of globalization which include: technology driver, competition driver, cost driver and market driver. Under market driver globalization is driven by a desire to expand the market base to the emerging markets which are growing in terms of population and increased consumer purchasing power in these markets. Companies consider investing or shifting their investment to open market economics. This also comes in handy with the aspect of competition amongst different countries and companies which are moving beyond their national or regional spheres to international spheres of the whole global market. Technology has been a driver of globalization in quite a number of aspects such as through E-commerce and Electronic transfer, telecommunication gadgets, platforms and software’s. Platforms such as the social media examples being face book, Twitter linked in and others, the media at large, emails, video links such as Skype have continued to accelerate communication and sharing of key information. In business spheres outsourcing some business tasks have been made possible. Government driver or change of policy framework in different countries and formation of trading blocks. Trade and non trade tariffs and shift in open market system. Formulation of G.A.T.T. (General Agreement of Tariff and Trade). Countries which are willing enter into agreements to carry free trade around the world. The tariffs were initially to protect the local infant industries I a country but the realization that countries have to work together for them to achieve economic development continues to propel countries to loosen their trade tariffs. According to my own analysis technology is the strongest driver of globalization of all the others. This is so because at a click of a button one can buy or sell any product or service while in any part of the world. Technology has turned the world into a global village and communication is made with ease amongst people who are very far from each other as if they were just next to each other. Telecommunication devices such as tablets, smart phones and computers at large have interlinked every corner of the world through the World Wide Web. Reference Hurley, J. (2011) ‘Emmetts Luxury Shirts: Deciding whether to specialise or diversify a luxury brand’, The Daily Telegraph (London), 19 July. Source document

Design of Condition Monitoring (CM) system of a Case Study

Design of Condition Monitoring (CM) system of a Case Study Term / Abbreviation Definition CBW Continuous Batch Washer CM Condition Monitoring DIN Deutsches Institut fur Normung (German Institute for Standardization) FFT Fast Fourier Transform FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy IR Infra-Red OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer P-F Potential to Functional Failure PM Preventive Maintenance SGS Spring Grove Services TAN Total Acid Number TBN Total Base Number TWF Time Wave Form WDA Wear Debris Analysis Spring Grove Services has decided to embark on a Condition Monitoring approach for the maintenance of its most critical equipment. Criticality was established by carrying out a study on the main Utilities and Process systems/machinery. This report includes data and images from a Thermography study, carried out at SGS, as this type of CM has already commenced. The findings identified in this exercise have highlighted potential points of failure in the Novopac shrink-wrap lines. Lubrication and Vibration Analysis studies have yet to commence so will be considered from a look-ahead perspective. The areas of focus here are the 18 Stage CBW and the Kaeser air compressor respectively. There will be predictions and estimates made on possible findings and required follow-up actions. The report undertaken here confirms to the author the necessity of introducing CM for equipment that is central to the successful running of the SGS plant in Cork. Spring Grove Services is one of Irelands leading laundry rental service providers. SGS has four major processing sites in Ireland. The business model functions by supplying linen to customers on a rental basis. This is then collected after use and cleaned before re-supply. Clients are supplied from a pool stock i.e. linen is not specific to any one client. The plant in Cork, which is featured in our case study, processes on average 330,000kgs of linen per week which equates to approximately 660,000 individual pieces. Run hours are 85 per week. Its customers include Irelands biggest hotels and hospitals. There is a real time aspect to this industry in the sense that linen processed today may well be used in a hotel or hospital tonight. This same linen will probably have only arrived in the laundry this morning in a soiled state. Lengthy batch release times due to quality inspections do not feature as they would in the pharmaceutical and healthcare products industries. This does not mean that there are poor quality standards, it just means that there is a minimum of time to ascertain them. This super-lean model requires maximum availability of plant equipment so effective maintenance is paramount. The operating context is also a factor in the maintenance strategy: equipment with many moving parts operating in a hot, humid and/or dusty environment. Preventive and Corrective Maintenance has historically been accepted practice with SGS but Condition Monitoring is coming more to the forefront for the most critical equipment. SGS is part of the European wide Berendsen group. The first step in the Condition Monitoring journey was to identify the most critical equipment. This would naturally become the focus of CM. Appendices A and B illustrate how Utilities and Process systems interact at SGS. Appendix C explains in detail, using a Criticality Scoring Scheme (Wheelhouse, 2014), how the results in Figure 1 were attained. Figure 1: SGS Criticality Curve Figure 1 trends criticality for the various Utilities and Process systems/equipment in Spring Grove Services. From Figure 1, we can deduce that the most critical assets are the CBWs, the Plastic Wrappers and the air Compressor. On further analysing the failure modes associated with this equipment, we can decide on where the exact focus of CM will be: 18 Stage CBW: This machine is the work horse of the Wash House as it alone processes 50% of the linen. Its most critical piece of equipment is the drive motor/gearbox assembly. We will apply Lubrication Analysis to the gearbox. Plastic Wrappers: These pieces of equipment form the final stage of the laundering process. Failure here creates a severe bottleneck. We will apply Thermographic Analysis to the electrical control panels. Air Compressor: If the compressor stops, production stops as there is no redundancy available. We will apply Vibration Analysis to the bearings as they are overdue replacement according to Original Equipment Manufacturer specification. 3.1 Equipment Description Figure 2: Lenze GST Geared Motor (Source: Geared Motor Spares) Figure 2 shows the type of geared motor used to drive the 18 Stage CBW (Geared Motor Spares). Lenze GST Helical Gearbox Power: 18.5kW Speed: 331rpm Torque: 518Nm Ratio: 4.457:1 Product Code: GST09-2MVBR180C12 Oil manufacture/type: Shell Omala S4 GX 320 Quantity of oil: 4.8 litres 3.2 Testing Overview The main purpose of carrying out lubrication analysis on this gearbox is to determine its health. The health of the lubricating oil itself is of secondary importance to SGS as it is a relatively inexpensive and easy task to replace. Because of these considerations our findings on Wear Debris Analysis (particle count) and Content Analysis will be used to make an overall estimation of system health. Where possible analysis performed through In-line or On-line methods is often preferable. However in this instance, neither of these options is possible so Off-line sampling will have to suffice. Off-line analysis does however provide increased scope for evaluating a greater variety of debris (Pruftechnik, 2002). Figure 3: GST gearbox lubrication service points (Source: Geared Motor Spares)    Figure 3 illustrates the various lubrication service points on a Lenze GST type gearbox (Geared Motor Spares). To take an oil sample, we will employ the following procedure: Ensure that the gearbox/oil is at normal operating temperature. It is not safe to take a sample while the gearbox is in operation due to the proximity of hazardous moving parts. We will therefore instead stop the machine and take a sample as soon as the drive motor is safely isolated. 100ml will be extracted using a Vampire Pump and entering the gearbox through the Breathing/oil filler plug as displayed in Figure 3. This method of extraction is known as the Drop Tube Sampling Method. Figure 4: Drop Tube Sampling Method (Source: Zidoune) Figure 4 shows a Vampire Pump extracting oil using the Drop Tube Sampling Method (Zidoune). Precautions when sampling: Record time, date and operating conditions. Oil must be at operating temperature. Ensure clean bottles and new tubing are used. Take oil from middle of gearbox i.e. not too close to the bottom. A turbulent zone is best. Samples should be sent for laboratory testing without delay. Poor sampling = poor results = poor decisions (Zidoune, 2013). 3.3 Test Findings Visual Inspection This can be performed by onsite staff prior to laboratory analysis and observations will be aimed at the following: Foaming an indication of contamination, passage through restricted openings or excessive churning. Emulsion water has entered the gearbox. Darkening oxidation has occurred or oil has been exposed to excessive heat. Laboratory Analysis On receiving laboratory results, we will consider the following factors in estimating the health of the gearbox: FTIR This provides information about oil chemistry and particulates. It can also determine if there has been a decrease in desirable content such as corrosion inhibitors. Viscosity This can tell us much about the lubricants condition. It can also give us an insight into system health when considered alongside factors such as detergency and dilution. Metal Concentration This is a key health indicator. The presence of certain metals can point towards the defect location e.g. Lead and Tin detected in large amounts indicates wear of a white metal bearing. TAN/TBN Acid number determines amount of oxidation present in the oil. Base number is an indication of the capacity to neutralise acids. Fault Level Settings Gearbox or oil manufacturers should be consulted, however setting useful alarm limits can be subjective as there are many variables in the operating context that it is not possible to account for in their specifications. Alarm limits are best set by initially estimating, based on specifications, and then gathering data over a period of time to tune the initial estimates. This will help reduce both false triggers and potential failures. As there are three CBWs in the wash house with identical drive systems, there is a likelihood that a gearbox will be fully overhauled in the not too distant future. We could use this opportunity to get data from perfectly healthy system i.e. a reconditioned gearbox with new oil. ISO Coding Sample Standard Cleanliness Target for an Industrial Gearbox: ISO 17/15/12 (Angeles, 2003) Table 2 Table 2 contains hypotethical data that we would expect to see in an oil sample taken from a healty gearbox. Using ISO 4406 methods with this data would give us a code of 17/15/12. 3.4 Conclusion Trending It is imperative that a trend is developed from the successive analysis exercises. This will result in a graph curve which displays system health and allow for a timely maintenance intervention when required. Recommended sampling frequency Care must be taken here as 100ml test amounts will render the gearbox empty of oil after 48 samples. Topping up the gearbox after each sample is not recommended as introducing new oil dilutes the existing content and thus distorts WDA data. Current oil replacement interval is every 4 years. Initial sampling frequency will be every 6 months with the gearbox oil level topped up every 12 months. Quick wins Spurlock (n.d.) states that one of the most common points of ingress for contamination in a gearbox is the OEM breather. It is recommended that an aftermarket breather be used instead. 4.1 Equipment Description Figure 5: Novopac ANL 090 Wrapper (Source: Bidspotter) Figure 6: Novopac BM2009 Heat Shrinking Oven (Source: Bidspotter) Figures 5 and 6 show examples of the Novopac Wrapper and Heat Shrinking Oven used in SGS (Bidspotter). Novopac ANL 090 Wrapper and BM2009 Heat Shrinking Oven (both function as a combined unit). Power: 41kW. Output per min.: 8/16 packs. 4.2 Testing Overview It was decided that SGS would purchase a thermographic camera and have one of the maintenance technicians trained in its operation. The supervisor consulted with the technician immediately after the study was completed and again when the full report was completed. 4.3 Test Findings There were two areas that were cause for concern: the three phase power supply connection and the DIN rail mounted contactors. Three Phase Power Supply Connection Figure 7: IR image Figure 8: Standard image Table 3 Figures 7 and 8 show both an IR and a standard image of the three phase connection block. Table 3 lists the data recorded by the camera in this instance. Action taken: The hot spot found in Figure 7 was found to be a loose connection on the DIN rail connection block. Tightening the same connector resolved the issue. DIN Rail Mounted Contactors Figure 9: IR image Figure 10: Standard image Table 4 Figures 9 and 10 show both an IR and a standard image of the DIN rail mounted contactors. Table 4 lists the data recorded by the camera in this instance. Action taken: Figure 9 indicates that there is a temperature build up between the contactors. On consulting previous reports, it was found that the temperature readings were similar during the last thermographic study. At this point the contactors were actually located closer together. A recommendation was made at that time to space out the contactors to allow for extra cooling. However this has made no difference but since there has not been deterioration in the state of the contactors, SGS has decided not to take any further action at present. 4.4 Conclusion The overall conclusion is that, beyond the tightening of the loose connection, there is no serious action required regarding repairs. However SGS has realised that there are shortcomings in the testing procedures which are mainly down to the technician not being trained to the proper standard. Listed below are the observations and recommendations relating to this viewpoint: The approach being applied is a Qualitative one which is sufficient for identifying the presence of a fault. It is also effective as a comparative technique. A Qualitative approach measures the Blackbody Apparent Temperature. Neither reflected/transmitted radiation nor emissivity has been accounted for. To get a true temperature reading, a Quantitative approach would be required. This will not only identify the presence of a fault but also its severity. Reflected/transmitted radiation is accounted for by entering the ambient temperature in the IR Camera. This can be done using pre-measured or estimated values. A correct entry here would provide the Blackbody temperature. Emissivity can be accounted for by entering a pre-measured or library values. A correct entry here, combined with accounting for the reflected/transmitted radiation, would provide the actual temperature. 5.1 Equipment Description Figure 11: Kaeser CS76 (Source: Synairgies) Figure 11 shows the type of Kaeser air compressor used in SGS (Synairgies). Kaeser CS76. Type: Rotary screw wet. Power: 45kW. Motor speed: 3000rpm. Mains frequency: 50Hz. Pressure: 7.5bar. Year of manufacture: 2004. Total running hours: 53563. On-load running hours: 42789. Recommended frequency for bearings replacement: 35000 hours this activity has yet to be completed. 5.2 Testing Overview The most likely cause of a screw compressor to fail is its bearings (KCF Technologies, n.d.). Accelerometer Locations For our Kaeser machine, we will apply vibration monitoring at the radial bearing positions of both the motor and compressor. This area will get a particular focus because OEM specifications suggest the bearings should have already been replaced. SGS is hoping that vibration analysis will give a true indicator of bearing condition and thus inform of the optimum time for bearing change-out. Figure 12: Sensor locations (Source: KCF Technologies) Figure 12 shows typical mounting positions, in yellow, for sensors to measure vibration at motor and compressor radial bearings (KCF Technologies). Mounting technique Accelerometers will be stud mounted to help ensure the most accurate readings. Accelerometer selection and equipment set-up Frequencies associated with bearings usually occur in the 1 to 5 kHz range. For this application an accelerometer with 25 kHz natural frequency is required. Sampling frequency (fs) = 2.56 x 5000 = 12800 Hz. For Fast Fourier Transform Spectrum Analysis, to achieve a frequency resolution of less than 1Hz: df = fs/N à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ 1 N is the number of data points. N = 2^14 = 16,384 fs/N = 0.78125 Crest Factor or Kurtosis on Time Wave Form Acceleration signal can be employed to assist with diagnosis. Velocity and Acceleration will be the main focus for FFT. 5.3 Test Findings TWF and FFT For fault diagnosis, we will refer to TWF and FFT graphs. Figure 13: TWF and FFT (Source: Sinha) Figure 13 displays vibration acceleration measurement for a ball bearing in the initial fault stage (Sinha). Vibration Alarm and Fault level examples Table 5 (Source: Zargar) Table 5 lists vibration limits for a similar size and specification to the Kaeser CS76 (Zargar). 5.4 Conclusion A successful vibration monitoring program can be most difficult to attain for screw compressors. This is because of the high frequencies associated with the bearings, gearbox, male and female rotors. The associated noise pollution of the compressor can cause additional monitoring problems (Zargar, 2013). For the Kaeser compressor, there is a risk that bearing wear is present because of the hours run by the machine. However we cannot draw a firm conclusion on this until we develop a trend based on several sets of analysis data. The ultimate goal is to capture the point at which the bearings begin to deteriorate and from there successfully monitor the P-F interval. This will enable a well-judged maintenance intervention. CM want to have: If sufficient finance was available, a great option would be to invest in an Online monitoring system and have data fed back to a central PC. The software package could then issue periodic reports as well as alarm condition notifications. It is clear, I believe, from this report that embarking on a Conditioning Monitoring programme would bring great benefit to SGS. As well as the immediate gains to be made on the above equipment, the following should also result as pleasant side effects: An awareness will have developed among the key stakeholders of the advantages of CM over other types of maintenance. Technical staff will have an opportunity to upskill in either carrying out CM activities such as the Thermography study or be involved in interpreting results from Lubrication and Vibration analysis. There will be a willingness to roll out CM to other pieces of equipment. Thermography is an obvious contender as the equipment is already purchased. Downtime in the Wash House should be reduced as potential failures in the 18 Stage CBW drive gearbox will be identified before descending into functional failures. Again, as soon as this benefit is realised, this approach should carry across to other equipment. The criticality study which underpins the CM strategy will help focus technical resources on the most important equipment to the business. The expected success of the programme in the Cork plant should result in adoption of CM across the other sites in Ireland as there has always been close cooperation in terms of maintenance practices and parts sourcing. There will be an opportunity for the maintenance department to come to the forefront of the company when reporting the expected good news stories to emerge from adopting this new maintenance approach. Continuous improvement will organically develop from CM and bring kudos to the maintenance team. The general non-contact nature of CM will enhance safe working practices. The non-intrusive nature of CM will result in less equipment stoppages and reduced maintenance induced failures. The maintenance team will be encouraged to work more closely with equipment and components suppliers. This will help better inform future selection of machinery. It should be the beginning of a new maintenance culture across the organisation. Angeles, R. (2003). Tables on Oil Analysis. [Online]. Available from http://www.rsareliability.com/Oil%20Analysis%20Tables.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2016]. Bidspotter (n.d.). Impianti Novo Pac heat shrink-wrap tunnel.[Online]. Available from https://www.bidspotter.co.uk/en-gb/auction-catalogues/es-group/catalogue-id-ed10487/lot-85e81420-d4ca-4279-8ccd-a64400d6ecc2 [Accessed 08 November 2016]. Geared Motor Spares (n.d.). Lenze GST Geared Motors.[Online]. Available from http://www.gearedmotorspares-lenzegst.co.uk/lenze-gst-gearbox-products/lenze-185kw/lenze-185kw-277rpm/lenze-gst-geared-motor-185kw-277rpm-619nm-c-16/ [Accessed 08 November 2016]. Geared Motor Spares (n.d.). L-force Geared Motors.[Online]. Available from http://www.gearedmotorspares-lenzegst.co.uk/media/1001/gst-gfl-gks-gkl-gkr-gss-operating-instructions.pdf [Accessed 11 November 2016]. KCF Technologies (n.d.). Vibration Monitoring of Compressors. [Online]. Available from https://kcftech.com/smartdiagnostics/resources/application%20briefs/Application%20White%20Paper%20Compressors%20web.pdf [Accessed 16 November 2016]. Pruftechnik (2002). An Engineers Guide to Shaft Alignment, Vibration Analysis, Dynamic Balancing Wear Debris Analysis. [Online]. Available from http://www.pruftechnik.com/fileadmin/pt/Downloads/Brochures-Flyers_SPECIAL/Engineers_Guide_ALI_CM/EngineersGuide2012.pdf [Accessed 13 November 2016]. Sinha, J. (2016). PG Course in Reliability Engineering and Asset Management, Unit M04: Condition Monitoring. School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering. University of Manchester. Spurlock, M. (n.d.). Reducing Gearbox Oil Contamination Levels. [Online]. Available from http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/28393/gearbox-oil-contamination [Accessed 11 November 2016]. Synairgies (n.d.).Synairgies Compresseurs Doccasion.[Online]. Available from http://www.synairgies.com/pl/Air/Spr%C4%99%C5%BCarki-%C5%9Brubowe-smarowane/Kaeser/Kaeser-CS-CSD-CSDX/Kaeser-CS76-45kW-Ref12115.html [Accessed 08 November 2016]. Zargar, O. A. (2013). Hydraulic Unbalance in Oil Injected Twin Rotary Screw Compressor Vibration Analysis. [Online]. Available from http://waset.org/publications/9997612/hydraulic-unbalance-in-oil-injected-twin-rotary-screw-compressor-vibration-analysis-a-case-history-related-to-iran-oil-industries- [Accessed 17 November 2016]. Zidoune, M. (2013). Lubricants Handling and Analysis. [Online]. Available from http://www.slideshare.net/marcpalud/tribologik-lubricant-handling-and-analysis-presentation [Accessed 11 November 2016]. Wheelhouse, P. (2014). Exercise 3_5 Criticality, Unit M01: Asset Management Maintenance Strategy. School of Mechanical Aerospace and Civil Engineering. University of Manchester. 8.1 Appendix A Figure 14: SGS Utilities Systems Figure 14 shows the systems which form Utilities at SGS. 8.2 Appendix B Figure 15: SGS Process System/Equipment Figure 15 shows a high level view of process systems and equipment at SGS. 8.3 Appendix C Criticality Scoring Scheme(Wheelhouse, 2014) The plant has decided on a criticality scoring scheme which consists of four different factors which will be multiplied together to give an overall score for equipment criticality. These factors are: Redundancy, Failure Likelihood, Failure Duration Financial Impact. A scoring scheme has been devised for each factor as follows: Redundancy = Number of units required / Number of units available Likelihood KeywordEvents per YearScore Never00 Very unlikely Unlikely 0.2 0.6 2 Probable 1.0 1.5 3 Almost certain >24 Duration KeywordScore Hours1 Days2 Weeks3 Months4 Financial Impact KeywordScore Repair cost only1 Additional cost penalty2 Potential loss of sales3 Immediate loss of sales4 Table 6 lists equipment criticalities as calculated at SGS. References Angeles, R. (2003). Tables on Oil Analysis. [Online]. Available from http://www.rsareliability.com/Oil%20Analysis%20Tables.pdf [Accessed 12 November 2016]. British Standards Institution (1999). BS ISO4406:1999. Hydraulic fluid power Fluids Method for coding the level of contamination by solid particles. Published under the authority of the Standards Committee. Felten, D. (2003). Understanding Bearing Vibration Frequencies. [Online]. Available from http://electromotores.com/PDF/InfoT%C3%A9cnica/EASA/Understanding%20Bearing%20Vibration%20Frequencies.pdf [Accessed 16 November 2016]. Geared Motor Spares (n.d.). L-force Geared Motors.[Online]. Available from http://www.gearedmotorspares-lenzegst.co

My First Date Essay -- Narrative Memoir Essays

My First Date   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Her eyes shined like a glossy pearl just washing on a shore of black sand with the warm rays of the sun shining down on it. Lips of bright cherry red went well with the tight black dress she was wearing. The light hit her just right so you could see every luscious curve of her body. She smelled like an ocean breeze coming in to the shore. Just try to imagine the perfect most beautiful woman you have ever seen in your life and times that by ten fold. Absolute perfection on high heals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The day started out as any other day, but I seemed more excited than I'd ever been. My happiness was radiating off of me. My friend Sean asked, "Seth, why are you so damn excited today?"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Today," I replied, "Is going to be my first date."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sean said, "Well it's about time."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "What do you mean it's about time?"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Well, How long has it been since SHE asked you out?"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I thought for a second then answered, "About three weeks."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  "Precisely my point. You guys have been going out for three weeks and this will be your first official date. That's pathetic." He was right, it was pathetic, but the day had come and I couldn't wait to see the shimmer of her eyes. I was ecstatic through all of my classes. After practice, I went home started to make dinner. I planned on making a shrimp scampi dish, but later decided to go with a pasta dish. The end result was a seafood Alfredo stuffed with jumbo shrimp, king crab, oysters, clams, and many other ingredients and spices.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that the food was almost done it was time to get ready. I let the Alfredo simmer while I went to take a nice steaming, hot shower. After about 15 minutes, I got out and dried off, then I went to my room to get dressed. I picked out ... ...ent form the kiss. You need to realize though, that was no ordinary kiss. It felt like a million fireworks going off as one. Try to imagine what cartoon characters look like after a really hot woman just gave them a small peck for a kiss. How they're all drooling, how they look retarded with big, melted doggy eyes, and the walk like there drunk. That is how I felt; I mean it was a knock out and for my first kiss too! After the shock passed I calmly did a little jerk with my arm and said, "YES."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That was the best night of my life. Chris was and still is an amazing, beautiful girl that I am, proud to say, still going out with and have a strong relationship with. She amazed me then and she amazes me now, and her eyes are still like two pearls fresh out of a pair of clams. I'm a lucky guy for having a girlfriend that is 'made out of the stuff dreams are made of.'

birthmark :: essays research papers

Arrogant, cruel, brutal, and we can use all the synonyms of those words to describe Aylmer’s character. It was his arrogance, what made him think, he is a scientist. It was his cruelty, what made him treat Georgiana like dirt. It was his brutality, what kills Georgiana. But after all this there is a question remain. Was it all his fault? Was he the only one to blame for? If we take a look at the story from a different angel can’t we say that, Georgiana is also to blame for her lack of self-esteem. Isn’t it her lack of self-confidence, provides the strength for his brutality. ``If there be the remotest possibility of it,'' continued Georgiana, ``let the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life, while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and disgust, -- life is a burden, which I would fling down with joy. Either remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life! You have deep science. The entire world bears witness of it. You have achieved great wonders. Cannot you remove this little, little mark, which I cover with the tips of two small fingers? Is this beyond your power, for the sake of your own peace, and to save your poor wife from madness?'' Those were her exact word towards Aylmer. It was she who gave him the permission to play with her life. Couldn’t she show a little self-confidence and tell him on his face not to be troubled with it. Instead of telling him that, she started hating her birthmark too. As it says in the story† Still, whenever she dared to look into the mirror, there she beheld herself pale as a white rose and with the crimson birthmark stamped upon her cheek. Not even Aylmer now hated it so much as she†. Evan after reading Aylmer’s science journal where there are more failure and hardly any success, she didn’t say any thing to him instead she said, it had made her worship him more than ever.

Discipleship Essay -- essays research papers

Discipleship Teachers around the time when Jesus lived thought that learning was such that the people who wanted to learn should come to them to be taught. But Jesus felt differently and rather than waiting for people to come to him, he went out to find them and then chose them to be his followers. He called them disciples and this word means one who learns. But Jesus chose his disciples carefully as we are told in Mark 1:16-20 and also in Mark 3:13-19. In the first passage, Jesus appoints his first four disciples, Simon, Andrew, James and John. Jesus said to them â€Å"Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.† (Mark 1:17) In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus calls up the fifth disciple, Levi who was a tax collector, and Jesus later renamed him Matthew. But Levi was not called in the same way as the other four disciples. Jesus was with him at the tax collector’s booth and Jesus simply said, â€Å"Follow me† (Mark 2:14) and he rose and followed Jesus. These five men responded immediately to Jesus and this is very surprising as he is a man who they have never met before. It is quite clear that this idea of discipleship for the first disciples is very important and that Jesus is planning on building his faith in them and he wants them to spread the word around to the people. (Mark 3:14) Jesus appointed 12 disciples in total and this number was significant because each one represented one of the twelve tribes of Israel. (Mark 3:13-19) Jesus gave them the authority to cast out demons and preach to his people and they were known as his companions. It seems strange for him to choose those specific people as his twelve because he could have chosen from many of his disciples, but he chose a specific twelve to be his companions and apostles. When Jesus chose his apostles, there were two unusual choices: Levi and Simon the Zealot. Levi was a strange choice because he was a tax collector who had managed to get more money out of people than they need pay and so many people hated him and many other tax collectors. Simon the Zealot was an unusual choice because he was a zealot and although they had a strong belief in God, they hated the Romans, and being ruled by foreigners. In the mission of the twelve, Jesus calls them to him and sends them in two’s saying that they have the authority over evil spirits. (Mark 6: 7-13) Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave th... ...o Pilate, JesusÆ main enemy, or trouble, was the Roman Empire. Their religion was polytheistic; they had, among many others, a god of war, (Mars), a god of wine, (Bacchus), and a goddess of love, (Venus). They also believed that their Emperor, at the time Caesar, was a living God. This included Jesus, one of his titles being "King of the Jews". At the time of JesusÆ death, this number was sizeable, and as the early church grew, after the resurrection, the followers grew in number too. Literally. All of the people who attended these secret meetings, to tell or listen to the tales of Jesus Christ, were disciples. They were risking their lives to spread the good news. Stephen was viciously stoned to death after his great speech at the Sanhedrin (Acts 7), and Peter was crucified. There are many examples of modern day disciples around. Oscar Romero was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of El Salvador. Endangering your own life by fighting oppression, injustice, and going up against bigger powers, or giving your life to helping others. There are still some people today who take the faith as seriously as the first Christians do, but not many. TodayÆs society is too materialistic.

Leadership and Learning

In his life, the writer of this paper was able to know several leaders who are both supportive and excellent in their own ways of leadership. As a result, the writer decided to take bits of their styles to learn from and implement into his own eclectic style. Yes, basing from experience, even the bad leaders have something to teach the present learning of the new leaders of this era, certainly, they unintentionally show us what not to do. Looking back to reflect on his learning’s has enlightened the author of this paper to a plethora of areas in which the writer himself incorporated small aspects of how each of the leaders in his past have managed their employees and company. The style that the writer has come up with is one that he intends to use to produce quality management in his workplace. As for a fact, quality leadership is very important in almost any organization. The author of this paper thus defines quality leadership, or effective leadership as the innate ability to consistently motivate a staff of employees towards attaining the objective of an envisioned mission statement. However, several books authored by different leaders have many definitions of the term leadership. Within the content of this paper, the writer will illustrate the key components of quality leadership and the approaches that are taken in order to achieve it, including the different leadership styles and managerial traits. The writer will also elaborate on the plan to implement the knowledge that he has gained from the class and how it will benefit organization as well. Where to begin In order to evaluate what styles to implement, the writer needed to determine what theories and approaches would benefit him in upholding the mission statement in his current position. An organization trying to live up to its mission statement needs individuals who are effective and competent leaders. Thus, in order to have good leaders,   an organization has to have a clear and concise vision as to where it wants to be. As stated in the text, â€Å"like definitions of leadership, conceptions of leadership effectiveness differ from one writer to another† (Yukl, 2006, 9). In the writer’s perspective, an effective leader must recognize what is minor and what needs to be strongly improved within the existing management and leadership systems within an organization. In order to attain the level of quality and effectiveness that the organization deems acceptable, certain behaviors must be displayed. These characteristics should be congruent to being more proficient in pursuing and achieving the objectives of the entire organization. The first behavior to be discussed is the participative leadership. This style of leadership works extremely well in a setting such as the correctional facility that the author of this paper is working with. This approach as indicated by the book, â€Å"participative leadership, delegation and empowerment are subjects that bridge the power and behavior approaches to leadership† (Yukl, 2006, 82). This style can be exercised in particular, through engaging oneself in a constant dialogue with his peers, subordinates, administrators, team members, and outside treatment providers. As an effective leader using participative leadership, the writer would continually ask questions, probing all levels of the facility for input to ensure that everyone feels empowered and involved. This particular approach has worked well for the author thus far; as for a fact, it has earned the respect of his subordinates and peers as well towards his position in the organization. Earning respect has created a record of success that has propelled the author into a new position with higher responsibility in the face of uncertainty. Being a participative leader has allowed him a little breathing room in a period of upheaval at his own facility. Using this approach has instilled self-confidence in the writer’s subordinates, making them effective followers (Yukl, 2006, 137). Having effective followers has led to a decline in late night emergency calls, or calls to deal with otherwise trivial issues with a youth or any client that the organization deals with particularly. The staff now being effective followers will take the initiative and make decisions to deal with these trivial issues. Participative leadership is the main ingredient for the writer’s successful management style. There are other contributing factors as well. Creative visioning and creating a verbal picture of expectations, instilling belief in my abilities, and influencing others to commit to maintaining our mission statement are some of the other factors attributed to my success. All these procedures coupled with a willingness to take risks, especially when faced with adversity is the recipe for an environment conducive to efficiency. Power and influence Another area of concentration to becoming a more effective leader would be the area of power and influence. In order for the writer to continue on his path to a successful career, he certainly needs to be open to new ideas, insights, and revelations that can lead to better ways of accomplishing goals. He also needs to have control over the type of power that the writer chooses and thus exercise in actual leadership performance to employ at different times. There are five base types of power in the French and Raven power model, which includes reward, coercive, legitimate, expert, and referent power. Reward power would work in attempting to maintain fidelity in the use of our evidence based curriculum as it would allow the writer the ability to reward staff members who accept the directives that the leader particularly placed on them. It may take the form of praise, cash, a good review, recommendations, choice of the next assignment, or any number of things that encourage the desired behavior from a staff member. Coercive power could prove useful as it is the opposite of reward power, but would be used differently than discipline because it is personal where discipline may not be much applicable enough to improve the organization’s structure. The subordinate can learn from discipline, where coercive power does not provide an opportunity for employee improvement by learning. Coercive power threatens subordinates with something unpleasant or even stressful so that staff will submit to the directives given. This is a power that would be used as little as possible, due to the detrimental effects it has on the respect for the leader. In the daily milieu at the writer’s facility’s legitimate power is very important because this is in compliance of the social conditioning. Most employees have the notion of rank, which is a designation of who has power over whom. This has advantages because it decreases the second-guessing of assignments and directives because employees feel obligated to comply. The next type of power expert power is one that is frequently employed by the author of this paper. This is the power that comes from knowledge and experience that is appropriate for the current situation. For example, a physician has expert power over patients due to the years and years of education, training, and practice that he or she has completed. This same individual may not have expert power in other areas, such as administration or management. Individuals with expert power may need to adjust their approach in situations where they do not have expertise, but are expected to lead. When a problem arises on the living unit and the author of this paper is called in, to make a decision, he enters a situation where he is in a position to use expert power. This is due to his years of experience, and the many training seminars he has attended over the years. This is the reason why this particular leadership power is one of the most effective preferences of the writer. Last but certainly not least is referent power. As a leader with referent power, that author is the one that others refer to In particularly owing mutual respect. This respect comes from a successful record of accomplishment over a period of time involving common interests between individuals. This is why subordinates according to the text, â€Å"comply because he/she admires or identifies with the agent and wants to gain the agent’s approval† (Yukl, 2006, 148). Having a proven record of achievements carries a tremendous amount of influence with subordinates as well as with colleagues. This mutual respect is paramount in having a positive and productive work environment. Having said all of that, the writer finds himself deciding to implement each of these types of power in order to achieve his goal of having an eclectic style of leadership. Now more than ever the writer needs to employ many different approaches and styles into his daily managerial duties. With all of the recent chaos in the writer’s facility, he has found himself behind the eight ball so to speak. The writer feels that it is important to implement all five of the different kinds of power so that he can be proficient in the appropriate use of power and have a positive influence over his subordinates. Gaining and maintaining influence over employees is a difficult task if the leader is not careful. In this situation the writer would have to first visualize specific, measurable and attainable tasks that when achieved, will allow the writer to feel affecting and appreciated by others as being a positive influence. Next, the writer would need to identify the tools, or resources, that he already possesses as an influential leader. These resources would be the factors that assist in displaying my knowledge or power in a situation. Unfortunately, due to modesty and lack of awareness many leaders do not use or are even aware of the internal tools at their disposal. In this case, the writer is well aware of his internal resources to increase his influence positively over my subordinates. Some of the tools that the writer has at his disposal are intelligence, good judgment, knowledge of the industry, past success in institutional settings, and of course charisma. In order to achieve success in using the internal tools the writer has, he would need to use proactive influence tactics (Yukl, 2006, 166). To do this the author of this paper would implement rational persuasion first. This technique involves managing his subordinates using valid, rational reasoning. When addressing employees, the writer would carefully in a clear, unemotional and orderly manner, explain issues, ideas and protocols. Then he would be sure to solicit their questions and concerns, then explain any uncertainties and proposed discrepancies in a manner that they could easily comprehend. Remaining unemotional about the objectives that need to be achieved, the subordinates would come to regard the writer as an effective leader. The Multiple linkage model gives a great starting point for growth. To be a good leader, the author of this paper must know his subordinates and be aware of their abilities, and knowledge of the task. A clear and concise job description needs to be provided for the employees to ensure clarity. As the leader, the writer would need to define the roles of subordinates and direct them on what, how, when and where to do different duties. The need for a set criterion for employees to follow is essential as Max DePree states in his text, â€Å"at times in business, the congruence of principles and practice-or their incongruence-comes sharply into focus† (DePree, 2004, 113). In laymen’s terms the defined guidelines need to be clearly defined and enforced.  Ã‚   Using this style, writer would influence subordinates to internalize the values and beliefs of the organization. Then over a period of time the subordinates would develop the desired skills and traits through choice and training. This, along with the styles, theories and approaches discussed earlier will help the writer to develop into an effective leader who through learning will have a powerful influence over the subordinates under him. Conclusion This course has given the writer many different tools that he can implement at a moment’s notice, to help him become an effective leader in his own organization.   This will have a tremendous impact on his professional life particularly in helping him in continuously upholding his integrity in his profession. This will also help him maintain congruence and consistency in his personal life. The writer has come to realize that there is no secret recipe or any formula to become an effective leader. It is a process of trial and error, successes and failures. Thus, the author of this paper can never stop trying, and with practice, he will certainly increase his chances of success in leadership by absorbing all the information that is passed on to him by other leaders who ought to inspire him continuously. It is important for the writer to remember that no one style of leadership is appropriate for every occasion or situation. In addition, the author of this paper must ensure his awareness of a situation and how others perceive his approach. There must be readiness to choose the leadership style that is the most appropriate for the occasion. When a leader has the proper tools in place to effectively run a department, or facility they can use these tools for guiding the organization towards its mission statement. Since beginning this class my awareness of how remarkable the art of leadership is has grown immensely. The writer can now say without a doubt that he has chosen the correct career path. References: DePree, Max. (2004) Leadership is an art; New York, NY: Random House Inc. Yukl, Gary. (2006) Leadership in Organizations; Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.               

A taste of honey †From dependence to independence Essay

Jo, a trapped schoolgirl seeking sanctuary away from her unreliable mother Helen, yet finding herself dependent upon her. The frequent movement from place to place and no steady source of income meant that Jo had no real social life at school or at home and few luxuries. Jo relies on a carefree black sailor for comfort, however, a facsimile of her own life, he is torn away and she is forced to move on. Helen leaves Jo and marries the untrustworthy Peter. A Gay colleague known as Geoff now comes into her life, and Jo soon realises he is a reliable person, and begins to depend upon him when she is pregnant. Towards the end, Geoff leaves upon the return of Helen, and Jo becomes the independent woman that she so longed for, perhaps a result of her quick taste of honey. In Act 1, Scene 1, we find out about Jo’s schooling abilities. When she arrives, she wants to find somewhere to plant her bulbs. As she says, â€Å"It’s nice to see a few flowers.† Helen finds some drawings that Jo had done and compliments her by saying, â€Å"I didn’t realise I had such a talented daughter.† Jo reveals her childish side by replying with â€Å"I’m not just talented, I’m geniused.† Jo’s intentions of leaving school and Helen at Christmas, becomes apparent, as she seems to think that she is mature and independent enough to do so. Another sign her naivety. Her view of the new flat also comes into light when Helen says, â€Å"This is the place,† and Jo replies with, â€Å"And I don’t like it.† Her attitude to life is arguably summarised with those few words. She is forever criticising Helen and rarely calls her mother or ‘mum’. The pair are constantly bickering and Jo even sa ys, â€Å"I’m sick of you. You’ve made my life a misery.† Her dislike and contempt for life, instantly recognisable, is possibly due to her loneliness. Her mother gives her very little support so she must seek affection from other sources. Although she seems to hate Helen, Jo is very dependent on her and – to a certain extent – Helen is dependent on Jo. She is always making Jo do things for her (getting drinks, cooking, etc). There is little doubt that her misery is also due to her unsatisfactory mother. Their relationship is hardly your stereotypical mother-daughter one, which contributes greatly to Jo leaving school and her mother as soon as she has the chance. Helen is not oblivious to her incompetence as a mother who says, â€Å"I know, I’m a cruel, wicked woman,† and not using the word ‘mother’. Peter is a dodgy car salesman with an eye patch, and one of the reasons that Helen moved. He wants her to marry him but Helen declines. However with persuasion and persistence his charm soon takes affect and she finally agrees. Jo immediately holds Peter with just as much contempt as her mother. Her spiteful attitude towards him is likely because Peter has her mothers love and she does not, though of course Jo would never admit this. Jo soon changes however and asks Peter coyly, â€Å"Do you fancy me?† and he responds, â€Å"Not yet. † Jo clearly seeks attention from Peter. He also has photographs of all his ex-girlfriends. Jo makes fun of his eye patch, again expressing her childish ways. We also find out about Jo’s phobias, â€Å"I’m not frightened of the darkness outside. It’s the darkness inside I don’t like.† This tells the reader that she feels dark and lonely inside, which sheds light onto why she has a depressing attitude to life. Helen neglects her needs, for example, leaving her alone for a weekend while she runs off with Peter. Helen also makes no attempt to help Jo when she’s pregnant, if anything Helen is angry, perhaps because Jo has made the same mistakes she once made. Being the age of 16 some may say she is quite independent, leaving school and home, however she is still a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve child inside with a thirst for attention and affection Jo is not perturbed by her mother’s actions, and is still determined to become independent. Her plans to move out are executed, and she decides she would like to marry a black sailor. Jo knows Helen will disapprove, which seems to make it the whole affair better. Jo’s relationship with the sailor seems short and casual. They both say that they love each other but are very relaxed. For example, when he leaves and does not come back she is not worried, probably because she is used to moving on and leaving many things behind. Later on though when talking to Geoff, she says â€Å"Last Christmas I had him,† she obviously misses him, and talks fondly about him especially when the baby is due. Helens departure has little effect on Jo, which is slightly unexpected, as she now has the independence away from her mother that she always wanted. This is likely because she really needs someone to depend on especially with a baby on the way. Geoff, a gay student is her saviour. He becomes Jo’s shoulder to cry on, and is keen on becoming a father figure for the baby. Jo seems to take advantage of Geoff’s kindness and often makes him do stuff for her. Geoff does not seem to mind, even when she makes fun of his sexuality, which many people did at the time. Geoff was her pillar of strength when she had her childish tantrums, such as wanting to ‘cut off the babies head’ or disown it. Geoff, probably more than she was on her mother. Jo even says, supposedly to the baby, â€Å"Let’s see what big sisters making us.† Geoff is a friendly carer and is totally different from the sailor. Whereas the sailor wants a sexual relationship, Geoff is content with caring for Jo and making cakes. Geoff even asks Jo if they should get married and also asks her what she’d do if he started something. Jo replies, â€Å"In my condition, I’d probably faint.† He adores babies but Jo is less keen on them. Geoff seems to want, more than anything, to be the father of Jo’s child. To begin with, Jo treats Geoff with little respect, joking around and saying things that could hurt him. As their relationship progresses and they get to know each other better, Jo respects Geoff more and more. Jo eventually realises that the baby will need a father figure and decides to let Geoff stay, but they wouldn’t get married. Jo has mixed feelings about becoming a mother. She is intent on keeping the baby at first because she thinks it is cruel to have them aborted. She does, though, have some doubts. For example, she doesn’t want to breast feed her baby. Geoff brings her a doll to practice holds on. She says the colour’s wrong – the father being black – and explodes. She screams, â€Å"I’ll bash its brains out! I’ll kill it! I don’t want to be a mother,† which makes us think that she may have an abortion after all. Previously though, the baby kicked her and she was overwhelmed. All of these details then leave us wondering if she is ready for motherhood. It is more likely that she is ready to become a mother because she has matured a lot since the beginning of the play when she was dependent on Helen. As the play progresses, we see Jo turn from a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve young girl to a mature woman. She is no longer dependant on anyone and, although she is probably destined to a life living in small flats and houses, the prospects are bright and, as she sings at the very end, a glimmer of hope shines through and we think she may have a happy life.