Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd Essay Example

Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd Paper 1. What are the most important issues confronting Sheila Mason? Explain you priority of important issues. The most important issue confronting Sheila is that her previous company, ATS, is claiming she may be in violation of her Employee Noncompetition, Nonsolicitation, Nondisclosure and Development Agreement that she signed when she was hired by the company. The day after she quit she began officially working for her own company, which ATS indicates is in direct competition with its own business. Her agreement with her former employer indicates that she cannot be involved directly or indirectly with another company for a period of one year after leaving ATS that is in competition with ATS. Mason also has another issue with the agreement she signed which states that she cannot, for one year from her termination date of her ATS employment, solicit or do business with any customer of the Company or any potential customer of the Company. So, her first hurdle is going to be to prove that her new business is in no way in competition with ATS. If she succeeds at this, she will then have to ensure that does not speak with any customers that ATS currently holds. This will significantly limit her market for initial sales of the product. Another issue confronting Mason is that she frequently uses her personal laptop for business travel and as such, she syncs her work data with her personal data. ATS, her former company, is now claiming ownership of this data and requesting that she turn it back over to the company. We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sheila Mason and Craig Shepherd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Within this collection of data there is likely revealing information relating to her new venture. This could give ATS all the proof they need in order to charge her with the violation of the agreement she signed with the company. This issue should be her least priority at the moment because if she is careful, she can ensure that no information relating to her new venture is ever transferred to ATS. 2. What are the most important issues confronting Craig Shepherd? Explain your priority of important issues. The most important issue confronting Shepherd is that his current employer, Nova, is claiming all rights to his invention. This was a direct result of Shepherd disclosing information to his boss that revealed his invention. This is by far the most pressing issue for Shepherd because if he is unable to fully protect his invention from his employer, none of the remaining issues even matter. Nova does not develop any type of translation engine themselves, however they are in the business of rewriting applications to run on new systems. This demonstrates to Nova that Shepherd could have used knowledge gained while working at Nova to develop the translation engine. This also brings up the issue of the translation engine he developed being in direct competition with Novas current business. Another issue confronting Shepherd is that the software he created, even though it was development during his own personal time using his own personal machine, it was created while he was currently an employee at Nova. Disclosing this information to his employer gives them enough justification to claim ownership of that software. As agreed by Shepherd when joining Nova, they claim all ownership of any ideas or software that Shepherd generates while he is an employee of the company. 3. What is your evaluation of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA)? Would you sign this as a venture capitalist? Why or why not? The non-disclosure agreement presented by Mason and Shepherd seeks to safe guard their idea, such that the venture capital firm is legally unable to implement Mason and Shepherds idea themselves or disclose the idea to any other parties. The problem with the NDA is that it cannot prevent the idea from being implement by another party. However, if the idea is implemented it by another party after receiving the information, it gives Mason and Shepherd legal precedence to claim that they acted in violation of the NDA itself which will strongly support their case if they must take the other parties to court. As a VC, I would not consider signing the NDA. This would only create unnecessary costs and complexity for the venture capital firm along with the associated potential legal issues that could arise. The VC would need to hire a team of lawyers solely to ensure they are not violating the terms of the NDA. This would also require them to review their entire investment portfolio to ensure that none of the products they current have a stake in are in no way similar to the product that Mason and Shepherd are presenting to the firm. Simply put, this would create undue problems for the VC that would otherwise be nonexistent. Also, from another perspective, presenting the NDA to a VC would cast Mason and Shepherd in a negative light as it would indicate they dont necessarily understand the VC process. This would deter the VCs from investing in the product even without having to sign the nondisclosure agreement due to the friction it created. 4. What actions do you recommend that Mason and Shepherd take to guard against the appropriation of their ideas in the absence of an NDA? Mason and Shepherd should seek to secure a patent that would protect the intellectual property that they have developed so far. Shepherd has already development a working proof of concept, which can be used for filing the patent. While their idea is not patentable itself, the technology they have already created may be patentable. The technology they have already created provides a fairly simple solution to the complex problem of creating the translation engine. If this technology is patented, they will have a significant head start on any competitors that may try to create their own translation engine. The competitors would be deterred from initiating this venture due to the increased complexity of development of the translation engine since they would not be able to used the easier approach that Mason and Shepherd lay claim to. If Mason and Shepherd are unable to secure patent protection for their IP, they should simply proceed as aggressively as possible. Instead of defending themselves upfront, they must take an offensive strategy and bring the product to market as quickly as possible. This aggressive strategy will help ensure they always remain ahead of any competition that may exist. Once they control the initial market, it will be much more difficult for any competitors to try to break into that market. 5. What actions do you recommend that employees take to terminate their employment relationship with current employers? Relating to Mason and Shepherd: Mason and Shepherd should immediately terminate their relationship with their employers. However, at this point in the process, I dont believe that they are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to sever this relationship appropriately while also putting them in the best possible position for protection. They should immediately acquire an attorney experienced in this area of practice to draft their resignation letters and handle all further communication between the parties. Relating to employees in general: Employees should never disclose any knowledge of ideas, intellectual property, or any information relating to something they have developed or will develop to any employee of their company. Any information provided only serves as ammunition to the employer with which they can use to build a case against you and attempt to claim any such property. Employees should also seek to terminate their relationship with their employer as soon as possible. If there is any such suspicion that the employer may attempt to seek claim to property or seek some violation of non-compete by the employee, an attorney should always be involved as mentioned above. This presents complex situations which the employees are unprepared to handle on their own without legal advice.

Bond Dissociation Energy Definition

Bond Dissociation Energy Definition Bond dissociation energy is defines as the amount of energy which is required to homolytically fracture a chemical bond. A homolytic fracture usually produces radical species. Shorthand notation for this energy is BDE,  D0, or  DH °. Bond dissociation energy is often used as a measure of the strength of a chemical bond and to compare different bonds. Note the enthalpy change is temperature dependent. Typical units of bond dissociation energy are kJ/mol or kcal/mol. Bond dissociation energy may be measured experimentally using spectrometry, calorimetry, and electrochemical methods. Key Takeaways: Bond Dissociation Energy Bond dissociation energy is the energy required to break a chemical bond.It is one means of quantifying the strength of a chemical bond.Bond dissociation energy equals bond energy only for diatomic molecules.The strongest bond dissociation energy is for the Si-F bond. The weakest energy is for a covalent bond and is comparable to the strength of intermolecular forces. Bond Dissociation Energy Versus Bond Energy Bond dissociation energy is only equal to bond energy for diatomic molecules. This is because the bond dissociation energy is the energy of a single chemical bond, while bond energy is the average value for all the bond dissociation energies of all bonds of a certain type within a molecule. For example, consider removing successive hydrogen atoms from a methane molecule. The first bond dissociation energy is 105 kcal/mol, second is 110 kcal/mol, third is 101 kcal/mol, and final is 81 kcal/mol. So, the bond energy is the average of the bond dissociation energies, or 99 kcal/mol. In fact, the bond energy doesnt equal the bond dissociation energy for any of the C-H bonds in the methane molecule! The Strongest and Weakest Chemical Bonds From bond dissociation energy, its possible to determine which chemical bonds are strongest and which are weakest. The strongest chemical bond is the Si-F bond. The bond dissociation energy for F3Si-F is 166 kcal/mol, while the bond dissociation energy for H3Si-F is 152 kcal/mol. Th reason the Si-F bond is believed to be so strong is because there is a significant electronegativity difference between the two atoms. The carbon-carbon bond in acetylene also has a high bond dissociation energy of 160 kcal/mol. The strongest bond in a neutral compound is 257 kcal/mol in carbon monoxide. There is no particular weakest bond dissociation energy because weak covalent bonds actually have energy comparable to that of intermolecular forces. Generally speaking, the weakest chemical bonds are those between noble gases and transition metal fragments. The smallest measured bond dissociation energy is between atoms in the helium dimer, He2. The dimer is held together by the van der Waals force and has a bond dissociation energy of 0.021 kcal/mol. Bond Dissociation Energy Versus Bond Dissociation Enthalpy Sometimes the terms bond dissociation energy and bond dissociation enthalpy are used interchangeably. However, the two are not necessarily the same. The bond dissociation energy is the enthalpy change at 0 K. The bond dissociation enthalpy, sometimes simply called bond enthalpy, is the enthalpy change at 298 K. Bond dissociation energy is favored for theoretical work, models, and computations. Bond enthalpy is used for thermochemistry. Note that most of the time the values at the two temperatures are not significantly different. So, even though enthalpy does depend on temperatures, ignoring the effect doesnt usually have a big impact on calculations. Homolytic and Heterolytic Dissociation The definition of bond dissociation energy is for homolytically broken bonds. This refers to a symmetrical break in a chemical bond. However, bonds can break asymmetrically or heterolytically. In the gas phase, the energy released for a heterolytic break is larger than for homolysis. If a solvent is present, the energy value drops dramatically. Sources Blanksby, S.J.; Ellison, G.B. (April 2003). Bond dissociation energies of organic molecules. Accounts of Chemical Research. 36 (4): 255–63. doi:10.1021/ar020230dIUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the Gold Book) (1997).Gillespie, Ronald J. (July 1998). Covalent and Ionic Molecules: Why Are BeF2 and AlF3 High Melting Point Solids whereas BF3 and SiF4 Are Gases?. Journal of Chemical Education. 75 (7): 923. doi:10.1021/ed075p923Kalescky, Robert; Kraka, Elfi; Cremer, Dieter (2013). Identification of the Strongest Bonds in Chemistry. The Journal of Physical Chemistry A. 117 (36): 8981–8995. doi:10.1021/jp406200wLuo, Y.R. (2007). Comprehensive handbook of chemical bond energies. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-7366-4.

Examples of Diacritical Marks

Examples of Diacritical Marks In phonetics, a diacritical mark is a  glyph- or symbol- added to a letter that alters its sense, function, or pronunciation. It is also known as a diacritic or an accent mark. A  diacritical mark is a point, sign, or squiggle added or attached to a letter or character to indicate appropriate stress, special pronunciation, or unusual sounds not common in the Roman alphabet, according to  L. Kip  Wheeler, a professor at Carson-Newman University in Tennessee. Purpose While diacritical marks are more common in foreign languages, you do encounter them quite often in English. For example, diacritics are often used with  certain French loanwords,  words  that are imported into one  language  from another language. Cafà © and clichà ©Ã‚  are loanwords  from French that contain a diacritical mark called an acute accent, which helps indicate how the  final  e  is pronounced. Diacritical marks are used in dozens of other foreign languages, including  Afrikaans, Arabic, Hebrew,  Filipino, Finnish, Greek, Galician, Irish, Italian, Spanish, and Welsh. These marks can change not only the pronunciation but also the meaning of a word. One example in English is rà ©sumà © or resumà © versus resume. The first two terms are nouns that mean  curriculum vitae, while the second is a verb meaning to return to or begin again.   Diacritical Marks in English There are literally dozens of diacritical marks, but it is helpful to learn the basic diacritics in English, as well as their functions. Some of the marks and explanations are adapted from a  list of diacritical marks  created by Professor Wheeler. Diacritical Mark Purpose Examples Acute accent Used with certain French loanwords cafà ©, clichà © Apostrophe * Indicates possession or the omission of a letter children's, don't Cedilla Attached to the bottom of the letter c in French loanwords, indicating a soft c faà §ade Circumflex accent Indicates reduced primary stress à ©levtor à ´pertor Diaeresis or Umlaut Used with certain names and words as a guide to pronunciation Chloà «, Brontà «, coà ¶perate, naà ¯ve Grave accent Occasionally used in poetry to indicate that a normally silent vowel should be pronounced learnà ¨d Macron or Stress Mark A dictionary notation to signify "long" vowel sounds pÄ dÄ  for payday Tilde In Spanish loan words, the tilde indicates a /y/ sound added to a consonant. caà ±on or pià ±a colada Tilde In Portuguese loanwords, the tilde indicates nasalized vowels. So Paulo *Because marks of punctuation arent added to letters, theyre generally not regarded as diacritics. However, an exception is sometimes made for apostrophes. Examples of Diacritics Diacritical marks are plentiful in English-language articles and books. Writers and  lexicographers  have used the marks to great advantage over the years as these examples show: Acute accent:  Feluda handed over the blue  attachà © case  before he sat down.- Satyajit Ray, The Complete Adventures of Feluda Apostrophe: Lets go down to my house and have some more fun,  Nancy said. Mother wont let us, I said. Its too late now. Dont bother her, Nancy said.- William Faulkner, That Evening Sun Go Down. The American Mercury, 1931 Diaeresis  or Umlaut:  Five young activists were voted into office, bringing political validation to a youth-driven movement dismissed by establishment elders as naà ¯ve, unschooled, and untenable.- Youthquake. Time,   Oct. 6, 2016 Grave accent:  Margret stood in her chamber;Shed sewn a silken seam.She lookà ¨d east an she lookà ¨d west,An  she saw those woods grow green.Tam Lin, The Traditional Tunes of the Child Ballads Macron: neighbornoun  Ã‚  neigh ·bor   \ˈnÄ -bÉ™r\- Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2009 Diacritics in Foreign Languages As noted, there are literally dozens of diacritical marks in foreign languages. Wheeler gives these examples: Swedish and Norse words may also use the circle marking above certain vowels (à ¥), and Czechoslovakian words may use the hacek  (ˆ), a wedge-shaped symbol to indicate a ch sound as in English chill. But unless you learn- or at least develop a proficiency- in those languages, you wont know how to read the words and letters altered by diacritical marks. You should, however, learn where these marks have become common in English- and where they have been dropped, notes  Shelley Townsend-Hudson in The Christian Writers Manual of Style. It can be tricky to know when to retain the diacritical marks, she says: The language is in flux. It is becoming more common, for example, to see the acute accent and diacritics being dropped from the words  clichà ©, cafà ©, and  naà ¯ve- thus,  cliche, cafe, and  naive. But dropping diacritical marks can change the meaning of a word. Townsend-Hudson argues that in many cases you should retain these crucial marks, particularly various accents, to ensure you are referring to the correct word, such as  pà ¢tà ©Ã‚  instead of  pate: The first use means  a spread of finely chopped or pureed seasoned meat, while the second refers the crown of the head- certainly a great difference in meaning. Diacritical marks are also important when you are referring to foreign place names, such as  So Paulo, Gà ¶ttingen, and  Cà ³rdoba  and personal names such as  Salvador Dalà ­, Molià ¨re, and  Karel ÄÅ'apek, she notes. Understanding diacritical marks is the key, then, to correctly identifying and even using many of the foreign words that have migrated into the English language.

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam Research Paper

An Overall Analysis of Various Aspects of Islam - Research Paper Example (Waines 92) This ambiguity of the meaning of Islam ultimately evolves from the concept that one’s submission to the will of God will bring peace in this worldly life. A fundamental Muslim thinks that submission to God and peace are the two sides of the same coin. Conventionally it is often believed that Islam was founded by Muhammad, in the 640 AD, who claimed himself to be the messenger of God. But referring to the Quranic evidences, some scholars claim that the origin of Islam dates back to Adam, the first man as well as the first prophet of Islam. This is how, all of the Abrahamic religions and few others were the ancient versions, of Islam, which have now been annulled by God Himself. (Nasr 45) But other scholars argue that since the ancient versions of Islam such Christianity (the religion of Prophet Zesu, one of the most revered prophets in Islam), Judaism (the religion of Prophet Moses, another revered prophet in Islam) and other religions have been repealed by God beca use the distortions of these religions by men, the true Islam for modern people is the one that Muhammad founded in the Seventh Century. Articles of Faith in Islam Institutional Islam, to a great extent, can be viewed as the summation of some seven beliefs and actions according to these beliefs. A follower of Muhammad or a believer of Islam needs to believes in: a. one God (Allah), b. prophets starting from Adam to Muhammad including Noah, Moses, Jesus, Abraham, etc. c. divine scriptures (Qutub) such as the Torah (the divine message of David or Da’ud), the Zabur (the divine message of Moses or Musa), the Bible of Zesu or Isaac (the Ingile as the Muslim calls it), the Quran (Muhammad), other unnamed minor religious scripts that were descended upon the prophets, d. the angels as the servants of God, e. belief in the â€Å"Day of Judgment† () and f. belief in fate. The summation of these beliefs is known as Islamic Belief, in Arabic ‘Iman’ or ‘Aqidahâ⠂¬â„¢. ‘Iman’ or ‘Aqidah’ essentially means to have beliefs in these six articles. Indeed five of these Articles of Faiths are supported by the textual evidences from the Quran. For an example, the verse 136 of chapter â€Å"An-Nisa† says, â€Å"Whoever disbelieveth in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily wandered far astray.† (4:136) Again the verse 285 of Chapter ‘Baqarah’ tells about the four of the main articles of faith in Islam: â€Å"believers have believed in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers† (2:285). Tawhid: Islamic Belief in the Oneness of God Islamic belief in God is both confirmation of one’s belief in one God and denial of many. In this sense, belief in Islamic God is a rigorous monotheism. In Arabic, this monotheism is called Tawhid or the oneness of God. This ‘Tawhid’ is the most fundamental concept of Islam. Indeed th e Islamic belief in the existence of one God is essentially the denial of many gods. According to the Quran, the fact that God is one is self-evident and therefore, the concept of many gods is simply false. God as well as His oneness, in Islam, often sides with transcendentalism. Though the transcendentalism has not directly been affirmed in Islam. The description of God, in a round about way, infers that God is transcendental. The Chapter, â€Å"

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention Dissertation

The Importance Of Financing Smes In Oman - Government Intervention - Dissertation Example It is so because the business environment in Oman is different from that of the western countries. Hence, to examine this argument, this research study focuses on the internationalisation approaches followed by the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Oman. The decision makers of four SMEs in Oman have been interviewed in this research study. The collected data from the interviews and other secondary researches have been analysed using two approaches namely, within case analysis and cross case analysis. The findings obtained from this research study has been compared with the relevant literature on internationalisation process that exists like the theoretical framework of international new ventures (INVs) and the Uppsala School's internationalisation process model (U-model). The findings of this research study suggest that the internationalisation behaviours of SMEs in Oman are not completely different from that of the firms in the western countries. The INVs framework and th e U-model cannot explain the internationalisation process of SMEs in Oman on its own. However both these models have explained the internationalisation patterns in different ways. ... 2.3.2Factors Responsible for Internationalisation by SMEs 22 2.4Internationalisation Procedures by SMEs 26 2.4.1The U-model 26 2.4.2INVs Framework 27 2.5Conclusion 28 CHAPTER 3: Research Methodology 28 2.6Introduction 28 2.7Types of Research 29 2.7.1Qualitative Methodology 29 2.7.2Case Study Research 30 2.7.3Semi-structured Interviews 30 2.8Sources of Data 31 2.9Research Design and Tools 33 2.9.1Construct Validity 33 2.9.2Internal Validity 34 2.9.3External Validity 34 2.9.4Reliability 36 2.10Conclusion 39 3.CHAPTER 4: Findings and Results 39 3.1Introduction 39 3.2Summary of Data 40 3.3Company Backgrounds 40 3.3.1Company A 40 3.3.2Company B 41 3.3.3Company C 42 3.3.4Company D 43 3.4Within Case Analysis 44 3.4.1Company A 45 3.4.2Company B 47 3.4.3Company C 48 3.4.4Company D 49 3.5Cross Case Analysis 50 3.5.1Motives for Internationalisation 50 3.5.2Factors Leading to Internationalisation 51 3.5.3Intensity of Internationalisation 52 3.5.4Resource Base Orientation 52 3.5.5Mechanism of Red ucing Uncertainty 53 3.6Propositions 53 3.7Conclusion 55 4.CHAPTER 5: Conclusion 55 4.1Introduction 55 4.2Conclusions 56 5.CHAPTER 6: Recommendations, Limitations and Scope for Future Study 58 5.1Introduction 58 5.2Limitations and Recommendations 58 5.3Future Scope of the Study 59 References 61 Bibliography 67 Appendices 68 Appendix – 1 (Interview Schedule) 68 1. CHAPTER 1: Introduction There has been an extensive study on the internationalisation process followed by different organisations worldwide. However, the internationalisation process followed by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has not received such extensive attention in the 21st century (Forsman, Hinttu, & Kock, n.d.). Market globalization also has a significant impact on these SMEs (Asiedu, & Freeman, 2006, p.2). With

Transition to adulthood Essay Example for Free

Transition to adulthood Essay This article was full of information in the transition to adulthood. It begins with a history of becoming an adult. This article takes you through comparisons of the statistics from the past to now. This article gives you an idea on the difference between race and ethnic backgrounds. It also provides support for its findings. What I found interesting in this article is that back in the day, which young people viewed adulthood as a requirement at an early age. Nowadays young people are taking a lot longer to transition to adulthood, they are completing college and finding careers, I think is a great thing. Children need to focus on their education and the opposite sex. I think it is important for young men and women to have a plan of action about where their life is headed. I think today we are more thinkers then doers, I think we are looking into the long-term affect more now. This also gave me statics on when the kids become independent, the past versus present, male, female, and race. I choose this article because I have a step son in the military; this article gave me ideas on how fast they are required to step into adulthood. It was interesting to discover the difference between the age groups, races and what programs they are involved in. If I had to write a research paper this would be the article I would use. This is an interesting topic that I think I could take further. After reviewing this article I feel this is a creditable source, it has supporting facts and documentation to back up its findings, reads well the flow is right. This was definitely a very informative piece of work and you can tell the author spent their time and effort on this as well.

Taco Bell Not Real Mexican Food in The Great Taco War :: essays research papers

RR - â€Å"The Great Taco War† The Real Deal Mariah Carey is one of the top pop singers in America today. On an average, her CD’s sell for fifteen dollars. However, many find it easier to purchase a â€Å"knock-off† for a cheaper price than to purchase the real thing. For instance, an individual can purchase the exact CD at a local flea market for five dollars and save the extra ten dollars for something else. In the short story, â€Å"The Great Taco War,† Jose Antonio Burciaga informs readers that fast food industries like Taco Bell do no sell authentic Mexican tacos. He urges readers to purchase tacos from taquerias because unlike Taco Bell, their food is â€Å"real† Mexican food. In the beginning, Burciaga provides a brief history when Taco Bell was established. First starting in Mexico City and then spreading throughout the United States, the chain sold â€Å"mild imitations of the real thing† (382). Many Mexican businesses and people protested against Taco Bell because unlike homemade tortillas made from hand, they used â€Å"prefabricated hard tortilla shells† (383) that tasted nothing like real Mexican tacos. Additionally, the restaurant also combines food and makes up names so that it appears different. From Enchiroto, a combination of a burrito and enchilada, to Cinnamon Crispas, known as bunuelos, Burciaga points out that â€Å"the Taco Menu can be a mystery if one is not familiar with the renamed food items† (383). Lastly, the author informs readers that compared to Mexican food, Taco Bell’s food is cheaply made. Upon visiting a local Taco Bell restaurant, Burciaga orders a menu item and begins to consume the taco when he notices that the â€Å"meat was lukewarm and the cheese and shredded lettuce were cold.