Supermarine Spitfire in World War II

Supermarine Spitfire in World War II The iconic fighter of the Royal Air Force in World War II, the British Supermarine Spitfire saw action in all theaters of the war. First introduced in 1938, it was continually refined and improved through the course of the conflict with over 20,000 built. Best known for its elliptical wing design and role during the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire was beloved by its pilots and became a symbol of the RAF. Also used by British Commonwealth nations, the Spitfire remained in service with some countries into the early 1960s. Design The brainchild of Supermarines chief designer, Reginald J. Mitchell, the Spitfires design evolved during the 1930s. Utilizing his background in creating high-speed racing aircraft, Mitchell worked to combine a sleek, aerodynamic airframe with the new Rolls-Royce PV-12 Merlin engine. In order to meet the Air Ministrys requirement that the new aircraft carry eight .303 cal. machine guns, Mitchell chose to incorporate a large, elliptical wing form into the design. Mitchell lived just long enough to see the prototype fly before dying of cancer in 1937. Further development of the aircraft was led by Joe Smith. Production Following trials in 1936, the Air Ministry placed an initial order for 310 aircraft. To meet the governments needs, Supermarine built a new plant at Castle Bromwich, near Birmingham, to produce the aircraft. With war on the horizon, the new factory was built quickly and it began production two months after the ground breaking. Assembly time for the Spitfire tended to be high relative to other fighters of the day due to the stressed-skin construction and the complexity of building the elliptical wing. From the time assembly began to the end of World War II, over 20,300 Spitfires were constructed. Evolution Through the course of the war, the Spitfire was repeatedly upgraded and altered to ensure that it remained an effective frontline fighter. Supermarine produced a total of 24 marks (versions) of the aircraft, with major changes including the introduction of the Griffon engine and varying wing designs. While originally carrying eight .303 cal. machine guns, it was found that a mixture of .303 cal. guns and 20mm cannon was more effective. To accommodate this, Supermarine designed the B and C wings which could carry 4 .303 guns and 2 20mm cannon. The most produced variant was the Mk. V which had 6,479 built. Specifications - Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb General Crew: 1Length: 29 ft. 11 in.Wingspan: 36 ft. 10 in.Height: 11 ft. 5 in.Wing Area: 242.1 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 5,090 lbs.Max Takeoff Weight: 6,770 lbs.Power Plant: 1 x Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 Supercharged V12 engine, 1,470 hp at 9,250 ft. Performance Maximum Speed: 330 knots (378 mph)Combat Radius: 470 milesService Ceiling: 35,000 ft.Rate of Climb: 2,665 ft/min. Armament 2 x 20mm Hispano Mk. II cannon4 .303 cal. Browning machine guns2x 240 lb. bombs Early Service The Spitfire entered service with 19 Squadron on August 4, 1938. Successive squadrons were equipped with the aircraft over the following year. With the beginning of World War II on September 1, 1939, the aircraft commenced combat operations. Five days later, Spitfires were involved in a friendly fire incident, dubbed the Battle of Barking Creek, which resulted in the first RAF pilot death of the war. The type first engaged the Germans on October 16 when nine Junkers Ju 88s attempted to attack the cruisers HMS Southampton and HMS Edinburgh in the Firth of Forth. In 1940, Spitfires took part in the fighting in the Netherlands and France. During the latter battle, they aided in covering beaches during the evacuation of Dunkirk.   Battle of Britain Spitfire Mk. I and Mk. II variants aided in turning back the Germans during the Battle of Britain in the summer and fall of 1940. While less numerous than the Hawker Hurricane, Spitfires matched up better against the principal German fighter, the Messerschmitt Bf 109. As a result, Spitfire-equipped squadrons were frequently assigned to defeating the German fighters, while the Hurricanes attacked the bombers. In early 1941, the Mk. V was introduced, providing pilots with a more formidable aircraft. The advantages of the Mk. V were quickly erased later that year with the arrival of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Service Home Abroad Beginning in 1942, Spitfires were sent to RAF and Commonwealth squadrons operating abroad. Flying in the Mediterranean, Burma-India, and in the Pacific, the Spitfire continued to make its mark. At home, squadrons provided fighter escort for American bombing attacks on Germany. Due to their short range, they were only able to provide cover into northwest France and the Channel. As a result, escort duties were turned over to American P-47 Thunderbolts, P-38 Lightnings, and P-51 Mustangs as they became available. With the invasion of France in June 1944, Spitfire squadrons were moved across the Channel to aid in obtaining air superiority. Late War After Flying from fields close to the lines, RAF Spitfires worked in conjunction with other Allied air forces to sweep the German Luftwaffe from the sky. As fewer German aircraft were seen, they also provided ground support and sought out targets of opportunity in the German rear. In the years following the war, Spitfires continued to see action during the Greek Civil War and the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. In the latter conflict, the aircraft was flown by both the Israelis and Egyptians. A popular fighter, some nations continued to fly the Spitfire into the 1960s. Supermarine Seafire Adapted for naval use under the name Seafire, the aircraft saw the majority of its service in the Pacific and Far East. Ill-suited for deck operations, the aircrafts performance also suffered due to the additional equipment required for landing at sea. After improvement, the Mk. II and Mk. III proved superior to the Japanese A6M Zero. Though not as durable or as powerful as the American F6F Hellcat and F4U Corsair, the Seafire acquitted itself well against the enemy, particularly in defeating kamikaze attacks late in the war.

The Bowen Reaction Series in Geology

The Bowen Reaction Series in Geology The Bowen reaction series is a description of how magmas minerals change  as they cool. The petrologist Norman Bowen (1887-1956) carried out decades of melting experiments in the early 1900s in support of his theory of granite. He found that as a basaltic melt slowly cooled, minerals formed crystals in a definite order. Bowen worked out two sets of these, which he named the discontinuous and continuous series in his 1922 paper The Reaction Principle in Petrogenesis. The Bowen's Reaction Series The discontinuous series starts with olivine, then pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite. What makes this a reaction series rather than an ordinary series is that each mineral in the series is replaced by the next one as the melt cools. As Bowen put it, The disappearance of minerals in the order in which they appear ... is of the very essence of the reaction series. Olivine forms crystals, then it reacts with the rest of the magma as pyroxene forms at its expense. At a certain point, all the olivine is resorbed, and only pyroxene exists. Then pyroxene reacts with the liquid as amphibole crystals replace it, and then biotite replaces amphibole. The continuous series is plagioclase feldspar. At high temperatures, the high-calcium variety anorthite forms. Then as temperatures fall it is replaced by more sodium-rich varieties: bytownite, labradorite, andesine, oligoclase, and albite. As the temperature continues to fall, these two series merge, and more minerals crystallize in this order: Alkali feldspar, muscovite, and quartz. A minor reaction series involves the spinel group of minerals: chromite, magnetite, ilmenite, and titanite. Bowen placed them between the two main series. Other Portions of the Series The complete series is not found in nature, but many igneous rocks display portions of the series. The main limitations are the state of the liquid, the speed of cooling and the tendency of mineral crystals to settle under gravity: If the liquid runs out of an element needed for a particular mineral, the series with that mineral gets interrupted.If the magma cools faster than the reaction can proceed, early minerals can persist in partly resorbed form. That changes the evolution of the magma.If crystals can rise or sink, they stop reacting with the liquid and pile up somewhere else. All of these factors affect the course of a magmas evolution- its differentiation. Bowen was confident that he could start with basalt magma, the most common type, and build any magma from the right combination of the three. But mechanisms that he discounted- magma mixing, assimilation of country rock and remelting of crustal rocks- not to mention the whole system of plate tectonics he did not foresee, are much more important than he thought. Today we know that not even the largest bodies of basaltic magma sit still long enough differentiate all the way to granite.

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Nutrition - Essay Example in the for of triglycerides, proteins in the form of amino acids, nucleotides in the form of nucleic acids after being absorbed and transported into individual cells may undergo metabolism, thus releasing ATP or free energy to sustain the activities of the organ system and the whole body collectively. The extra glucose will be converted by the liver as stored glycogen and the extra lipids will be stored as fats. In case of additional intake of food when cells needs are just satiated or satisfied, the liver takes care of the storage of the extra materials. In increased respiratory function brought about by exercise, stored glucose and fats will be tapped to produce replacement ATP’s. Increased respiratory functions through exercise then must be good because in excessive storage of fats, according to the study conducted by Ziccardi P. et al (2002), concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines are higher which are found to be tumor necrosis factor ÃŽ ± (TNF- ÃŽ ±) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). On the other hand, weight loss resulted to reduced fats, reduced concentrations of ÃŽ ± (TNF- ÃŽ ±), reduced interleukin-6 (IL-6), reduced P-selectin, reduced ICAM-1, and reduced VCAM-1 (Ziccardi P. et al 2002). Thus, weight loss through exercise would bring down the level of endothelial dysfunction such as inflammations as a consequence of the lowered level of the most likely trigger factors, cytokines, consequently, reducing also the risk of artherothrombosis (Ziccardi P. et al 2002). Furthermore, exercise and weight loss are the closest mean s by which inflammatory process impact may be lessened (Visser 1999). 2. Blundell and Hill (1992), showed a diagram explaining the biological regulation which starts with the brain including environmental adaptation driving eating behavior for the body to gain the nutrition needed for physiologic function. Hunger and thirst normally drives food intake, which are basically stimulated by Ghrelin molecules that relays the message to the

Marketing Management Consulting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Management Consulting Report - Essay Example Weird Products is a slimming pills company, which provides an opportunity where people can positively improve their lives. The company will deal in producing healthy food supplements, which help provide people loose weight the healthy way. The tablets have been tested and are safe with a number of through studies to back up the effectiveness and the benefits of the food supplements. Weird Product slimming pills use simple and natural products to develop the slimming and beauty pills and these ingredients are mainly from unroasted coffee, which have been studied to be very effective for slimming. The ingredients of the products have been carefully thought out and the potential harms of coffee due to high consumption have bee reduced. The amounts of caffeine that are contained within the pills are less than a quarter cup of coffee, hence ensuring that the product is free of harmful ingredients like cafestol and kahweol (which could in a number of ways be dangerous for the human body). Weird Products at present is available only in the UK. The company has just been developed and the launched in the United Kingdoms and has developed an e- Commerce website. This website caters to mostly Europe. The company at present has a number of different strategies that are being used in terms of marketing. However, the main source of marketing for the company is online and via the web. Since Weird Products has most of its business online mostly, hence this is the best mode of marketing for the company at present. However the business does also sell the products to pharmacies across Europe. The various sources that are currently being used for the company is mainly, e Mail marketing, pay per clicks, banner ads and link building, all these along with a strong emphasis on search engine optimization as well (Jobber, 2004). These are the main marketing media that are being used by the company. The current marketing of the company

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing Essay Example for Free

I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing Essay 1. In the memoir the passage reveals Ritie’s self image. She characterizes herself as unappealing she does not see beauty within who she is. Ritie’s childhood led to her insecurities. When she was younger her parents took her to move with her grandparents. She believed her parents dishonored her. Ritie did not find her skin beautiful. She believed white was beauty. She was an uncomfortable in her own skin. She tried to become someone she is not because she knew how everyone view and felt about her. Since her childhood she received her appearance. Ritie kept her identity intact by not letting peoples judging and views influence her. 2. After years of separation Ritie’s relationship with her mother is respected. She respects her mother for who she is. Ritie sees her mother as a strong women, she knows her mother will also love her for who she is. Ritie admires her mother she looks up to her. Her love for her grandmother is more of mother daughter bond. Ritie’s role model is her grandmother and she is proud to say it. She sees her momma as a strong powerful person. She is tough but loving. Ritie’s wants to become like her grandmother, she loves her. 3. Maya knew she was different. She knew she did not fit in with the other girls in school. She did not feel that she was equal with everyone else she felt as she did not belong with the other children. She did not associate with anyone. She would isolate herself in a store. She barely socialized with any children. She stayed away from children her age even others. A comparison to race was when she was younger her tooth ached. The dentist was not willing to work with her. He was very racial and only worked with white patients. Ritie’s family copes with racism by not letting it affect them. They ignored, they maintained their dignity. 4. At the end of the memoir Ritie learns what might seem right to you will not always be viewed the same with others. For one to hare greatness they must go through obstacles. She learns everyone has the own definition on what is wrong and right. Ritie applies this when she had her baby she grew up and it gave her confidence in her baby. She always did what was best for her baby. 5. Why the Cage Bird sings shows that there is always a light at the end of a tunnel. When there’s darkness and disadvantages there is always hope to find your path. It shows they had to deal with negativity and racism but they took that and turned it into positive. The title relates they went through many struggles but in the end they can be free. 6. Adversity in the story delt with abandonment, racism, childhood trapped, unacceptance, also religion. In Mayas case she and her brother were sent to live with their momma in Stamps, Arkansas. She always had it in her mind that her parents were not alive. When she found out they were she had the feeling of abandonment she felt that they did not want her. When Mayas dad comes to get them she does not want to leave. She got use to Stamps. She overcomes her adversity by realizing her parents were going through a difficult situation. 7. Lessons can be learned about the South. Situations are never easy but you have to make the best of it. In life we are always going to struggle but we must stay strong and not let it get the best of us. There are always going to be people who judge you or don’t accept you. But if you know who you are and where you come from that’s all that matters. Another lesson is when should not try to be. Someone we are not we must appear ourselves because no one is perfect. We all have insecurities about ourselves but we should love who we are. Natasha De La Cruz Grade: 10 Title: â€Å"Bless Me, Ultima† Author: Rudolph Anaya 1. During the World War 2 actions occurred in this novel. In the novel a women lost her sons due to the war. Gabriel had both of her sons fighting in the war which was also significant hat occurred was a veteran shoot Chavez because he was affected by the war. 2. The characters adapt to the landscape because of the family’s different life livings. Antonio had to live two different life styles. His mother’s families were simple farming people. It was easier for them to farm everything was more nourishing. His father’s family was rougher around the edges. They were more independent and the land was harder to work with. Both families had their own values. 3. A movie that relates to this novel is Ruby Bridges. Both Ruby and Antonio go through struggles in their life to make something out of them. The film is about a young six year old African American girl who had enough potential to get into a better school for a better education which was in an all Caucasian school. Around that time racism was still around. Ruby was the only African American girl in her class, which then led problems to the parents of the children in her class. No one accepted her in the new school except her teacher. Throughout the beginning she had faced crowds of white citizens against her physically and emotionally. One day she was encouraged by her teacher and her mother who gave her strength and she made it through. She became significantly important in the civil rights movement.

How MTV Maintains Its Dominance Essay -- essays papers

How MTV Maintains Its Dominance Music Television, a basic cable service known by its acronym MTV, remains the dominant music video outlet utilizing effective marketing and competitive business practices throughout its nineteen year history. The creation of the "I Want My MTV" marketing campaign and use of the campaign throughout the 1980's helped the cable outlet secure a substantial subscriber base. MTV dealt with competition from cable mogul Ted Turner's Cable Music Channel by creating a fighting brand, sister cable service VH-1, along with facing challenges by numerous other music video programming services. Through exclusivity agreements with record labels for music videos and limiting access to cable systems owned by MTV's parent company, MTV exercised anticompetitive and monopolistic means to fend off competition. From its launch, MTV successfully applied these marketing and competitive business practices. The board of the Warner - AMEX Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), a partnership between Warner Communications and American Express, gave approval in mid-January 1981 for the creation of a cable service that would broadcast music videos . Music videos, song length visual depictions used in the promotion of a musical act's latest release, were already popular on European television since the mid 1970s. A deadline of August 1, 1981 was set for the launch of this new cable service as programs featuring music videos were beginning to appear on cable outlets such as Home Box Office and USA Network. The set-up and programming of the entire operation was to be established in approximately six-and-a-half months. Bob Pittman, a WASEC programming executive with a background in radio, wanted to ensure the new music video outlet delivered programming that appealed to its target audience of twelve to thirty-four-year-olds. This age demographic was both desirable and difficult for advertisers to reach as young adults typically did not watch much of what television offered at the time. He determined that, with little exception, the cable service would have no distinguishable programs. Video upon video would be presented by on-air personalities dubbed video jockeys, veejays for short, who would also provide entertainment news and conduct artist interviews. The absence of scheduled programming was, as stated by Tom McGrath in MTV: The Maki... ..., Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. (Pennsylvania: Running, 1996), p. 47. Ibid., p. 53. Ibid., p. 47. Ibid., p. 48. Ibid., p. 48. Ibid., p. 50. Banks, Jack. Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music. (Colorado: Westview, 1996), p. 34. McGrath, Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. (Pennsylvania: Running, 1996), p. 62-63. Ibid., p. 80. Ibid., p. 80. Ibid., p. 81. Ibid., p. 81. Ibid., p88. Ibid., p. 88-89. Ibid., p. 89. Ibid., p. 124. Ibid., p. 124. Ibid., p. 125. Ibid., p. 125, 129. Ibid., p. 129. "Ted Turner Turns off the Music." The Economist. 8 December 1984: 77. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. (New Jersey: Transaction, 1988), p. 155. Ibid., p. 155. Ibid., p. 155. Ibid., p. 156. Bibliography: Banks, Jack. Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music. Colorado: Westview, 1996. Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. New Jersey: Transaction, 1988. McGrath, Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. Pennsylvania: Running, 1996. "Ted Turner Turns off the Music." The Economist. 8 December 1984: 77. How MTV Maintains Its Dominance Essay -- essays papers How MTV Maintains Its Dominance Music Television, a basic cable service known by its acronym MTV, remains the dominant music video outlet utilizing effective marketing and competitive business practices throughout its nineteen year history. The creation of the "I Want My MTV" marketing campaign and use of the campaign throughout the 1980's helped the cable outlet secure a substantial subscriber base. MTV dealt with competition from cable mogul Ted Turner's Cable Music Channel by creating a fighting brand, sister cable service VH-1, along with facing challenges by numerous other music video programming services. Through exclusivity agreements with record labels for music videos and limiting access to cable systems owned by MTV's parent company, MTV exercised anticompetitive and monopolistic means to fend off competition. From its launch, MTV successfully applied these marketing and competitive business practices. The board of the Warner - AMEX Satellite Entertainment Company (WASEC), a partnership between Warner Communications and American Express, gave approval in mid-January 1981 for the creation of a cable service that would broadcast music videos . Music videos, song length visual depictions used in the promotion of a musical act's latest release, were already popular on European television since the mid 1970s. A deadline of August 1, 1981 was set for the launch of this new cable service as programs featuring music videos were beginning to appear on cable outlets such as Home Box Office and USA Network. The set-up and programming of the entire operation was to be established in approximately six-and-a-half months. Bob Pittman, a WASEC programming executive with a background in radio, wanted to ensure the new music video outlet delivered programming that appealed to its target audience of twelve to thirty-four-year-olds. This age demographic was both desirable and difficult for advertisers to reach as young adults typically did not watch much of what television offered at the time. He determined that, with little exception, the cable service would have no distinguishable programs. Video upon video would be presented by on-air personalities dubbed video jockeys, veejays for short, who would also provide entertainment news and conduct artist interviews. The absence of scheduled programming was, as stated by Tom McGrath in MTV: The Maki... ..., Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. (Pennsylvania: Running, 1996), p. 47. Ibid., p. 53. Ibid., p. 47. Ibid., p. 48. Ibid., p. 48. Ibid., p. 50. Banks, Jack. Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music. (Colorado: Westview, 1996), p. 34. McGrath, Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. (Pennsylvania: Running, 1996), p. 62-63. Ibid., p. 80. Ibid., p. 80. Ibid., p. 81. Ibid., p. 81. Ibid., p88. Ibid., p. 88-89. Ibid., p. 89. Ibid., p. 124. Ibid., p. 124. Ibid., p. 125. Ibid., p. 125, 129. Ibid., p. 129. "Ted Turner Turns off the Music." The Economist. 8 December 1984: 77. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. (New Jersey: Transaction, 1988), p. 155. Ibid., p. 155. Ibid., p. 155. Ibid., p. 156. Bibliography: Banks, Jack. Monopoly Television: MTV's Quest to Control the Music. Colorado: Westview, 1996. Denisoff, R. Serge. Inside MTV. New Jersey: Transaction, 1988. McGrath, Tom. MTV: The Making of a Revolution. Pennsylvania: Running, 1996. "Ted Turner Turns off the Music." The Economist. 8 December 1984: 77.

Affirmative Action Plan Essay

Affirmative action is a plan to promote the efforts of employers, schools and other organizations to recruit and hire groups that have previously been discriminated against. It is important to note that affirmative action programs do not require employers to hire unqualified people for a job. Equal employment opportunity is used to describe policies that prohibit discrimination of any kind. Affirmative action is a program that analyses the make up of the current workforce, establishes guidelines to insure an employer is not underutilizing certain groups and identifies and removes barriers for employment. Equal employment is the legislation that provides the oversight and investigates any allegations of discrimination and unfair treatment. To effectively implement an affirmative action program is important to have management support. This is not the type of program that can be successful at the grass roots level. The first step is to designate a high level manager as the champion. This person will be responsible for setting the overall tone for the program and will ensure that his managers at all levels throughout the organization take part in the implementation process as well as ensuring that the program is being effectively managed. The next decision is what kind of plan will be implemented from the two basic strategies, good faith effort or quota. Good faith focuses on changing the hiring practices that have created these inequities. It is also aimed at removing any obstacles that might be in the way of hiring minorities, women or disabled persons. Quotas are focused on the results and getting certain groups hired by implementing restrictions. Employers are required to meet specific numbers to be successful. Good faith is the preferable strategy because it focuses on a more positive approach while still hiring the best candidate for the job. There are many steps that are needed to roll-out an affirmative action plan. The following are the steps necessary in the development and implementation: 1. It is extremely important to develop the policy statement that will guide the entire program. In many instances this policy statement is also used as a clause on contracts as well as company newsletters and advertisements. Once the policy statement is completed the specific goals and objectives of the affirmative action program need to be established and disseminated throughout the organization. The goal of the program is to remedy the past and continued discrimination in hiring based on race, ethnicity and gender. The goal also addresses creating a work place that embraces the differences. Questions that must be answered are: What is the strategy to obtain the goal and what are the timelines associated with reaching our goal? 2. All the HR processes and job qualification standards to make sure that the job qualifications are consistent with the business need. Job analyses and job descriptions must be reviewed as well to ensure that they too are structured accordingly. Another aspect that should be done to ensure that the right protected groups are being targeted is the workforce analysis. What is the breakdown and make up of the employee population. This will help in the initial efforts. It is also necessary to audit this on an ongoing basis. 3. Detailed program initiates need to be written and communicated. The program should include details on recruiting, hiring and training employees as well as the company’s position on fair employment practices. 4. Develop the training program for HR managers as well as line managers at all levels. All employees must understand their responsibilities as they relate to an effective affirmative action program. How to effectively recruit and hire based on the program. Information should also be included in the company’s code of conduct booklet. Affirmative action should also be covered in employee orientation. 5. Training is the first step in forming a better understanding within the company, however unless the corporate goals and objectives are aligned with each department, the program will be harder to enforce. It is important to tie the affirmative action objectives to an individual’s performance and  part of the review process. This will ensure adherence. 6. The communication plan is another crucial part of the program and involves many steps. Employers should get the word out that they are an equal opportunity employer. Communicating this message is great publicity. Unless it is communicated effectively no one will know. Communications must be used to promote implementation internally. Posters can be put up throughout the facility or special edition newsletters to create enthusiasm for the program. The next level of communication is to go out into the communities by placing advertisements in local papers, talks with the local officials to gain support. Perhaps by establishing an arrangement to get applicant referrals through various state agencies, college placement offices and labor organizations perspective employees can be canvassed. Develop the appropriate communication strategies to target the right candidates for openings. If women are being sought after, then perhaps placing advertisements in a journal or periodical that has a higher female readership. Provide written notification of company affirmative action policy to subcontractors, vendors and suppliers and make sure that the company is partnering with the right mix. Today it is very important to align with other organizations that are minority owned. 7. Establish a training program for incumbents and current employees to supplement their skill set. An on the job training program as well as access to higher education will provide create the environment needed to be successful and will further eliminate obstacles for minorities and women. It is important not only to provide minorities and female employees with the educational opportunity, but to actively encourage participation. 8. Establish programs such as flex hours, child care and working from home to assist working mothers and or fathers with child care issues that would have precluded them from being successful in the past. 9. Design and implement an audit and reporting system to measure the effectiveness of an affirmative action program. If an affirmative action program is found to be deficient, actions must be taken to fix the problems. It is important to monitor an organization’s success on an ongoing basis and provide the necessary coaching when necessary. Diversity goes a long way to enrich our lives. People bring varying levels of experience and knowledge based on their individual backgrounds. It is important to encourage employees and managers to view these differences in a positive light. Affirmative action should have a positive view in the workplace for it to be successful. In avoiding the use of a quota system, employers remove the negative connotation that has historically been associated with a program like this. The diverse culture in our workplace is about finding the right person for the job, not hiring based on a person’s gender or color. The plan will be successful because it will become part of the corporate culture. When management endorses a program such as this and is dedicated to its success, line managers at all levels are also determined to make it work. It is important to communicate the details of the program in a manner that is understandable as well as non-controversial to gain the maximum amount of support. Ensuring that the hiring process removes all obstacles as well as working with contractors and outsource providers that also have affirmative action plans will further the success of the program. References Go to: http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/HowAffirmActBenAmerica.pdf Go to: http://www.fca.gov/Download/AEP%20Inspection%20Report.pdf Go to: http://hr.dop.wa.gov/wfd/guidlines.pdf