Concept of Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Concept of Power - Essay Example Resource dependence theory is based on the fact that organizations inevitably depend on resources and their mobility and as result in turn depend on suppliers of those resources (Pfeffer, 2003)On the other hand institutional theory is based on the argument that organizations aren't particularly concerned about task expediencies but about expediencies that arise from the strategic cultural environment of the organization, along with meeting demands put forward by lending and professional institutions. Finally the population ecology theory emphasizes the ways and means through which organizations' structures and forms are influenced ((Hannan M. T., 1989)). For example changing nature of the organization has less influence on such structures than the birth and death of organizations. In the ordinary sense of the word 'power' enables those who exercise it to dominate over those who don't have it. This explanation seems to be rather simplistic though still the conventional organizational theories have a much wider acceptance in modern management theories. Power is a dynamic concept with a degree of fluidity and much less transparency. In other words the concept of power acquires a newer and more articulate dimension in the modern unconventional organizational theory than hitherto was known. The concept of power has many nuances including that it's associated with responsibility. Thus organizational power can be extended to include corporate responsibility as well.Resource dependence theory invariably supports these power dynamics in its articulation of a strategic supplier dominated organizational environment. However it must be noted here that modern writers on unconventional organizational theory tend to speculate on politicized organizational environments in or der to give a revolutionary interpretation to the evolving structures and cultures. Power is rooted in the organization's dependence on resource providers who might not hesitate to manipulate the organizational outcomes by imposing their weight on its structures and forms. Thus power as a concept in the modern sense of the organizational context is a barometer of organizational strengths. In other words organizational power isn't a simple aggregation of 'individual powers' as such. It has a much wider significance and impact on the organizational outcomes.The theoretical premise of power is derived from the fact that suppliers of resources have a strategic link with the organization. Therefore it is the suppliers who exercise political control over the organization (Ulrich, 1984)The authors identify and address the implications of anti-management theories within the organizational context so that a particularly significant hidden feature of the organization is brought to the surface . Notwithstanding the counter argument that organizations do not seek intentionally to

Theology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Theology - Case Study Example Even though, I understand that this is a matter which people need to decide for themselves, I am a little troubled that this point of view was not even regarded to be significant. In my view, it calls into question the value of the notes as it is tough to envision going through the Bible separated from Gods authority and influence on the world. It is an excellent counterpart to the NIV version of the bible, which offers a reader a more religious perspective, for instance offering proof that Timothy was composed by one person derived from similarities in the text all through (Meeks 1750). Again, a person must make up their own mind, but the NIV version does grant both viewpoints. A person would want to know more concerning the historical information, as well as a peep into what the new texts must say. However, for studying Gods will for man, as well as how to establish a closer relationship with Him, I would advise people to go through the NIV version of the Bible than

Enterprise Resource Planning System In The Hotel Industry

Enterprise Resource Planning System In The Hotel Industry With the increasing sophistication of hotel guests and patrons, the continual improvement of hospitality services towards the attainment of unparalleled excellence in the business remains the only edge the hotel has to sustain its position if not attain the leadership in the industry. By adopting the ISO 9001:2008 framework, the acculturation of a learning organization into the consciousness of each employee of the hotel shall provide the impetus to strive and be better in providing service to hotel guests and patrons. A Quality Management System or QMS will govern the conduct of each of the hotels front liners. The QMS shall also provide the parameters for quality service while performance monitoring of each of the processes shall be through the process key performance indicators. Any flaw or parameter that fails to satisfy the accepted threshold of the performance indicator shall be subject to a root cause analysis to determine a corrective or preventive solution. The QMS requires regular review to ensure that the organization remains focus and faithful to its objective. The hotel employees performance shall be subject to evaluation by using the key performance indicators root cause analysis. For QMS, the hotel guests or patrons feedback, comment or opinion is accorded greater weight as it will not only change how the hotel will conduct its business but it will equally show how the hotel value their guests and patrons point of view with regard to the hotels operation. Contents Executive Summary 2 Contents 3 Introduction 4 METHODOLOGY 5 THE HOTEL 5 Design 6 Supply 7 Planning 7 Shop-floor control 8 The environment 8 Technology 8 The Hotels CUSTOMER SERVICE 9 CUSTOMER SERVICE Challenges 11 Summary 12 Bibliography 13 Introduction Revenue in a Hotel business shall anchor on two factors, namely: (1.) level of occupancy or guest traffic that includes patrons to its facilities, and (2.) Efficiency and Quality of its services (Cornell University, 2010). Thus, among other industries in the world, the Hospitality industry remains dependent on the market pulse and good business sense. Good business sense refers to the operation strategy and business strategy that would result to operation efficiency and quality service. The marriage of technology and human ingenuity are very much apparent in the hotel industry by deploying an Enterprise Resource Planning system. As applied to the hotel industry, it would ensure excellent customer experience from their reservation up to their next visit. The deployment of a Customer Relationship Management System would ensure that all issues are addressed and monitored and shall similarly ensure that the business is properly guided on how to become customer centric. However, technology will not work on its own as its success will be dependent on the employees who use the system and those who will execute the work instructions recommended by the system. A framework that will capitalize on the strength of the employee enabled by technology shall be the onus of this paper. The sole purpose of which is to ensure the customer focused operation of the hotel while practicing processes that feed on continual improvements to manage the bottom line. Using these strategies, Leadership in the industry and profitability should not be far behind. METHODOLOGY The valuable discussions in Operation Management have been the inspiration by this writer to seek out more knowledge in pursuit of excellence. Thus, it led to the discovery that the concepts presented herein have been in existence for some time, and various authors not only wrote extensively on the subjects but they have exhaustively been part of its continual improvement so to speak. Capitalizing from the experiences of these management gurus and the erudite deliberation in Operations Management this author therefore recommend a more comprehensive examination of the Hotels Customer Service. Using the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System framework, this author shall discuss the merits and wisdom of its implementation in this paper in support of the Hotels operation and primordial goal. It is ideal to implement the quality management system in all the processes of the Hotel to ensure that there will be no gap that can dissuade if not prevent the Hotel from being the center for customer service excellence. The ISO 9000 Quality Management System have previously been regarded as applicable only to the manufacturing industry since it normally refers to the quality in the creation of a product. However, in ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System the word product can alternately refer to as service  [1]  . The hospitality industry has long been recognized a service-oriented industry (Ramaswamy). Its main product is unlike any other industry since its product is the service provided by the hotel employees. The quality metrics of hospitality service is equal to the amount of satisfaction of each customer multiplied by the number of customer over a period of time. THE HOTEL The hotel is a five star hotel that is highly profitable and popular privately owned located in the center of an international city with a high level of tourist traffic, particularly international tourists. It boasts of a two hundred fifty suites, two dining rooms, one of which offers a standard menu and seats three hundred people while the other seats only a hundred but it offers discriminating a la carte choices for an upscale market. The hotel also has two cocktail bars; one that is publicly accessible from the streets while the other is for hotel guests only however both are open to guests and non-guests alike. The hotel is home to three kitchens, with the two serving the two dining rooms while the third serves the three function rooms rented for parties, weddings, conferences and other similar events. The function rooms seat fifty, two hundred and one thousand, respectively while each function room can have their own bars if required. The hotel similarly provides other facilities that would include a swimming pool, gym, sauna and a car park with one hundred and fifty private bays. The hotel employs both permanent full-time and part-time contract workers. Each area has its own supervisor, with qualified and experienced managers overseeing the supervisors for the respective departments. As indicated, not only does the hotel enjoy a modest profit from its operation, it boasts of a decent amount of guest and patron traffic from its hotel and facilities operation. Design Designing a particular type of service impacts the hotels customers to enrich their stay or their hospitality experience is a practical application of this concept as described by Slacks and Johnston in 2004. To illustrate: the design process in the formulation of a process that will provide returning guests with discounted rates if they return during the off-peak or lean days will ensure occupancy during the lean months and expand marketing exposure. Supply Raw materials used as ingredients to hotel food are sensitive to spoilage and contamination thus it is important to manage its handling from delivery, storage and inventory. The release of the goods from storage should be strictly enforced and implemented through proper tagging and warehousing strategy. To illustrate; Meat products can last for a certain period through refrigeration but must also consider volatility and seasonality to its supply. The system predicting the usage of the hotel base on its routine consumption and the scheduled events shall either place an order or forego an order automatically and later implement First-in-first-out in the warehouse with the use of the inventory tag. Planning Planning within the context of the hospitality industry often relates to Business Planning. Case in point, the hospitality business is sensitive to the time of the year particularly its occupancy. From July to August is normally the time when air travel is at its busiest due to the summer vacation in the United States and some countries. Hotels outside the United States that are vacation destinations of Americans are at its busiest. However, during the lean months, when occupancy is at its lowest, hotel managers and administrators creativity are normally put to test. To illustrate a viable business strategy during the lean months is to pre-sell the room through discount cards. The concept is to sell discount cards at a price of one or two nights stay that will be availed only during the lean months. Modest discounts may be availed by cardholders including the facilities or services offered by the Hotel. The card shall expire within one year from its issuance to give the hotel the opportunity to sell continuously the unoccupied hotel rooms during the lean months. Shop-floor control Shop floor strategies include Job and shift Scheduling, housekeeping, Process improvement and increasing process efficiency in the context of providing quality service. ISO 9001:2008 has closed the gap between a tangible product and service that both demand quality. According to the system, the best way to ensure quality service is to identify focus areas, then to provide measurable targets that are congruent with the focus areas goals. The environment Some hotels realize their impact to the environment of the local community and as part of their strict adherence to their corporate conscience social responsibility often adopts a sound environmental management system. Not only would this comply with the international initiatives regarding environmental concerns but in practice, this will also respond well to its corporate social responsibility initiatives. Technology The use of technology to lower the cost of operation through the automation of processes and increase the security at the hotel is a strategy that does not normally provide a tangible and visible result overnight. To illustrate: Supply Chain Management as envisioned is a technology driven strategy that will ensure that raw materials used as ingredients for food do not spoil or do not get contaminated. The strategy requires inventory immediate tagging in each delivery. By providing secure keys to every guest, a hotel management system would be able to adjust the room temperature and the Air Handling Unit load depending on the rooms that have activated keys. Using the secure keys inserted in its slot will enable the system to determine the additional load needed for the air conditioning requirement instead of the Air Handling Unit continuously operating even without any guest inside is a waste of energy. The Hotels CUSTOMER SERVICE The hotels customer does not start becoming a customer when he finally pays the initial down payment for a room or service, he does not start becoming a customer at the instant he shows up at the hotels premises or orders his first drink from the bar. A guest or patron starts becoming a customer as soon as he says the first word to any of the hotels staff, telemarketer or even parking attendant or valet (Borsenik Stutts, 1997). Ergo, all aspects of the hotels operation almost concern itself with customer service. Customer service is not merely providing the hotels service to the guests or patron, it is making sure that the customer is satisfied and fulfilled in the usage of the facilities including their encounter with the hotels staff (Michelli, 2008). Therefore, all processes that will affect the customer directly or indirectly are customer service providing processes. To illustrate the reservation clerk represents the hotel as its first liner when the customer called in to reserve a room or book the one of the services of the hotel. A pleasant conversation would result to immediate booking and a not so pleasant conversation is the loss of a potential client. The interaction with the valets or the parking attendants may be the second encounter of the hotel with its customer. The next would be the door person, the front desk, the concierge, the room boy, the hotel cleaners and then floor security for hotel guests. While for those partaking and enjoying the services of the Hotel would be entertained from the door person by the receptionist and then the floor manager or the facilities attendant. The guests would then be interfacing next with the waiters if they were at the bar or restaurant, the lifeguard for the swimming pool and fitness instructor for the gym and sauna. To illustrate the indirect service providers in the Hotel that ensures not only the satisfaction of the guests or patron they themselves are responsible for the behind the scene hospitality experience. These would include the kitchen staff that would include the chef and those responsible for preparing the food. The engineer that ensures the temperature of the pool and the gym is optimal or the safety engineer monitoring the safety levels at the sauna, the hallway and lobby temperature. The indirect service providers also include the cashiers that provide the correct change and charges, the security guards that ensures the safety of the guests and the surrounding. This also includes the janitorial staff that ensures the health of the guests by making the immediate surrounding garbage or dirt free. The processes that govern the operation and performance of the customer interaction of the services provided as described shall be the focus of the Quality Management System framework of ISO 9001:2008 (International Organization for Standardization, 2008). Aligning with the Vision, Mission, Values and Strategy of the Hotel the Quality Management System framework will allow the Hotel to define its own Quality Mission Statement that states the personality of the hotel. Each of the processes followed or implemented by the process owners as described above that interacts with the Hotels guests, patrons or customers, in general, shall be covered by the Quality Mission Statement. Juxtapose with the Quality Missions Statement aligned processes, Key Result Areas will be developed will remain the targets of the processes. The Key Result Areas should be customer centric and should work towards the attainment of the best hospitality experience of the guests or patrons as provisioned by the Hotel. In order to measure the success of the process owners in achieving their key result areas, metrics in the form of key performance indicators for each process are to be developed. To illustrate: The valet service is often neglected by most Hotels but its importance and the opportunity it presents to save the Hotels image from the customers bad experience from the services of the hotel is precious being the last process the customer has to go through before leaving the hotel. The possible key result area for the valet services could be the immediate return of the guests vehicle to him. The key performance indicators could be the amount of time it will take the valet to retrieve the car and return it to the owner. The idea would be the shorter the amount of time it takes to retrieve the car the more satisfied the customer would be. CUSTOMER SERVICE Challenges Cultural Sensitivities The primary challenge in any customer service is the differences in the personality or origins of the guests. Cultural sensitivities often create friction between the service provider and the customer. To illustrate: in the west shaking the head from side to side often means no, however in some culture particularly the Indian culture it means yes. Gender and Other Sensitivities At times, being chivalrous is being sexist while being helpful to people with disabilities is being offensive. A balance and clear criteria are should be studied depending on the area where the Hotel is located so as not to compromise quality service with sensitivities. Summary The hospitality industry has evolved from an industry that only provided board and lodging to transient travelers in the previous century to an actual destination that offers a myriad of services to weary travelers and to vacation and relaxation seekers. The Quality Management System as enabled by technology should provide the edge to the hotel in terms of managing its bottom line from the business perspective while also providing the framework in determining the best way to service its guests and patrons. The Quality Management System therefore will equally define the customer centric culture of the hotel geared towards providing the best, if not one of the best hotel experience to its guests. The continual improvement concept of the Quality Management System will engender excellence in the very fiber of the hotels staff. The key performance indicators shall provide the metrics to gauge the efficacy of the process including the performance of its employees. The root cause analysis as well as the development of the corrective and preventive solution is essential to the concept. One of the virtues of ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management System is that it would let the hotel develop its own Quality Management framework as derived from the hotels unique culture. The hotel shall not only reflect its personality but it shall be the driving force towards excellence in customer service. The commitment to customer service as driven by the Quality Management System shall therefore be personal not only for the organization, but also for the individual employees.

Violence in the Media :: TV Violence Music Movies Television

Many video games, television programs, adverts, films and music lyrics depict different forms of violence. Some people feel that there is too much violence exposed in the media. Many studies have made the claim that the media is responsible for much of the violence seen in the world we live in. However, people have choices and responsibilities we cannot allow ourselves to blame it on other things such as the media. The violence seen in our media has an impact on both adults and children. Since children are also exposed to various forms of media, there has been additional concern for how they process and think about the violence they see, read or hear. Excessive exposure to media violence can also affect people in many ways as they can become disturbed and develop serious fears of being victimized in real life. Nevertheless, the entertainment industry and those in favour of the media argue that censoring these images or music will not solve the problems of a society, which is already violent. Many areas of the media contain violence in different forms. There are four different types of violence shown throughout media-actuality, realistic fictional, choreographed and comic. Actuality shows the public images that have not been enhanced, altered or composed. These are mainly shown in TV news and newspapers and have stirred various opinions of its necessity to be shown. People feel that it is unacceptable to show these kinds of images, as some scenes can be of those in agony therefore pointing a camera on them is disrespectful. However some actuality images are less harmful as it may not be an extreme act such as tackles in football matches. Realistic fictional is when violence is acted out which can potentially happen in real life. This may be unacceptable to people as it can be influential and seem as exciting therefore there are temptations to copy it. Choreographed violence in the media are images that have been rehearsed and planned out, these are often found in films and cause a

Occupational Adaptation Theory

There are many models that provide healthcare professionals with a filter in how they view and asses occupational challenges that individuals encounter. The occupational adaptation (OA) model is based on the assumption that the more adaptable an individual is, in an ever-changing environment, the more functional they become (Schultz, 2014). This assumption is what separates the OA model from other models (Schultz, 2014). The person-environment-occupation (PEO) model, for example, typically assesses environmental barriers which impede an individual's functional performance and make modifications to the environment to improve occupational performance (Brown, 2014). While the PEO model is successful in promoting the best fit between an individual, their environment, and their occupation (Brown, 2014), other healthcare professionals find success through the use of the OA model by promoting adaptability within the environment (Schultz, 2014).History of Occupational AdaptationThe theory of occupational adaptation was developed by Janette Schkade and Sally Schultz in 1992 at Texas Woman's University (Schultz, 2014). Schkade and Schultz were part of the faculty who was challenged by the dean of the program at Texas Woman's University to develop a Ph.D. program in occupational therapy (Schultz, 2014). It was agreed upon that occupation and adaptation were important concepts of occupational therapy (Schultz, 2014). When the Ph.D. program was established, occupational adaptation was foundational to their philosophy and research (Schultz, 2014). The focus of the theory of occupational adaptation is to enhance overall performance (Schultz, 2014). By developing this theory, Schkade and Schultz's goal was to develop adaptive skills and successfully achieve personal adaptation. Furthermore, the theory of occupational adaptation is based on the relationship between occupational performance and human adaptation (Schultz, 2014).Occupational Adaptation TheoryOccupational performance is defined as having the ability to carry out roles, routines, and tasks in response to demands of the environment (Ranka, J., & Chapparo, C. 1997). The OA theory emphasizes the influence of the interaction between the environment and an individual on occupational performance (Schultz, 2014). Schkade and Schultz found that the more adaptive a person becomes, the more functional they are which improves overall occupational performance. Personal adaptation is defined as an ongoing change of order and disorder, and reorganization (Schultz, 2014). The environment is an area that is largely out of one's control; to be functional in an ever-changing area, it is best to adjust to the given circumstance (Schultz, 2014). Schematic Schkade, J. K., ; Schultz, S. (1992)Occupational Adaptation Process ModelIn the occupational adaptation process model by Schkade ; Schultz (1992), the person is influenced by internal factors which demand adaptation and create a desire for mastery. An individual's internal factors are influenced by the sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychosocial systems (Schultz, 2014). These systems are responsible for responses to the environment and challenges (Schultz, 2014). The occupational environment poses external factors in which an individual's roles and occupations take place (Schultz, 2014). The occupational environment creates a demand for mastery and is strongly associated with a person's physical, social, and cultural background (Schultz, 2014). External factors largely affect an individual's response and ability to adapt (Schultz, 2014). Through occupation, there is constant interaction between an individual and the occupational environment (Schultz, 2014). Due to the consistent interaction between a person and his or her environment, occupational challenges arise and a press for mastery is created (Schultz, 2014). The occupational role expectation is contingent upon the environment and demands for adaptation in response to the occupational challenge (Schultz, 2014). When an individual adapts to changes in the environment, this is called the â€Å"occupational response† (Schultz, 2014).Role of Occupational TherapistThe theory of occupational adaptation focuses on developing an individual's adaptive skills through therapeutic use of occupation (Schultz, 2014). The therapeutic use of occupation uses occupational activities to promote the desire to adapt and succeed (Schultz, 2014). The techniques that are used to promote the desire to adapt are crucial for success or otherwise could provide the opposite results and inhibit the desire to adapt (Schultz, 2014). Interferences that often impede an individual's success are poor approach, repetition of ineffective exercises, depression, and frustration (Schultz, 2014). Therapists should grade activities using the â€Å"just right† approach so that a person feels successful, but is still challenged (Schultz, 2014). While some interferences can be overcome for success, deficits in sensorimotor, cognitive, and psychosocial systems place significant limitations on an individual's ability to respond with adaptations (Schultz, 2014). The role of the therapist is not to take away a person's challenges, but to help them to discover their ability to adapt (Schultz, 2014).Application to Occupational TherapyThis theory can be successfully applied in intervention in schools, home care, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation, and mental health (Schultz, 2014). Thus, there is a wide variety of individuals that could benefit from this model including children, people who have had strokes, post-surgery or injured patients, individuals with dementia, and caregivers (Schultz, 2014). People who have had strokes, specifically, have been successful with this model because of the structure and focus that it provides (Schultz, 2014). Therapists have guided these patients using this model by providing adaptive strategies for their new roles (Schultz, 2014). Therapists have also found success using this model in rehabilitation interventions (Schultz, 2014). Whether it is post-surgery or injury, therapists have found that their patients are more successful and engaged when the intervention plan includes strategies of adaptation within their daily occupational role (Schultz, 2014). In schools, this model has been successful when paired with the occupation of reading model for children who experience difficulty reading (Schultz, 2014). The OA model was used to engage children in meaningful reading activities where they feel confident and successful (Schultz, 2014). Therapists found that when adjusting the reading level, children experienced relative mastery (Schultz, 2014). While the goal of most intervention is improved performance, the OA model focuses on promoting adaptability, which improves overall performance (Schultz, 2014).ConclusionThe ecological model is similar to the OA model in that they both emphasize the influence that the environment has on an individual's occupational performance (Schultz, 2014; Brown, 2014). While the OA model focuses on the importance of adaptability within the environment (Schultz, 2014), the ecological model focuses on modifying the environment for optimal performance (Brown, 2014). The person-environment-occupation (PEO) model, specifically, relates function or dysfunction to a person's fit to the environment (Brown, 2014). Dysfunction, according to the PEO model, is due to a poor person-environment fit and can be rectified by changing the environment (Brown, 2014). The PEO model is based on the idea that therapists should focus on changing the environment to enhance performance rather than changing the individual (Brown, 2014). Consequently, an individual's occupational success is then limited to the confines of the environment that has been adjusted to their capabilities (Schultz, 2014). For example, a child that has difficulty attending to tasks in a loud room: changing the individual's environment to a quiet room would result in improved occupational performance, but the child is then limited to functional performance within the means of a quiet environment. The OA model adequately prepares a person for an ever-changing environment that they can adapt to, therefore their occupations are not limited to one environment (Schultz, 2014). For example, a child that has difficulty attending to tasks in a loud room: a child that is guided on how to adapt in a loud environment through the use of headphones will then be able to apply their new found adaptive skills in other environments. The OA model differs from other models through collaboration with the person and by instilling confidence as well as empowering them with skills that can be applied throughout all of their occupations (Schultz, 2014). I feel most aligned with the OA model because it focuses on life skills that are important to be successful throughout life (Schultz, 2014). The OA model is limitless in the population and settings that it can be applied in, which creates stability and structure to help people thrive (Schultz, 2014). In an ever-changing environment that is inevitable, the OA model provides the necessary structure and guidance to function throughout life (Schultz, 2014).ReferencesBrown, C. (2014). Ecological Models in Occupational Therapy. In Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy (12th ed., pp. 494-504). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.Model of occupational adaptation process. (1992). In Occupational adaptation: Toward a holistic approach to contemporary practice (Part 1).American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Retrieved September 20, 2018, from https://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1875314.Ranka, J., & Chapparo, C. (1997). Occupational Performance Model (Australia). Retriev ed September 1, 2018, from http://www.occupationalperformance.com/definitions/Schkade, J. K., & Schultz, S. (1992). Occupational adaptation: Toward a holistic approach to contemporary practice, Part 1. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46, 829-837. doi:10.5014/ajot.46.9.829Schultz, S. W. (2014). Theory of Occupational Adaptation. In Willard and Spackman's Occupational Therapy (12th ed., pp. 527-540). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams ; Wilkins.Schultz, S. , ; Schkade, J. K. (1992). Occupational adaptation: Toward a holistic approach to contemporary practice, Part 2. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46, 917-926. doi:10.5014/ajot.46.10.917

Milk & Food Coloring Lab Report (Importance of Surfactant)

Importance of Surfactant Introduction Surfactant is an essential component for the respiratory system to function properly. Knowing the physiology of surfactant in the alveoli is important to know when learning the structure of the air sacs and how they work. This experiment is designed to make the understanding of surfactant in the alveolar film easier to learn, because it's not very simple. Surfactant is a detergent-like substance produced by the Type II alveolar cells in the walls of the alveoli. Surfactant is produced to reduce the surface tension of the water molecules that primarily compose the walls of the alveoli.For this experiment, we will be using milk and food coloring to represent the water (milk) and gas (food coloring) in the respiratory system, as seen in the liquid-gas boundary of the alveolar wall (water) and its volume (gas). We will place the milk in a shallow dish so that it completely covers the bottom of the dish. Drops of food coloring are going to be added in to the milk at the center of the dish, and then observed. Drops of liquid dishwashing soap, representing surfactant, are then added to the center as well. Once the soap drops are added we will observe what changes happen to the food coloring and milk.Because I know milk is non-polar and food coloring is polar, my hypothesis predicts the two will not mix voluntarily at first, but the soap acting as a surfactant, when added, will help the two liquids mix together. Materials and Methods For this experiment, I used a 16oz milk, 4 different color food coloring bottles, liquid hand soap, and a small clear dish with approximately 5 inches in diameter. I placed the dish in a flat steady surface. I then poured the milk making sure the whole bottom of the dish is covered and still remained shallow.Next, I added about four drops of food coloring to the milk at the center of the dish. Lastly, I added about four drops of the liquid hand soap in the same exact place where I had added the food col oring. Results When the food coloring was added into the milk, there was no reaction. The food coloring did not mix into the milk, it just sat there clumped together like oil in a lava lamp. After adding the drops of liquid soap, the food coloring droplets rapidly mixed into the milk by running in every direction. It looked like an explosion of color.The color streaks continuously span slowly in the milk. Discussion As my hypothesis stated, the milk and food coloring did not mix voluntarily because of their polarity. Non-polar molecules want to bond with other non-polar molecules (London dispersion forces) and polar molecules bond with the polar molecules (Dipole-Dipole forces). Think of all the milk molecules acting as very powerful magnets between each other, and the same with the water molecules. In this case, the soap –acting as the surfactant- broke the surface tension between the two liquids allowing them to mix together.In other words, it reduced the magnetic attractio n between them. As we stated, the milk molecules are non-polar and the food coloring molecules are polar. Soap is one of the awesome liquids that is both polar and non-polar. Its molecules have a polar head, which attracts other polar molecules, and a non-polar body, which attracts other non-polar molecules. When the liquid soap molecules were added to the solution, they attracted both the milk and food coloring molecules causing them to mix like they did.In the alveoli, the gas is non-polar and the water in the walls of the alveoli is polar. Surface tension in the alveoli is very high because of the liquid/gas boundary. This surface tension draws the liquid molecules closer together and reduces their contact with the gas molecules; this way the alveoli do not collapse. The water in the walls of the alveoli help the alveolar walls come together during exhalation (when the oxygen leaves the alveoli), so that they stick together and allow the alveoli to reach their smallest size.The s urfactant that is secreted aids the walls to be able to come together, but not with the attraction of their potential because it’s too strong. If they came together with their normal attraction, the walls would stick together and their strong surface tension would not allow them to unstick. A collapsed alveola will have to be completely re-inflated during each inspiration, which takes a lot of energy to do. With the surfactant, during inhalation the incoming gas is able to split the walls open because their attraction is not as strong.This way, the walls are able to come apart easier and make more space for the oxygen that fills up the alveoli. If our alveolar cells did not produce surfactant whatsoever, breathing would be very hard. Each inhalation would not have the easy flow it has now; it would take a lot of energy and not to mention be tougher. Conclusion Just like the water and gas in our lungs, the milk and food coloring would not have been able to mix. Both the liquid soap and the surfactant reduce the magnetic force that unites liquid molecules- in this case allowing milk and food coloring to mix.Without this experiment, we’d be overlooking one of the many underrated ways our bodies get away with remedies for making our daily routines easier. This experiment helps us understand the importance of surfactant in the respiratory system. Liquid molecules have a very high surface tension that is not easy to get rid of. But, as we observed, savvy Mother Nature blessed us with surfactant and soap that can easily break bonds. Literature Cited Marieb, Elaine N. , and Katja Hoehn. Human Anatomy ; Physiology. 9th ed. Pearson, 2012. Print.