Social Commentary

English 1101 Social Commentary Essay The automobile has had a tremendous impact on society and the environment since its development in the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are over 500 million motor vehicles on the earth. People enjoy their privacy and the convenience of an automobile. There are no schedules to keep track of. A person can come and go from a destination at their own free will. They also have the ability to travel and see scenery that people are limited to on public transportation.The automobile's efficiency, style, and performance have changed over the years, but there is one thing that has not change that they are reliable. Americans love owning cars and driving cars because they don’t have to wait for buses, and trains. In today’s society there are many ways to get around but a car is more reliable than riding public transportation or walking. Public transportation have set times that they are available also, they are not reliable.I use to ride public transportation and it made me late several times for different appointments and jobs, and I have lost jobs due to riding the bus. Cars are reliable because you don’t have to wait for the car to come get you. Americans love owning cars in the winter, so they don’t have to wait in the cold for the bus or the train. When a train or bus breaks down it takes several hours for them to be repaired. When a car breaks down you can rent another car until your car gets repaired, this is a benefit to owning a car.

“Broken home”: what is it and what are its consequences

Relationships between parents and children have always been a significant topic to discuss and a serious matter to think about. In fact, they are the essence of the family life and the basis of children’s formation as a personality. It is important to pay attention to these relationships because they are usually tensed and strained. When a child is grown up in a family where he/she feels indifference and coldness he/she will take such vision of mutual relationships into his/her own adult life. Love and care of the family members have a crucial impact on the child’s psychical development.â€Å"In the English language, â€Å"broken home† refers to the family where the bonds between mother, father and children have turned sour or ruptured; individuals are weakened or uprooted as a result† (Fend â€Å"Broken Home†). This term is used to note a family in which love, care, and understanding are absent. Every family member is a victim. Nobody wants to blam e him-/herself, nobody cares about other person’s feelings, and nobody wants to suffer. Parents are quarrelling among themselves and as a result have no time for their kids.Sometimes it can be even worst – parents blame their children in all problems. No doubt, such a family cannot be useful for a society as it cannot be useful even for its own members. In the â€Å"broken home† family relationships are broken. For a child life in such a home is a nightmare. As we all well know, every child needs love and attention. Without these elements child will suffer emotionally, thus he/she won’t develop as a well-balanced personality. Moreover, child in such a family will always be between his/her fighting parents.The kid loves both parents equally and wants them to leave in mutual love and respect. When the child sees his/her parents quarreling, he/she may think that he/she is the reason of their disagreement. This awareness makes the kid’s life more compl icated. The famous Papa Roach’s song reflects the child’s feelings and emotions which he/she experiences while leaving in such family. The kid begins to blame his-/herself in all parents’ problems: Broken home†¦ all alone I can't seem to fight these feelings . . . . . . . . . .. . . And my wounds are not healing I'm stuck in between my parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . I know my mother loves me, but does my father even care If I'm sad or angry you were never ever there . . . . . . . . . . . . . What’s wrong with me (1-2, 4-5, 13-14, 20) That’s why parents should pay due attention to their mutual relationships, as well as to the relationships with their kids. Life in a â€Å"broken home† negatively influences kid’s growth. â€Å"Broken home† is a serious problem families must deal with.Such type of family is characterized by constant cry, fear, and tears. On the contrary, well-being family is characterized by love, care, an d joy. The parents’ divine duty is to make their home a desirable place for leaving, a place where their children will always want to go to. All that is needed to make a kid happy is just a sincere hug, a word of support, a smile, and a tolerance. Parents should try to be patient with each other and not to quarrel about trivial things. And even if they do quarrel, they should make sure their kids are not witnessing this.Every problem can be solved if there is a mutual desire, even the problem of a â€Å"broken home†. Why are so many people unhappy? Why do they perceive mutual relationships as a constant mortification and pain? The answer is simple: they were grown up in â€Å"broken homes†. Our task is to ensure joyful and happy life for kids and to eradicate the phrase â€Å"broken home† from our language. Works Cited Fend, Peter. Broken Home. 1 July 2004. < http://old. thing. net/ttreview/mayrev97. 03. html>. Roach, Papa. Broken Home. 1 July 2004. .

Power, Authority and Force are Distinct Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Power, Authority and Force are Distinct - Essay Example Power, authority and force are three different aspects of an individual’s or society’s life. In a country, it is the government that is the sole authority and has the power to make decisions for the social welfare and wellbeing of the people. However, despite such power, the government cannot force or impose rules upon people if they do not wish to follow them and thus, there has to be some room left for liberal thinking or allowing the will of the people to persist. Power thus is the ability to get work done because of leadership skills; it is the capacity that a person may have in order to perform some work or carry out an action in an effective manner. Authority on the other hand is the supremacy or command that a person or a body has, to make decisions. Finally, force is the manner in which a person may impose upon another or coerce another in order to do something or carry out an action. In this manner, these three terms are distinct and will be discussed with vari ous examples during the course of this essay. (Merriam Webster Dictionary) All over the world, all the time, there are various examples of these three terms being combined and used in the same situation; where there is authority, there is power being wielded because only an authority on some matter has not only the full right but also the ability to exercise something; and sometimes, this exercising of power by an authority might turn out to be forceful upon a group of people that do not wish to follow it. Power is the ability to influence the outcome of events. It could be both correctly as well as incorrectly used and the incorrect use of power would lead to coercion or force upon people. Authority on the other hand is a very subjective term because it is bestowed upon people that seemingly do well in their respective fields; people who may be deemed fit in order to carry out a certain task. (Jovial Bard) For example, the president of the country is rightfully elected as the autho rity to carry out certain powers but they are not forced or imposed upon people. However, in some cases, like in countries where there are monarchs or countries like China that are completely republican in nature, the power wielded by the authority is forced upon the individuals and they have no choice but to follow the same. There are various views on this very subject; taking into account the reign of Saddam Hussein, the despotic leader, it may be understood that he assumed authority without commanding respect for the same. Thus, in the eyes of the rest of the world, especially the United States of America, he was deemed to be an illegitimate leader, who just assumed an authoritarian position. He had access to weapons of mass destruction which he threatened people all over the world with and thus this was an application of force on his part because of the high power that he held as the president of a country, as he imposed fear among the citizens and led them to a very terrifying and horrific way of life. (Bowen, D) Over the years, nonetheless, the power that the United States has over the rest of the world has been growing; especially because after the 9/11 attacks, the entire world held sympathy for the country and thus supported it with all their might. However, as the US has been

Management Communications with Technology Tools Research Paper

Management Communications with Technology Tools - Research Paper Example The supervisors may at times also be abusive; this may cause the subordinates to also act in an abusive manner, especially when they are not of the reason behind the supervisor’s abusive behavior. Therefore, there is a need to find the cause of the supervisor-subordinate problems as well as provide solutions so as to increase productivity.   The content of the paper will mainly be based on previous studies by various scholars who have researched on the issue with a view to provide a solution. Various authors and scholars have addressed supervisor-subordinate problems. Elangovan & Xle carried out a study which demonstrated that perceived power from supervisors was more robustly associated to an increase in motivation and a decrease in stress for subordinates with low self-esteem than for the ones with high self-esteem† (Elangovan & Xle, 1999). In an attempt to solve this problem, Herbert Blake came up with the DIRECT approach (Blake, 2004). In this approach, each letter has a meaning; D-Develop, meaning that supervisors should help their subordinates develop whatever is required of them in carrying out their duty. I-Involve, meaning that supervisors should involve their subordinates in decisions referring to them. ... meaning that supervisors should maintain positive communication with their subordinates and also, the subordinates should feel free to communicate with their supervisors. T-Trust, meaning that supervisors and subordinates should trust each other to ensure smooth running of the organization (Blake, 2004).According to Blake, the DIRECT approach would solve the problems in the communication between subordinates and supervisors if followed. Kutz and Kahn (1978) worked together in an attempt to provide a solution to the communication problem. The pair divided communication into five parts. The first part is job instructions, this where the supervisor gives an explanation on what is expected to be done by the subordinates. This promotes go od relations between supervisors and subordinates as it minimizes possible lack of fulfilling the requirements. The second part of communication is the information rationale; this is where the supervisor explains to the subordinate why a certain job should be done in a particular way. This promotes good understanding to the subordinate and leads to increased productivity in the organization. The third part of communication is procedures and practices; this is where the supervisor informs the subordinates the general manner in which jobs are accomplished within an organization. This promotes good working relations between the supervisors and subordinates and increases their productivity. The fourth part of communication according to Kutz and Kahn is feedback; this is where the supervisor gets back to the subordinates in relations with their performance in the organization. The feedback motivates the subordinates to keep on improving in doing their job and as a result improving the or ganization’s productivity.  Ã‚  

(CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) Assignment

(CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) - Assignment Example CATCH support appropriate decision-making regarding resource allocation, health care policy development, and strategy implementation leading to the further research of population heath issues (Staggers and Nelson, 2014). The CDC and the WHO have a common goal of promoting a healthy public and sharing data about chronic diseases and preventing them. The CDC is a central agency that conducts and support health promotion, prevention, and preparedness in America with the aim of improving overall public health. WHO strategically bases to check on the health of its 194 member states globally. Both CDC and WHO uses EHR Electronic health records in data processing for easy manipulation and storage of health data records. The CDC and WHO, recognize the importance of health IT therefore investing in the Public health information networks (PHIN) for perfect sharing of public health information (Jenkins, 2011). Employees can share information about chronic diseases including Ebola, through social media channels. The difference is that, the CDC deals with local data within the US while the WHO is an international body with CDC version to maintain public heath globally including 194 countries. WHO concentrates on annual recording of health-related issues for its 194 Member States. It focuses on the progress designed towards achieving the health-related Millennium development to the member states. WHO deals with the global development goals (MDGs) and related targets checking on the universal health coverage and civil registration coverage. The CDC is an American based center for disease control monitoring and preventing chronic disease and maintaining sound health within America states.CDC helps the American public health with statistics including diseases, pregnancies, births, and mortality. The standard research methods are literature searches, talking with people, focus groups, Personal

Occupational Health and Safety Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Occupational Health and Safety - Research Paper Example Confined space is a component of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007. The probable hazards associated with confined spaces include asphyxiation, loss of consciousness, injury, death, fire, and many more. According to Auburn University (2012), a Hot Work Permit is required where a temporary operation requires work involving open flames or producing heat and/or sparks. Welding and soldering are some examples of such work. According to Work Safe Victoria (2012), a job safety analysis (JSA) which brings together accepted safety and health principles and practices, and applies it to a particular task or operation. It indentifies each basic step of a job, and then addresses the most safest manner in which the job should be performed (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety 2008). A Safe Work Methods Statement (SWMS), is quite similar to a JSA. However, a SWMS is created for high risk construction work, as well as other work activities. These statements are to be provided, regardless of the cost of the project (Housing Industry Association 2004). According to the Best Practice Regulation Handbook (2010), a Regulation Impact Statements (RIS), is compulsory for all decisions made by the Australian Government and its agencies which will most likely affect the regulations on business or government activity, unless the impact is of a minor nature. 6) Review your workplace and list 15 or more hazards that you and or someone else would be exposed to on a regular basis. You are to also list the consequences of being exposed to such hazards and would they now become risks? The unit is quite narrow and small, and had various objects that tend to stick out, such as the hooks for the tongs and the cash registers drawer. This could lead to staff members getting hit by these objects, causing injury. We have a vault drop box, in which we bank our takings daily. In order to bank we need to deposit in a small compartment in the top drawer which then

UNIT 4 seminar Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

UNIT 4 seminar - Research Paper Example Process evaluation comprises of assessment activities integrated into the implementation of the program. The purpose of the process evaluation is to determine the potential success or failure of a certain program. It assesses the implementation of a given program (Royse, Thyer, & Padgett, 2010). It may require a detailed description of the program, constant monitoring as well as quality assurance check. On the other hand, outcome evaluation is carried out after the conclusion of the implementation program in a bid to determine whether the program really works. Moreover, outcome evaluation assesses the efficiency of the program on the target population. After a successful search for formative evaluation in the Kaplan Library, 8,648 appeared. This number was shocking because the scholarly articles yielded were too many. With such a high number of results, only a limited number of them are relevant. After the search of process evaluation in the same library, 1,182,652 results appeared (Smith, 2006). When outcome evaluation was searched on the Kaplan Library, the search yielded only 16 results. This number was also shocking because it showed that limited researches on this aspect has been done. When formulating objectives, experts have highlighted that they should be measurable and specific. Measurable objectives are subject to successful assessment or evaluation yielding results that determine whether they are effective (Kellaghan, Madaus, & Stufflebeam, 2000). On the other hand, specificity is critical in formulating objectives as it minimizes chances of confusing ideas. Evidently, the three types of evaluation are critical in the adoption of any program as they reflect the potential of any program in addressing the needs of the target

Direct Manipulation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Direct Manipulation - Research Paper Example This gives an all the more intriguing feel to the human-computer interaction. The usage of this interface is more common in the video game development field. Most Direct Manipulation interfaces are of graphical concepts and could be now and again is alluded to as Graphical User Interface (GUI). This is on account of its use of on-screen graphical representation of actions (Heeter, 1991). Direct Manipulation interface is commenced upon a significant arrangement of standards. Quintessentially, these are the ideological demonstrations of existence of a Direct Manipulation interface. These rules or principles are as follows. The concept of realism: Firstly, the instruments in the computer are visually inseparable and indistinguishable from the real life objects they are being used to depict. For example, this is applied by having a knife in video games represente a real knife in all aspects. a helicopter in video is similar to a real world helicopter in all aspects. Moreover, actions performed on the objects in game are similar to those that would be or could be performed on similar objects in actual life. To further explain, illustrations form video games shall be drawn to exemplify this; a mobile phone in the game serves the same purpose that which it serves in real world which is to enable communication, an armored carrying vehicle serves the same purpose as its purpose in real world which is it sole purpose being of military use. Furthermore, the association between the in-game objects and actions performed on them and the objects in real world and actions performed on them is maintained even on con ceptual level. This, for example is illustrated by the fact that in video games, a motorbike will be driven as it is driven normally in the real world. There are examples of programmers going to painstaking measures in order to depict the real world phenomena such as aurora, water reflection and fire

Operation managment (Exercises) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Operation managment (Exercises) - Essay Example Both the -charts and R-charts are used to determine whether the output of the process fall within a certain range. These measures may focus specific features such as the net weight of the product. Alternatively they may also analyze the process as a whole such as the average output (Heizer and Render). However, what these two charts often do not measure is the defect rate. For this reason, p-charts and c-charts are present to do such analysis. The difference between the two is that the former can be used to describe the proportion of the population which is defective (Reid and Sanders). On the other hand, c-charts are used to analyze the raw quantity of defects which occur. In the case presented, only the number of defects is readily available for analysis. It is therefore necessary to use c-charts in analyzing data. There can be two approaches to analyzing the said data. To view the process as a whole, the total daily defect count can be computed. Using the daily defect count, the mean may be obtained. Subsequently, the upper and lower control limits for the c-chart may be constructed and analyzed. Tables 1 and 2 present the daily defect data for the standard material and the super plastic material. These two control charts reveal some interesting features of the two processes. The process for manufacturing the standard material shows a stable operation. ... Knowing these quantities, the control charts shown in Figure 1 and 2 may be constructed. Figure 1. Control Chart for the Defects in the Standard Material Figure 2. Control Chart for the Defects in the New Material These two control charts reveal some interesting features of the two processes. The process for manufacturing the standard material shows a stable operation. The points in the control chart are centered on the mean value and fluctuate above and below the central tendency. Also, no spikes can be seen in the chart. It can therefore be said that the original process is in control. The second chart shows a trend quite similar to the original process. As with the first chart, there are no spikes above or below the control limits. Also, the data fluctuates as with any normal process. However, it should be noted that near the start of the production process, the points are generally below the control limit. As each successive day in the production process passes, the total number of defects appears to be increasing. In fact, at the second half of the data, the points tend to be above the mean. The control chart in Figure 2 therefore reveals a drift towards the upper control limit. While this process is currently in control, it may eventually shift above the upper control limit. It therefore warrants further investigation (Heizer and Render). To isolate the nature of the defect, it becomes helpful to analyze each type of defect. That is, a control chart may be constructed for each particular type. The said defect counts are shown in Tables 3 and 4. Table 3. Individual Defect Count for the Standard Material Standard Uneven Crack Scratch Bubbles Thickness Week

Darren Shan Biography Essay Example for Free

Darren Shan Biography Essay Although Shan always wanted to be a writer, it was only in his teenage years that he began writing in his spare time for fun (before that, he only wrote stories if they were for homework). He bought his first typewriter when he was 14, and never looked back, knocking out loads of short stories and comic scripts, and making false starts on several books, which he never completed. Shan was 17 when he finished his first novel. Although it was never published, he relished the writing experience, and found himself focusing more on novels in the coming years, leaving behind the short-story format. For the next several years, sandwiched between university and work, he wrote an average of one book a year, experimenting with different ideas, genres, lengths and styles. When he started writing full-time, his output shot up to 5 to 6 books per year! But that has dropped back to 2 to 3 recently, due to all the travelling around he’s been doing to promote sales of his books. All of these early books were adult-oriented. Although Shan quite liked the idea of writing a children’s book one day, he considered himself an adult writer first and foremost. In fact, Shan’s initial breakthrough was with an adult book, in 1999. In January 2000, his first children’s book, Cirque du Freak, which he’d written as a fun side-project, was published. The first book in a series titled The Saga of Darren Shan (or Cirque du Freak, as it’s known in America), it attracted rave reviews and an ever-growing army of fans hungry to learn more about vampires which were quite unlike any that anyone had ever seen before! Shan loved writing for children so much, that for the next several years he focused almost exclusively on his books for younger readers. First, he wrote a total of 12 books about vampires. He quickly followed up his vampiric saga with The Demonata, a series about demons. Running to ten books in total, The Demonata cemented Shan’s place in the UK as the Master Of Children’s Horror, and saw him score his first UK #1 bestseller. He also wrote a one-off short book, called Koyasan, for Wold Book Day in the UK. There was a very successful manga adaptation of Shan’s vampire series, drawn by the Japanese artist, Takahiro Arai. It was originally serialized in Japan, but collected volumes are now on sale in the USA, UK and other countries. The books have topped adult bestseller charts in Hungary, Japan and Taiwan. In total, Shan’s books have sold close to 15 million copies worldwide! The movie rights to Cirque Du Freak were bought by Universal, and the first movie (which combines elements from the first three books in the series) was released on October 23rd, 2009, starring newcomer Chris Massoglia as Darren Shan, along with a wide array of established stars such as Josh Hutcherson, John C Reilly, Salma Hayek, Willem Defoe and Ken Watanabe. The movie was called Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant.

Risk Management In Construction Contracts

Risk Management In Construction Contracts Risk management is vital when tendering for construction contracts. Risk is described by Atkinson (2001) as the probability of an occurrence of a hazard and the magnitude of the consequences. Consequently risk can be considered as the likelihood of an experience occurring and the resultant effect of that experience if it takes place. As defined by RICS (2009) risk management is a means of processes where risks are identified, analysed and managed. It is a constant cycle that begins at the pre-tender stage; this means that risk can be priced into the bid and continues after post contract stage. During the different phases of a project, new risks will emerge throughout the contract. Identifying in advance allows quicker mitigation; to reduce impact risk has on the project. This study has examined the inaccuracy of pre-tender risk management by using both pre-tender and post contract risk registers. As well as risks there were opportunities and these were also recognised in the processes of risk management. This subject area was chosen to be researched after discussion with line managers and work colleagues, during my 2010 placement year with Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM). This topic was considered as an ideal subject area for a research project because SRM were improving their risk management procedures. Therefore the plan of the study was to feedback findings, to further enhance the Tender risk management process. The line manager gave me risk registers for two different project types, and explained how SRM assess risk at all stages of a job. The emphasis being on highway construction, as this information was available from my placement and SRM. 1.2 Rationale The subject of what to research developed from consultations with colleagues and the line manager at SRM. The line manager was involved in risk management and was working to improve SRMs pre-tender risk process to make it replicate the post contract phase. This therefore illustrated a requirement in the business and indeed construction for research in to this topic area. The main reason for eventually electing the subject area of risk was the open access of information provided by SRM and the contact with knowledgeable personnel in my placement. This gave a better understanding of the processes currently used, which allowed me to gain a greater grasp of the subject area. Also access was gained during placement to potential data in the form of contract and tender risk registers from various Highway works undertaken by SRM. The aim, objectives and hypothesis came about from carrying out the literary research, it wasnt until that point that the information was collected, and a plan formulated of how to use it. The research aimed to understand how the pre-tender risk process may be inaccurate. After that considering how it could be improved and whether it was possible to do so. Subsequently, recording any conclusions of pre-tender process in order to develop and better it. 1.3 Aim, Objectives and Hypothesis 1.3.1 Aim To see whether the post contract risk process identifies significant additional risks that the pre-tender risk process failed to identify and thus determine how inaccurate the pre-tender risk process is. 1.3.2 Objectives Identify processes currently used to manage risks at post contract and pre tender stage in recognising and measuring risks. Analyse whether the key additional post contract risks identified were included at pre-tender stage. Compare SRMs risk management processes with other contractors and analyse to find the best solution. If possible, note any resulting conclusions and input results into the pre-tender risk process to produce a new accurate tender risk management. 1.3.3 Hypothesis The post contract risk process in Highway construction successfully identifies additional risks and as a result pre-tender appraisal is inaccurate. 1.4 Overview of work done / Methodology 1.4.1 Literature Review In order to understand the processes used to manage risk in the industry a literary review was embarked on. This meant the research would gain an appreciation of how risk is perceived by the industry, as prior to this my personal experience had only come from SRMs perspective and the processes they use. In order to gain real understanding and to funnel clearly on what my hypothesis stated, it was decided to split the literature review into two sections. One section, comprising of processes used by industry, taken from an assortment of books. The second section being that of SRMs highways process and accompanying documents. This makes it possible for an assessment to be conducted between SRM and the other contractors, so as to gain a better view of how Risk management at different stages of a contract work in Highway works. 1.4.2 SRM Projects The 3 SRM projects looked at were M1 J25-28, A19 upgrade (both Highways Agency) and M74 Glasgow council, they were all Highway maintenance contracts although they differ slightly. A19 was Term Maintenance Contract (TMC) whereas M1 J25-28 and M74 upgrade were (MAC) contracts. When examining the A19 upgrade the contract risk register was acquired but the tender risk register for this contract was not. However the contract risk register for this project was compared with a tender risk register from another contract. Not ideal but the only solution at the time. The majority of the risks are common and on most projects registers, so comparable/related risks were drawn from the tender register, and included in the A19 contract risk register. An evaluation was done involving the contract risk costs, and tender risks. This was done by incorporating the maximum, minimum, most likely costs and the probabilities from contract and tender appraisals. A total assessment for each risk occurred via averaging the maximum, minimum and most likely costs then multiplied by probability of risk occurrence. All risks types were identified, in order to distinguish trends in risks identified at pre-tender stage and found at post-contract stage or were not found at all. The M74 contract risk register was distinctive to M1 J25-28 and A19 upgrade registers as it didnt contain costs. Every risk was divided by its probability and impact, whether that was high, medium or low assessment. Having a pre-tender risk register for this project, meant risks were matched up with the contract risks. Assessing if each risk was covered was done by assigning costs and probabilities to every risk. To find the overall assessment, the probability and cost were multiplied. These costs were then evaluated against the overall pre-tender costs, as with the A19 upgrade. 1.4.3 Interviews Interviews via telephone were conducted with a few companies to really see what processes are used at post contract and pre-tender. Also to find out how precise these methods are. Companies interviewed were: Morgan EST. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney 1.5 Overview of main conclusions The data and analysis carried out imply there is data to sustain in part the hypothesis. This is due to a large number of risks being identified in contract stage that were not previously seen at pre-tender. Even though assessments for any one risk were fairly inaccurate, the overall assessments for pre-tender and post-contract stage were close. Showing that the pre-tender risk process is inaccurate and needed improving if assessments and risk management is to become more reliable. 1.6 Guide to the report Chapter by Chapter overview of report: 1 Introduction An opening on risk management in relation to the project and validates the basis for choosing the subject area. It also states the aims, objectives and hypothesis which the project is established upon, as well as outlining the work done and an overview of the Conclusions. 2 Methodology Explains the methods used to investigate my hypothesis, from Literature review, approaches used data collection, analysis and interpretation of results. This describes the reasons for using the methods chosen and any research boundaries/ limitations. 3 Literature Review This chapter contains my understanding and background reading for the subject area. This was done by, studying the risk process used in management. Allowing a greater comprehension of risk in Highways work, and how its viewed and used. 4 Results and Analysis Confirms the results of the research, and the subsequent analysis for the SRM projects and other contractors interviews. It outlines the assessment made concerning the pre-tender risk register and the post contract risk registers. From this it then cross-examines the data so as to be able to test the hypothesis. 6 Conclusions and Recommendations This analyses all the results in relation to the hypothesis and whether they support it or not. It details any limitations that affected the project, while also imparting proposals for both industry and any future dissertations. 2 Methodology 2.1 Introduction The methodology was vital to the accomplishments of research and was dealt with care in order for the most appropriate research methods to be chosen (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The methodology outcome depended on the subject area, research aims and amount of literature review obtained. For data collection and analysis, the methods employed ought to be realising the aims and objectives so as to continually test the hypothesis and validate the research. The information that was obtainable and available played a huge role, as work on the dissertation could not be done if the information wasnt relevant. The information therefore can be decided by the hypothesis, as if the information is not on hand then one cant trial the hypothesis. Due to these factors, risk management was identified as an appropriate topic from the beginning, but it wasnt until the research was started that defining the hypothesis was possible, yet having an impression of the aims and objectives that were to be accomplished. From the off, the aim was to gauge how precise pre-tender risk management was, even if unsure of the data and information existing prior to consulting SRM team. Ultimately this section highlights the research methods utilised in the research, and the close association that has been made when doing so between the methods and Aim, hypothesis and objectives. 2.2 Aim Employed to help concentrate the methodology in choosing the right methods, also to clarify to the person who reads the dissertation what precisely is being investigated. So this shall be done by recalling the Aim set out: To see whether the post contract risk process identifies key additional risks that the pre-tender risk process failed to identify and thus determine how inaccurate pre-tender risk process is. 2.3 Quantitative and Qualitative methods In Data collection there are two key styles; quantitative and qualitative forms of research. Quantitative being the collection of data measured with figures and analysed with statistical trials in order to to test the hypothesis (Creswell, 1994). While Qualitative research is quite different, it is a method that uses meanings, experiences and descriptions (Naoum, 2007). Quantitative research can be easier to examine as it creates measurable/quantified outcomes that can create analytical arithmetical results. While, qualitative information from research has a tendency to be complicated as it often requires researcher input and manipulation to ensure its appropriate for investigative procedures (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The research methods depend on the information obtainable and the aim of the research. In carrying out good piece of research, its generally required and essential to use both quantitative and qualitative. A combination of methods was used, to enable the correct and more reliable conclusions; more is detailed further in this section. 2.4 Literature Review A literature review was undertaken; to provide the core subject knowledge of risk management in construction. The idea was to comprehend how risk is analysed in the construction sector, and the procedures used in controlling it. Next research was done to discover how risk is managed, by using literature in form of books and journals. Then see SRMs risk management process from their risk management documentation. Dividing the literature review in two sections meant that one of the objectives could be fulfilled by comparing SRMs risk management approach with other construction companies. Overall the literature review gave a greater understanding of the chosen topic of risk, and illustrated the problems and successes in risk management. While also showing the diverse and numerous ways in managing risk, and how the approach identified and selected can depend on many factors such as project size, contract used and size of companies involved in the managing of the project. The list literature sources below were used in delivering the dissertation: Textbooks -were very useful in gaining the relevant knowledge of risk management, and procedures used. Books were found by searching Loughborough Universitys library database. Chapters needed or thought appropriate were studied, and compared against searches that had been made on the internet. A check system, which assessed the validity of both sources of information against each other. With much of the research it became apparent that information in books available werent current especially in the older series of books. Despite this it wasnt a predicament for Risk management as texts of up to ten years old were and are significant and applicable now, with some techniques having improved. The books allowed for great comparison for up to date information on the internet. Journals were again located on the Loughborough University library database, which with the relevant buzz words located material of use. Finding journals proved difficult in comparison to textbook numbers, yet the sources were helpful. Internet supplied a platform for research of literature. Being easy to use and handy, collating information could be done at speed and with relative ease. It allowed greater understanding of what type of book would be needed from the library. Information from the internet was important but it had its limits and it was vital to know that it can be inaccurate and cause misguidance, research can be more guaranteed with text and journals. This way of thinking about limitations in using the internet was in mind when searching websites on risk in the construction. Finding various helpful websites any information was compared other websites in order to increase reliability, but most importantly against book and journals. As with all research appropriate sources of reliability were identified and used like the RICS website. Two editorials from RICS site provided constructive, and were used in the literature review. In finding books the internet was most useful as many articles on websites h ighlighted book of particular relevance and use. SRMs Risk Management Procedures document SRMs risk management procedure document was used as section two of the literature review. Reading through the document and important information was used in the literature review, particularly, on the processes used by SRM in risk management. A comparison was made between SRMs procedures and with those found in the first half of the literature review. 2.5 Data Collection When actually collecting the data for the research the collection was again split into two parts. The initial data collection was from SRM projects, other data collection was associated to other contractors. The intention was to compare the risk procedures, and attempt at analysing which was the superior one. The next section shows how all the data collection was collected and prepared. 2.5.1 SRM Projects The data for SRM projects was collected during a placement year, when working in the relevant packages and job roles. Prior to any data collection, discussions with line managers and seniors took place in order to help formulate and aid the research as what would be required in terms of data. At this stage no hypothesis had been decided, the idea was to assess the accuracy of pre-tender risk assessments. It was therefore recommended that the applicable information in the form pre-tender and post contract risk registers could be provided. The contracts that would be made available were the M1 J25-28 scheme, A19 upgrade and M74 Glasgow project. Three similar Motorway/road maintenance projects that differ from each other contractually. A19 upgrade is a TMC to maintain, operate a network of strategic roads in the North East. M1 J25-28 and M74 are both MAC contracts for similar maintenance one in the midlands and the latter in Glasgow. A19 upgrade and M1 J25-28 are HA run, while M74 is for the Glasgow city council. The HA run their contracts by splitting their contracts into 13 sections in the UK, and in these projects cases offer for the extension and maintenance of the roads within these sections. The reason that A19 upgrade was a TMC but M1 J25-28 and M74 MAC contracts is previous to the MAC HA projects were also run with the TMC contract, but now all is done under MAC style. The contracts run for 5 years with optional extensions. Different sections of maintenance start and end at different areas on the motorway in question over a 5 year cycle, meaning that when MAC contracts were first used, some sections werent using them and using TMC etc A19 upgrade was a TMCs completed in 2009, whereas M1 J25-28 scheme was a mew MAC contracts just seeing completion in late 2010. The difference in TMCs and MAC contracts is TMCs two separate companies, one as managing agent the other as main contractor. MAC contracts are one company, who runs as both the contractor and managing agent. Using the three contracts as the basis for the research the risk manager on the placement at SRM started off by providing a tender risk register for the M1 J25-28 and A19 contract, projects he had involvement on. Trying to find tender risk registers for M74 was problematic but couldnt find any. In order to have a full complete analysis, it was decided that for M74 to use another MAC contract tender risk register. This was exactly the same as M74 except the location geographically. For sure this would create limitations but it was decided, it would possible to use the risk register as SRM tend to re-use the risk register from preceding bids for specific contracts. So similarities would be high and that as long as it was noted in the dissertation as to its use and reasons why. Due to the generic nature of the risks they were deemed suitable as with what SRM do in practice. While on placement working on the M1 J25-28 contract meant developing contacts with people in the relevant field of risk management. Therefore requesting the use of the risk register on M1 job was easier than the other projects. The A19 contract risk register was also obtained contracts at work so. Finally also getting the M74 contract risk register, because although never having worked on this contract the line manager on my placement gave contact details of relevant personnel to enquire with and the registers were duly emailed. 2.5.2 Other Contractors Obtaining data via contractors in the sector of road maintenance was much more difficult than from SRM sources, as they were very protective of information they gave out. All the projects obtained so far from SRM contracts were Highways related, so the focus was on trying to collect data from Highway contractors. By doing this it would allow for a honest comparison between SRM and other contractors. Processes to manage risk are expected to be similar involving different construction projects; the data was likely to be different. The plan was to send questionnaires to the chosen contractors, but after unsuccessful returns it became apparent that another route would be needed, so interviews via telephone were deemed suitable. It seemed with written questionnaires, companies were more likely to ignore them, whereas on the phone they would respond to the questions asked immediately, with no real confusion of what the question was asking as myself in person could explain. The Highway contractors contacted were: Morgan est. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney A semi-structured set of questions was planned in order to gain the information required but also allowed telephone participant to elaborate and discuss the subject in a friendly professional manner. Contractors in Highways works were contacted, the dissertation of Risk Management was explained with the aims and objectives that needed to be achieved and the following questions were asked: Do you have a pre-tender risk management method? How do you detect risks in the pre-tender phase? How do you calculate risks to arrive at a total risk pot? Do you undertake risk management post-contract phase? Could I obtain a pre-tender risk analysis and post contract risk analysis for my research use (for the Highways project you are on)? To each conversation it was explained that my aim was; compare the risks types at tender stage with contract stage as well as assessments made. The questions were supposed to identify the processes companies used in managing risks. Overall the different companies were helpful in answering these questions. The Fifth and final question was done to get registers like that gained from SRM. It was the only difficult part as many refused to hand registers over from live projects due to the sensitivity of their data and company policies. However some registers were received but didnt really contain the crucial information required just a formatted company risk register. Throughout the interviews, notes were made on the first four questions and the results put into a table at the time of the interview showing the company and their response to each question. Thus, making analysis easier when looking at the responses later in the dissertation. 2.6 Data Analysis Prior to data analysis, the research had assessed how SRM price risks because of the literature review and looking at the risk registers. It was crucial to identify this before undertaking the data analysis as it established what type of analysis would be carried out, and therefore detailed below. Upon formulating the risks that have been identified each risk will be categorised with minimum, maximum, most likely value and probability. Done for all of the risks, the information is put into a piece of simulation software called @ RISK which does hundreds to thousands of simulations, and creates a graph with a bell-shaped curve. The 75th percentile is put in the bid as the risk potential. SRM do this for all of their projects. For this dissertation we were concerned in the risks were identified and the individual costing of each risk as shown in paragraph above with min, max etc. The focal point being what was keyed in to @ RISK as opposed to what it produces. For the Data analysis the SRM contracts have been split into their individual projects and the Other Highway contractors. The reason for splitting the SRMs projects is that the analysis varied in parts by way it had been collected as mentioned earlier (some with full risk registers some in part). 2.6.1 M1 J25-28s scheme and M74 Glasgow Analysis for M1 and M74 projects were pretty much the same. The M1 contract and tender risk register could be compared with the contract and tender risk register for the M74 contract, due to them both being Macs. To evaluate the accuracy of the risk assessments, comparable risks to the contract register, were removed from the tender register, put against the matching risk in the contract register. When comparing values in matching risks, it was vital to have a total cost for risks in both the contract and pre-tender register. The best and most impartial way to do this for the pre-tender risk register was to take the average from the maximum, minimum and most likely figures and multiply the probability. The maximum, minimum and most likely values are the range of potential expenses that could be incurred by the risk, and any total cost was decided to be an average of these, as all projects had them. As its unknown as to its actually occurrence the average should be multiplied by the probability, which gives a total potential cost to the risk. While the contract risk registers should be considered by severity and possibility by scale of 1-5, and then an assessment of the risk is undertaken, figuring out the minimum, maximum and most likely values of each risk. Mitigation measures are identified for each risk, and then assessment is done again as before the mitigation. The M74 contract risk register did not have minimum cost of the risks, so all risks were assumed to be zero. Without any minimum values any overall assessments of the risk would not have been made. The reason for not using the likely value instead was so the data would use a range of values. It was decided greater accuracy would be found in setting the minimum as zero and range of values than the most likely. By setting all its risks as zero means they are an unimportant minimum value or a risk/event that doesnt happen. The M1 contract register had all the necessary values so no intervention was needed. Both contract risk registers failed to show any probability, just a likelihood scale from 1-5. Therefore it was assumed, giving the scale a percentage as would normally be done: 1 10% 2 30% 3 50% 4 70% 5 90% These percentages were used because they provided a suitable range, as risks with low likelihoods (1) are unlikely to occur but not impossible so 10% seemed a reasonable percentage. Similarly 90% seemed a reasonable percentage for high likelihoods (5) as they are likely to occur but not certain. The other values were then evenly distributed between 10% and 90%. Having made these assumptions the overall assessment for contract risks was made in the same way as the tender risks, finding the average of the maximum, minimum and most likely and multiplying this by the probability. Where the same tender risk was identified as being applicable to more than one contract risk the overall assessment was divided by the number of contract risks it was applicable to. This was because when these values were totalled there would be double counting of these tender risks if this was not done. To show this information a table was created showing; a list of contract risks, the corresponding tender risks, raw data inputted into the risk registers, and the overall assessments. I then split the contract risks into one of the following categories: Not identified but covered (No cost). Not identified and not covered should be identified. Not identified cannot be identified. Identified and covered. Identified but not covered. Each risk was grouped by colour to state which category from above it fell in. 2.6.2 A19 upgrade The analysis for the A19 contract was started off in the same way as had been done for the M1 J25-28 and M74 contracts, going through the contract risk register and identifying any similar risks from the tender risk register. The assessments for the overall cost for the tender risks were made in exactly the same way, by taking the average of the maximum, minimum and most likely values and multiplying this by the probability. This was because the tender risk registers were in exactly the same format. However the differences came when the assessments of the overall cost for the contract risks were made. This was because for this project, the contract risk register assessed the risks in a different way to the Area 6 and Area 13 contract risk registers. This difference was that there were no costs in the A19 risk register. Instead the risks identified at contract stage were assessed in terms of likelihood and impact on a scale of high, medium and low. This meant that assessing the overall cost for the contract risks were harder because there was no costs given. Therefore the only way to assess the overall cost of the risk was to give the risk a cost and a probability based on whether it was high, medium or low and then multiply these two figures together. This means that deciding what costs and probabilities to assign to each level of risk was important, as the overall assessment was dependent upon these assumptions. In terms of what costs to give for each level of impact, the risk matrix that SRM use for prioritising risks was referred to. They assess the impact and probability of each risk using a 1-5 scale and they give the parameters for impact as being: 1 under  £1,000 2  £1,000  £10,000 3  £10,000  £100,000 4  £100,000  £1,000,000 5 Over  £1,000,000 As this was a 1-5 scale and the risks and the contract risks were only divided into high medium and low, the figures for 1 and 5 was as too extreme both ways. For low risks I decided to take the high point of a risk impact of 2 ( £10,000) and for high risks I took the low point of a risk impact of 4 ( £100,000). For medium risks I took the midpoint between these two values ( £55,000). Using these figures seemed reasonable based upon this scale, as it created enough of a range without a too big range. For the probabilities, the likelihood scale they use was based on descriptions rather than probabilities. From knowledge in research the probabilities for low were set at 10%, medium risks 50% and high risks 90%. These percentages were used because they provided a suitable range, as risks with low likelihoods are unlikely to occur but not impossible, so 10% seemed a reasonable percentage. Similarly 90% seemed a reasonable percentage for high risks, as they are likely to occur but not certain. For medium risks the midpoint between these two percentages (50%) was used, because they are possible to occur. The cost was then multiplied by the probability to give an overall value for each risk. Following this, the rest of my analysis was exactly the same as the M1 J25-28 and M74 contracts 2.6.3 Further Analysis Explanation This section so far details how the risk registers were compared, which was the first step in terms of analysing the data, and these tables are included in the appendices at the end of this dissertation. However on there own, these tables did not give sufficient information to be able to test my hypothesis. Firstly, to interrogate how accurate the identification of the risks was, the risks that were identified, and were not identified and not commercially covered, were filtered out, and lists were made of these risks. As this was done, each risk was put into a category to see if there were particular categories that are, and are not identified at tender stage. To analyse this, tables were created for risks identified and not identified, detailing the categories of risks, and the number of risks in each category. From these tables, two pie charts were drawn to show this information graphically. To analyse the assessment of the risks, a summary table was firstly drawn to show the number of contract risks in the following categories, and the total assessments relating to these risks: Not identified but covered (No cost). Not identified and not covered should be identified. Not identified cannot be identified. Identified and covered.

The Life and Political Achievements of Sir Wilfrid Laurier of Canada :: Biography Biographies Essays

The Life and Political Achievements of Sir Wilfrid Laurier of Canada Laurier gained great achievement over his political years because he represented Canada as a whole. His family first came to Canada dating back to the time of New France and the early Montreal years. Laurier's father, a government surveyor and a genial, settled down in Canada and got married to Marcelle Martineau. Wildfrid was their first child who was born on November 20, 1841. Seven years later a tragedy struck the Laurier family when Wildfrid's mother died. Since his mother died when Wildfrid was only seven, his father wanted to give him the best education possible. His father knew if he were to succeed in Canada he would have to learn the english language and ways. When Wilfrid was ten years old he got sent to an Anglo-Protestant family who were Scottish immigrants. Here he learned the english language and the Protestant faith. Later on in his life he recalled "how I fought with the Scotch boys and made schoolboy love to the Scotch girls, with more success in the latter than in the former." Remembering the past Laurier would carefully develop the politics of reconciliation rather than conflict. In the year 1854 the young lad went to college, De L'assomption. In his studies he took subjects such as Latin, Latin classics, pre- revolutionary French literature, Greek, English and some philosophy. The education which Laurier got from this school was to prepare him for priesthood but he decided to study law in Montreal at McGill University. At the University Laurier was very hard working and serious to try to accomplish his first major goal which was to become a lawyer. In 1864 Laurier had graduated at the top of his class and was chosen to give the valedictory address. Some of the things he said in his address were how a lawyer bore heavy responsibilities. A lawyer had to maintain liberty and justice; a lawyer had to defend the individual, especially the weak from bold to strong, and that sometimes included the state and church. Differences of language, religion or history paled in comparison to lawyer's obligation to seek justice and freedom." Laurier started his law career in a small law firm in Montreal but due to bad health he moved to a small town in Quebec called Victoriaville where he carried out practising law and became involved with the newspaper in

From Unilineal Cultural Evolution to Functionalism Essay examples -- e

From Unilineal Cultural Evolution to Functionalism Several anthropological theories emerged during the early twentieth century. Arguably, the most important of these was Functionalism. Bronislaw Malinowski was a prominent anthropologist in Britain during that time and had great influence on the development of this theory. Malinowski suggested that individuals have certain physiological needs and that cultures develop to meet those needs. Malinowski saw those needs as being nutrition, reproduction, shelter, and protection from enemies. He also proposed that there were other basic, culturally derived needs and he saw these as being economics, social control, education, and political organization Malinowski proposed that the culture of any people could be explained by the functions it performed. The functions of a culture were performed to meet the basic physiological and culturally derived needs of its individual constituents. A. R. Radcliff-Brown was a contemporary of Malinowski’s in Britain who also belonged to the Functionalist school of thought. Radcliff-Brown differed from Malinowski quite markedly though, in his approach to Functionalism. Malinowski’s emphasis was on the individuals within a culture and how their needs shaped that culture. Radcliff-Brown thought individuals unimportant, in anthropological study. He thought that the various aspects of a culture existed to keep that culture in a stable and constant state. Radcliff-Brown focused attention on social structure. He suggested that a society is a system of relationships maintaining itself through cybernetic feedback, while institutions are orderly sets of relationships whose function is to maintain the society as a system. Goldschmidt (1996): 510 At the same time as the theory of Functionalism was developing in Britain; the theory of Culture and Personality was being developed in America. The study of culture and personality seeks to understand the growth and development of personal or social identity as it relates to the surrounding social environment. Barnouw (1963): 5. In other words, the personality or psychology of individuals can be studied and conclusions can be drawn about the Culture of those individuals. This school of thought owes much to Freud for its emphasis on psychology (personality) and to an aversion to the racist theories that were popular within A... ...ture’, and as he reveals elsewhere, his conception of a social structure concentrates on ‘the political institutions, the economic institutions, the kinship organization, and the ritual life. Carrithers (1992): 12-33. However, Carrithers thought that Radcliff-Brown â€Å"displayed an orientation to diversity which in important respects is fundamentally similar to Benedict’s†. Carrithers (1992): 12-33. They both ‘took the natural sciences as a model of knowledge’ and thought that such knowledge could be applied to a culture occurring any place or any time in history. Carrithers goes on to note that Benedict, representing the school of Culture and Personality and Radcliff-Brown representing the Functionalists had their work criticized, and built upon by later generations of anthropologists. Eric Wolf’s criticisms of the functionalist approach can be seen as building upon the body of knowledge accumulated up to that time. References Anthropology 103 Text. 2000. Unpublished: University of Otago, Dunedin. Abbink, Jan & Hans Vermeulen eds. 1982 History and Culture: Essays on the Work of Eric R. Wolf. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis. Barnouw, Victor (1963) Culture and Personality.

Decision-Making Models Essay -- Decision-Making Model Analysis

Decision-Making Models General assumptions create the foundation of a person's reasoning. Imperfections with a supposition can create the opportunity for a skewed perspective in a person's reasoning process (Paul & Elder, 2002). The process of choosing one course of action over another is commonly known as decision making. Consciously or unconsciously, people make decisions on a daily basis founded on one or more of the various decision-making models (Sullivan, n.d.). This paper examines how I apply various decision-making models in the workplace to generate accurate workload estimations in my career. The Qualitative Choice Theory also known as analogous reasoning uses past experience to help an individual make decisions. A resolution is derived by looking at what has occurred historically and basing the decision on the expected outcome (Arsham, 1994). The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) methodology is a decision-making model that uses a mathematical formula established on realistic, pessimistic, and optimistic estimates to provide an accurate estimate of the most likely amount of time to complete a project (â€Å"Critical path analysis & pert charts,† n.d.). Building on the analogous methodology, the parametric decision-making model looks at one small piece of a project, estimates the amount of time required to complete the particular section of the project, and multiplies the smaller piece times the number of total pieces (International Society of Parametric Analysts, 1999). The Monte Carlo simulation is a technique that makes use of computer models to aid in making decisions in intricate circumstances (Grambow, n.d.). My duties at work often require that I provide estimations for the level of effort required for projects I am working on and I employ all three of the aforementioned decision-making methodologies. More often than not, I rely on the analogous model drawing on my experience as a subject matter expert to create time estimates for small projects. Drawing on more than 5 years of programming experience, I am able create realistic estimates of the level of effort required to complete a small project. I use this methodology when asked to estimate simple text changes to the user interface for Web pages I maintain. For example, a client has just requested a change to the welcome page of his Web site and has committed to provide text... ...Retrieved June 20, 2005, from The University of Baltimore Web site: http://home.ubalt.edu/ ntsbarsh/opre640/partXIII.htm Bassham, G., Irwin, W., Nardone, H., & Wallace, J.M. (2002). Critical thinking [Electronic Version]. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Critical path analysis & pert charts. (n.d.). Retrieved June 21, 2005, from http://www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=4532 International Society of Parametric Analysts. (1999). Parametric estimating initiative (pei) parametric estimating handbook: Company developed models (chap. 4). Retrieved June 20, 2005, from http://www.ispa-cost.org/PEIWeb/ch4.htm Grambo, M. (n.d.). Monte carlo analysis. Retrieved June 22, 2005, from The University of Scranton Web site: http://academic.uofs.edu/ faculty/gramborw/tumonte.htm Paul, R. & Elder, L. (2002). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional and personal life [Electronic Version]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall. Sullivan, M. (n.d.). Problem solving, decision making and critical thinking. Retrieved June 20, 2005, from Villanova University Web site: http://www52.homepage.villanova.edu/maureen.sullivan/ coursematerial/L&M_Notes/ProblemSolving.htm

To what extent has the conservative party Essay

The conservative party accepts that a degree of state intervention to create more social justice can be justified. This may involve welfare, but also intervention in family situations, in education and through social services in general. There is a sense that we are responsible for the welfare of those less fortunate than ourselves. Thatcherism suggested that we are responsible for ourselves as long as we have the capability and that we should not rely on others or the state. Modern conservatives now accept that we do have mutual responsibilities. Thatcherism saw crime and disorder as a matter of personal responsibility. Though the modern party also believes in personal responsibility, it also accepts that some crime, mainly among the young, has social causes and will respond to intervention by the state and voluntary organisations. Thatcherites would have argued that environmental problems have a market solution based on technology. The current Conservative Party believes that these problems will not right themselves automatically and therefore need state intervention. Thatcherites were extremely traditional in their view of the constitution and political system. Modern conservatives now accept that constitutional reform is essential and that the political system needs a good deal of democratic renewal. Although tax cuts are part of the ‘Cameron agenda’ in the long run, the modern party accepts that tax cutting should not be part of a dogmatic ideology, but instead should only be undertaken when the economic conditions are favourable. In general Cameron’s Conservative party is more adaptable and pragmatic, whereas Thatcherism was a more fixed, dogma with fixed principles. There are, however, several points which could be seen as ways in which the modern Conservative Party retains some Thatcherite ideas Some Thatcherite ideas are that the party still accepts that free markets and competition are essential for successful wealth creation. The party still fundamentally believes that the private sector is a better producer than the public sector. There is still a suspicion of state power. Current  conservatives still believes the state should be curbed and that it interferes too much in personal lives and in business with too much taxation and too much regulation. Although modern conservatives support the pursuit of social justice, poverty reduction and the welfare state, there remains a general instinct that excessive welfare can be a disincentive to work and enterprise. It remains a monetarist party, believing that the state should intervene as little as possible in economic management, should restrict itself to responsible public finance and control of the money supply to combat inflation. The party remains antagonistic to the power of organised labour, seeing it as a barrier to economic innovation, competitiveness and growth. The party retains the euro-scepticisms of the Thatcherites, although its antagonism towards European integration is less marked than it used to be. Fundamentally the party still supports economic free markets in Europe, but not any loss of political sovereignty. In conclusion, the current conservative party has abandoned Thatcherism to a certain extent, as many opinions on issues such as welfare, crime and disorder and constitutional reform have changed since the days of Thatcher. On the other hand, There are still parallels that can be drawn between the conservative party today and Thatcherism, such as ideas of a small government with less economic responsibility, low taxation and a scepticism of Europe.

The Chinese Abacus – Short Essay

The Chinese Abacus The Chinese Abacus is a simple device for performing mathematical calculations. The Chinese Abacus also known as a â€Å"Suanpan† in Chinese. The Abacus was first mentioned by the mathematician Xu Yueh at the end of Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 A. D). The Abacus is a tool for calculating numbers, and was widely used in ancient times up to the invention of the modern mechanical and electronic calculators. The Abacus is similar to the modern calculator. It has a rectangular wooden frame with beads in the columns.There is a cross rod to divide beads into two parts, above the rod each bead represents quantities of five and as it moves right it goes up like 50, 500, 5000 and so on, while under the rod each bead represents quantities of one and goes up to 10, 100, 1000, and so on. The basic operations for which the abacus is helpful include arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The computational methods using an Abacus a re called abacus calculations. This device was created using wood and beads. You only count the beads that are in the center on the divider.The Abacus is still in use today by shopkeepers in Asia and â€Å"Chinatowns† in North America. The use of the abacus is still taught in Asian schools, and some few schools in America. Blind children are taught to use the Abacus. One particular use for the Abacus is teaching children simple mathematics and especially multiplication. The Abacus is also an excellent tool for teaching other base numbering systems since it easily adapts itself to any base. I made my Abacus by simply getting four wood planks and nailing them together to make a wooden frame.Then I got another wood plank and nailed in the middle to make the cross rod. I drilled 13 holes on the cross rod, the top, and bottom of the frame. I got a stick stuck it through the top of the frame, placed two beads in and stuck it through the cross rod, added five more beads then stuck t he stick through the bottom part of the frame thus making the first column. I continued this process 12 more times until I finished all of the 13 columns. After I was done I painted my frame purple and I was finished. A perfectly crafted Chinese Abacus made within one and a half hours. .

Nanophase Technologies

Observation I Strategic Implication I Cumulative losses since inception I Menopause will need additional financing to complete another year of operations. Its apparent that the company has experienced cumulative losses to the value of $34,754,188. As of Deck 2011, has $7. 4 million available in cash and investments. I Too many current development projects I Menopause does not have enough products or customers to generate revenue stream to support projects.This also resulted in lack of business focus. I Menopause employs too many team members I When a company is operating at a ass of $34 million, its not viable to be operating with 51 full time workers (1/3 having Masters degree implying higher annual salary) accruing excessive labor costs without a ROI. I Primary revenue stream coming from one customer I In 2001, Menopause obtained 75% of its revenue from one customer.Particularly through economic hardship, reliance upon one customer is a risk, potentially leading to immediate closur e if the customer were to go under. I Competitor profiling I Insufficient awareness of competitive market – affecting Monoplane's ability to moment effectively and forecast future challenges/opportunities I High revenue ; R;D costs I Cost of manufacturing and R;D costs are way too high considering product revenue generated.Investing further in assets that isn't selling, and having to pay storage fees, over and above cost of goods is not financially viable – resulting in company operating at a loss I Core Problem I How can Menopause Technology expect to generate a profit when they do not have enough money coming in to sustain day-to-day operations? I Recommended (SMART) Objectives I Recommended Strategies I 1 . Develop and present each of Monoplane's customer with 2 new promotional programs for next financial year.I Develop promotional programs for current customer base, incentives them to pre-purchase upfront. | 2. Increase sales by 50% in 2002 | Focus on sales team de velopment and implementation of strategic sales strategy. I Evaluation ; Justification of Strategies I 1 . Menopause has operated at a loss since inception and will not be able to continue operations without sourcing additional funds. As such, it is reliant upon instant cash flow drilled into the business to sustain current business operations, which can be acquired through uptake of promotional programs with current customers.Whilst this is not a long-term solution, it will provide a short-term solution to financially prop up the business. 2. Menopause hasn't achieved any significant growth in sales between 2000 and the first half of 2002. They need to focus sales strategy on closing deals, growing customer base and better servicing current customers. Need to beef up current sales team through sales training and development, incentives (and sales targets) and managerial support and mentoring to enable them to perform at a higher level and achieve sales targets. I

The Louisiana Purchase

Describe the events leading to the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803. Discuss the terms of the treaty and how Jefferson reconciled his strict interpretation of the Constitution with the acquisition of the territory. Before the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the entire Louisiana territory covered what is today known as the Midwest. The purchase of the land was a monumental step in the expansion of the United States. Thomas Jefferson became the 2nd president of the United States in 1800 and assumed control in 1801.He envisioned a society of independent farmers that were free from the restraints of industrial towns and the mobs of European cities (Brinkley p. 181). In 1763, France lost control of the Louisiana Territory to Great Britain. Under the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1800, France regained control of Louisiana in an acquisition that Napoleon Bonaparte hoped would become the heart of the great French empire in America (Brinkley p. 200). Napoleon envision a French empire that would control much of the trade and establish French dominance in the New World.All was not well within the French empire though; African slaves in San Domingo would revolt under the leadership of Toussaint L’Ouverture in the West Indies. Napoleon would have to send an army to restore order in the Indies. This revolt was but the start of the problems of Napoleon realizing his ambitions in America (Brinkley p. 200). Thomas Jefferson had begun to reconsider his association with France after he learned of the secret treaty in which France regained Louisiana.Jefferson had become even more alarmed in the fall of 1802 when he learned that the Spanish intendant who controlled the Louisiana Territory had announced a new regulation (Brinkley p. 200). American vessels had long used the Mississippi River as a supply route to get cargo to New Orleans in order to load ocean bound ships for export. The new regulation revealed by the Spanish forbade the use of the route effectively shuttin g down the lower Mississippi. Upon learning of the new regulation, Jefferson sent his French ambassador to negotiate the purchase of New Orleans (Brinkley p. 00). His ambassador, Robert Livingston, took it upon himself to try and purchase the majority of western Louisiana as well. While Livingston was trying to acquire Louisiana, Jefferson had persuaded Congress to appropriate funds to expand the army and the construction of a river fleet (Brinkley p. 200). Jefferson wanted to give the illusion that the US had partnered with the British if the problems with France were not resolved soon. Shortly afterward, Napoleon decided to accept the United States offer to purchase Louisiana.On April 30, 1803, James Monroe and Richard Livingston signed the agreement with France for the purchase. The United States purchased Louisiana from the French for $80,000,000 francs ($15mil US. ). The US also had to promise certain exclusive commercial privileges to France and to incorporate its residents in to the Union (Brinkley p. 201). The agreement stated that Louisiana would occupy the â€Å"same extent† as it had when France and Spain had controlled it (Brinkley p. 202).Thomas Jefferson was pleased with the acquisition of Louisiana but was unsure if he possessed the authority to accept the agreement terms. He was convinced by his advisors that with this treaty making power under the Constitution, that his acceptance of the agreement was justified. In 1803, the French assumed control of Louisiana from Spain and immediately transferred the rights to the territory to the United States. Louisiana was admitted into the Union as a recognized state in 1812. Brinkley p. 202) The purchase of Louisiana was a major step in the development of the Midwestern United States. Gaining control of the territory from France helped the United States regain the power to transport goods down the Mississippi River to get to the port of New Orleans. This was a big deal to the United States as New Orleans was the focal point of moving goods across the ocean for export.Bibliography †¢ Brinkley, A. (2007). American History: A Survey. Boston: McGraw Hill.

Work and energy Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Work and energy - Lab Report Example em corresponds to the net force that is the gravity, friction, and resistance through acting on the particle possessing kinetic energy either gained or lost by the prevailing particle. In a mechanical system, energy is neither generated nor devastated but is can be shifted from potential energy to the kinetic energy or from kinetic to potential. For an isolated system, there is the application of the Work-Energy Theorem states that any alteration in the total energy of a system occurs because of work. In case the system works on the outside the universe, then the W is positive, and the corresponding energy required executing work emanate from the system. Moreover, in case work done is done from the outside the system then W becomes negative and the energy of the system escalates. In case no work is done, the total energy of the underlying system does not alter. Taking a mass on the inclined plane and attached to the spring. The system gives two potential energies emanating from gravity and spring (Chen,pp.124-189). Concisely, the gravitational potential equivalent to the corresponding work demanded to the place the object at that height represented as PEg=mgh. Taking the height h, distance x and the angle ÃŽ ¸, gravitational potential becomes PEg= mgxsinÃŽ ¸ The underlying computer was booted in the bid to make the first set of the measurements. Motion Sensor’s phone plugs were connected to the Digital Channels 1 and 2. Yellow-branded (pulse) was filled into Digital Channel 1. Moreover, plug (echo) was also connected to the Digital Channel 2. The track was placed on the horizontal surface, and the lab jack was placed at one terminal track to the raise that ends. The end stop for the track ought to be placed at the higher end of the track so that the underlying magnets face away from the prevailing the track. The angle indicator was used to measure the incline angle of the track and recorded in the table. Motion Sensor was mounted at the low end of the track, and

Privacy Assesment and Training Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Privacy Assesment and Training - Research Paper Example The release of this data can be detrimental to the hospital privacy policy and possibly smudge its reputation. Moreover the safety of the patient can be compromised in result of this release when it is received by malicious individuals. In addition, how the information is reported is essential. Lastly it demonstrates the procedures followed in notification of any complaints. This policy governs of the entire hospital staff including the management, the physicians and nurses. a. Inappropriate use of a computer The hospital staff frequently utilizes the computers of the institution in an improper mode. Professionalism of the healthcare providers is tainted when loss of vital information is identified (Hubner, Costas &Pernul, 2007). Unwarranted use of computers entitled to shield the medical details of a patient can cause damage to it of inconvenience confidentiality (Castagna, 2009). Information inputted in the computer should have a medical basis. Procedures As a means of countering t his vice, it is necessary to adopt a centralized system management to enhance data security. This will ensure adequate management of sensitive patient information thus enabling accurate distribution of medical assessments specifically to victims. In the incident of any inconsistencies experienced when undertaking this task it should be addressed to the central manager (King, 2008). The central manager will then evaluate the situation extensively and carefully categorize how that quandary might have happened. Any intrusion or distortion of information of which he is authorized to protect will be viewed as a lapse of the security capacity of the hospital (Hubner, Costas &Pernul, 2007). His expansive knowledge in this field will ensure his expert solutions are applied to incidents of a dire nature. Secondly, to initiate this investigation he is expected to make a program that will be connected to a central point. This will enable him to scrutinize the activities that the hospital staff is entering in the computer system. Thirdly, the centralized system office should only accommodate hospital based software thus restricting further use of computers by staff to execute personal functions (Hubner, Costas &Pernul, 2007). This will isolate the use of the computer equipment to hospital functions thus promoting efficiency in the hospital operations. This hospital programs should be comprehensive in recording of patient data. Fourth, the top management of the hospital should conduct unprecedented surveys of the computer system to oversee if the abuse of the hospital computers has been mitigated. This will reassure the hospital of its efforts to mitigate the improper engagement of the hospitals facilities and enhance confidence in the centralized system capabilities. The fifth entails employment of employees who will discreetly monitor their colleague’s use of this computer system will surely improve responsible computing (Hubner, Costas &Pernul, 2007). These docto rs will be lieutenants of the top management which will take the prohibitive actions on the perpetrator. Lastly, the application of firewalls and passwords to limit the people accessing information of the patient is crucial. This will diminish the dissemination of information to unscrupulous persons who can have malicious motives towards the patient. Hospital professionals who are considered to be culprits should be addressed appropriately of the on the consequence of their

Children Overcoming Obesity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Children Overcoming Obesity - Essay Example What are some programs encouraging physical activities among children? B. Is providing sporting activities effective in treating childhood obesity? C. Is eating healthy foods the best solution to overcome obesity? D. Is cooking meals at home encourages children to eat healthy? Provision of programs focused towards promoting healthy eating lifestyle and providing physical activities that children will enjoy highlights overcoming obesity among children. What are some programs encouraging physical activities among children? One of the programs that may help improve the prevalence of obesity among children is incorporating physical education curriculum. Physical activities of 60 minutes a day is ideal for the body. However, more hours could be added depending on the body size of the child. In the study by DeRene and company (2008), they found out that incorporating physical activity in the curriculum which is done after school has decreased the skin folds of children who participated and even improved their distance in their walk- run test. Physical activities may include brisk walking around the oval of the school. This could be enjoyed by children since they could tell stories while walking without actually the thought of doing the exercise for the sake to reduce their weight. Jumping rope is another activity children could enjoy as a program. In China, jumping rope is one of the activities incorporated in their physical education. Chinese children group themselves together to have five members to jump ropes during their physical education period and recess time. Observations reveal that flexibility and physical fitness are not the only benefits of jumping rope but it is a form of enjoyment among kids too since giggling and laughing is a part of the activity. Other alternative is sports programs. How the sport is played, equipment to be used, and benefits of the sport should be explained to the participants though. Apart from this, schools should have their own s porting gym or playground. This would be another â€Å"come on† for them to enjoy the sport. Is providing exercise activities effective in treating childhood obesity? Studies confirm that physical exercises through sports are effective in preventing obesity in children. In 2008, a study by Weintraub and colleagues appeared in Arch Pediatr Adolesc Medicine wherein the authors revealed that children in the soccer group showed a significant improvement in their body mass. This might be attributed to the fact that exercises help reduce fats by building muscle mass. As the individual participates in exercises involving squats, lifts, and isometric presses, the fats stored in the body are used and muscles are strengthened. However, children who are already obese should take extra precaution to do the exercises gradually since they are prone to joints and muscles injuries. Is eating healthy foods the best solution to overcome obesity? Although obesity is caused by many factors, heal thy foods with exercises prove to be the most realistic solution for its prevalence. Healthy foods include more fruits and vegetables in the diet. This food group which is rich in minerals and vitamins are low in calories and even aide in burning unwanted fats in the body. In one study, authors found out that pomegranate consumption lowers body weight among mice because it decreases body fats (Vroegrijk, 2011). The

Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Report - Research Paper Example In discrete market segments the consumers have relatively little power and in a less discrete environment, the relationship leads to less consumer loyalty and greater consumer choice on account of greater mobility enjoyed by the consumers. Background The technological developments in telecommunications and media in the recent past have opened up new avenues for marketing of the products. The developments have also enhanced the awareness among the consumers about their rights, quality of the products, pricing pattern of the similar products, track record, servicing in respect of the products and host of other factors related to marketing. Therefore the changing business environment has necessitated revisiting of the strategies hitherto adopted by the companies in marketing of the products and services and streamlining their strategies in line with the developments in the industry for their survival. Upgrading of the products and processes is a continuous process keeping in tune with t he changes in technology and tastes and fashions of the consumers. Objectives This paper discusses consumer behavior with reference to an ongoing concern. An ongoing concern has to approach the issue from two angles, one in connection with the existing consumers and the other with the prospective consumers. Though there may be an element of overlapping, strategies vary for collection of information. The paper seeks to analyze the issues with regard to the existing and potential consumers. In the case of existing consumers, the information about them is already available with the company. The techniques such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM) would be useful for the management of these customers as well as the potential consumers. In the case of prospective customers, the information from the industry, community and other external sources will be required and the techniques such as market research would be useful for collecting information. In this connection a clear perspecti ve formed by the management with regard to Consumer psychology and Consumer behavior is essential. Consumer psychology Consumer  psychology  deals with the study of issues most relevant to the decisions taken by the people in purchasing a particular item, determining the value of a service and the influence of advertisements in the media in their decisions, especially when they are confronted with the new products or services, consequently interrelated to the consumer behavior. The entire gamut of consumer psychology encompasses marketing, advertising and social psychology apart from economics and cultural diversity or differences and extends to several other related areas such as product packaging as well. For example, Choi, Kwon & Lee (2007, p. 10) state that â€Å"mortality salience has an impact on materialistic consumption. People with a greater fear of becoming a terrorism victim showed a greater tendency for brand name consumption and compulsive consumption†. This is an extension of the application of Terror Management Theory to consumer behavior. Likewise, the opportunities afforded are endless and includes new uses for the existing products which may give rise to new ideas in marketing a product. The economic and social background of the consumers and the psychological interplay in this backdrop is very crucial in the product placement and positioning, considering the target consumers,

Marxism theory of the State Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marxism theory of the State - Essay Example For instance, Marxism has different impacts compared to pluralism and elitism. However, Marxism is still the preferred theory for governance in countries like Russia and China. Supporters of Marxism in Russia argue that it creates balance in the society compared to pluralism and elitism1. Marxists advocate for the institution of political and legal structures that create a classless society. Karl Marx and Engels devised the theory after conducting several studies on the dynamics that shape the society. The two philosophers formulated the theory at a time when governments were struggling with political, social and economic structures in the society. The theory was an alternative to leadership that was failing in the society. Marx recommended the theory because it provided solutions to challenges that faced pluralism, elitism and feudalism. Based on initial literature review processes, it appears that Marxism is the most convincing theory for governance. Marxism political system Marxis m is a theory that puts the society into classes based on their economic capabilities. According to the theory, everyone in the society has a fundamental role to play in enhancing stability of the state2. The theory is opposed to totalitarian rule when the state has autonomy in controlling the social political and economic aspects of peoples’ life. Marx argues that discomfort of the masses has the possibility of destabilizing the society. Therefore, Marx suggests that measures should be enacted to enhance understanding amid different classes of the society. In Marxism, the classes are based on the individual’s access to the means of production. People who have the capacity to manipulate the factors of production are at the top of the class. The second group is the middle class identified as those who control the factors of production, but lack sufficient control as the upper class. The last group is the lower classes who partake in the production but they receive fewer benefits from the process. Authority serves at the behest of the class that owns wealth in a classified society. According to the theory, instability in the society results from class struggle. This means that there can never be peace as long as a particular group of people is dissatisfied with the administration. A need arises for people in authority to formulate measures for creating a balance in society to prevent conflicts from arising3. According to Marx, a shift in power is likely to happen whenever a particular class feels that the authorities do not represent their interests. Marxist approach allows individuals to take control of the factors of production in the society4. The theory enhances stability in the society because it encourages individuals to produce wealth that can be used by the community. According to Marx and Engels, the theory makes it easy for the ruling class to maintain stability in the society by quelling any form of discomfort among the classes in the so ciety. According to theory, a State is the authority that takes control over the other classes. The State is responsible for controlling the factors of production. Politics play a significant role in influencing economic activities of the classes. Interestingly, the ruling class constitutes the minority in the populace in several instances. However, the ruling class is influential based on their economic capability. The ruling class thrives at the ignorance of the middle class who comprise the bulk of the population yet they lack the capacity to control the State. Given their numerical strength, they can overthrow the government at will but they are unsuccessful because

Modern scientific issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modern scientific issue - Essay Example What fascinates me most is where to draw the line between good technology that helps people and bad technology that harms people. One example of situations where cloning can help is when scientists take cells from an organ in the lab and grow tissue to help someone recover from damage to one of their organs. If tissue from their own body can be cloned, and then replaced in the body, then there is less likelihood of rejection. Genes can be cloned too, so that patients who are lacking particular genes or segments of genetic code could in some cases be helped with cloned genes. I do not see any moral problem with this kind of medical cloning. An example of where cloning could be a bad technology is where human embryo cells are used for experiments and then just simply destroyed. This does not show much respect for human life, and many people believe very strongly that experimentation on human embryos, even when they are only a few cells in size, is fundamentally wrong. Some scientists are happy to work with embryos created purely with the intention of providing cells to help another person, but other scientists think this is taking science a step too far, and acting like God, and they refuse to get involved in this type of work. There is also the fact that when scientists work on clones, there is a huge failure rate and many of the eggs are destined to die just as a normal part of the process, and this helps nobody. There is also a larger than usual amount of problems in later life with cloned organisms, and no one really knows how safe or unsafe it would be to have artificially cloned human beings. Identical twins are natural clones, which means they have exactly the same genes and chromosomes, and they appear to be quite normal but so far there has never been an artificially cloned human being, as far as anyone can tell. I believe that one day someone somewhere will do this, partly to prove it can be done, and partly to see what the resulting

Sexual Ethics Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sexual Ethics - Term Paper Example Nevertheless, the way a person expresses gender and sexuality may not be consistent with social prospects of a given gender. Gender communications may not always match or reflect socially arranged gender identity. According to Beasley (2005), ethical beliefs and conduct about sexuality are influenced and accustomed by various things. However, moral and ethical believes and conduct are molded and accustomed by the upbringing of an individual, social influence, exposure to religion, interaction with one another, and perceptions of the society in which people grow. The human race as a social creation will often tend to gather together in similar groupings that share the same ethical beliefs and conducts. This can be seen in individual families that may have distinct ethical believes that every family member is expected to exercise. However, regardless of the social influences we face, each person has an ultimate free will to decide on what is moral and ethical. There has been conflicting views on how to determine what is ethical, just, and moral. According to Sloop (2004), ethics is the logical attempt to comprehend the underlying basis of responsibility, and to express fitting codes of behavior or attitudes to the general life. Sexual ethics, commonly referred to as sexual morality, relates to a personal or community standard in regard to interpersonal relationships, which involves sex. There are those who hold the view that nothing is essentially wrong or right. On the contrary, others believe that sexual ethics should be evaluated in the context of each other’s culture practices and convictions. From another perspective, there are those who are of the idea that moral assessment is objectively true or false, meaning that everyone should act in harmony with the prevailing ethical customs (Beasley, 2005). In the Christian circles, sexual ethics has been a highly controversial issue. The Christian