Construction Business And Law Construction Management

Kingston University, Faculty of Science and Engineering Construction Management 2014-15 Jonathan Masudi k1224507 Construction Business and Law Module Code- CE5211 Mr David White February 6th 2015 Client Brief Mrs Jackson has recently moved to the UK and has plans to build a number of developments. My client intends to build high end luxury apartment in the area of Kensington. It will be accomplished by using a traditional procurement due to the fact that my client would like to have an influential say in the design and the construction. Mrs Jackson plans on building ten spacious serviced apartments. The idea is to renovate an existing building in the area and once the apartments are fit for purpose they will be†¦show more content†¦Advantages (RICS, 2015) There is familiarity among contractors and consultant there the roles and responsibilities are well understood. The client is in charge of the design team so there is direct reporting from them, and this warrants control is maintained. Priced Bills of Quantities provide a basis for variations to be priced at tendered rates. Disadvantages A fixed lump sum price is hardly ever achievable. A contractor may give a valuation to win the job instead of giving a price that correctly reflects the work to be carried out. This can encourage a claims culture if the submitted price was too low because of market forces. Construction Management (Towey, 2013) This service is provided by a construction management company that becomes a contractor for a project. The management company charges the client a lump sum fee for managing a project in addition to providing the projects preliminaries and acting as site consultant for the effective delivery of the scheme. In general the basis of the chargeable fee includes for: . Pre-construction advisory services for programming and accommodation planning. . Preliminaries for site staff and running cost. . Initiation of a collaborative information technology system, including staff training Mobilising and demobilising the site accommodation including maintenance and cleaning. .Fixed charges for mechanical plant, i.e. delivery,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Construction Project Management and Business Management925 Words   |  4 PagesConstruction Project Management and Business Management Over the past few years, the construction industry has been changing dramatically. One of the most important stages in the construction management and business management is the planning phase. They share similar two main levels of planning which are the strategic and operational planning. However, business management planning to decide in advance what should be done, and how to do it, when you do and you are done. On the other hand, ConstructionRead MoreConstruction Supervision And Construction Of Construction Essay1009 Words   |  5 PagesJiajun Wang 106945362 COEN 1400.040 Construction Supervision Role in Construction Projects Abstract: With the development of the city construction, the investment in construction is increasingly expanding. However, the construction is large-scale and the number of construction project still under construction is amazing. The projects quality problems have taken place on a national scale with some extent of the damage. In order to ensure the construction projects went well, it is necessary to strictlyRead More Choosing a Career Path1086 Words   |  5 PagesI want to pursue was always the hard part. When declaring my major, I had no idea that Michigan State had so many different options. My original major was pre-law, and then it was general management, now I’m leaning towards construction management. I watched â€Å"A Family That Preys† by Tyler Perry, and one of the characters was a construction manager. Like a child, watching this movie persuaded my decision to go into this field. I didn’t declare this as my first major because I was uneducated on t heRead MoreConstruction Management : Construction Of A Construction Manager1335 Words   |  6 PagesConstruction Management Title Construction Management Rogelio Ramirez School of Engineering and Sciences What is a Construction Manager? The roleRead MoreThe Waste Of The Uk1597 Words   |  7 Pageswaste management in England from 2000/01 to 2014/15, shows that some government strategies are working but more needs to be done. Introduction: The definition of waste is ‘ any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard ’ (UK. Department for Environment, Food and Rural, 2012). Unlike other EU countries having a large amount of waste such as Bulgaria, the UK has a comparatively less amount because practical strategies and policy for waste management were implementedRead MoreRisk Management Of Construction Contracting967 Words   |  4 PagesRISK MANAGEMENT IN CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTING Introduction Construction is a very compound, demanding and challenging process, where each construction project is unique in its own ways. Among other things, it is bound by many laws, codes, and regulations. Despite of the project’s uniqueness, recurrence of the activities can serve as a mainspring for the recollection of risks in order to consider project-specific and known risks more closely to monitor. Contracts A contract is a set of document or anRead MoreThe Restoration Of The Library Gardens Complex881 Words   |  4 Pagessince construction, meaning that dry rot would have been undetectable to nondestructive inspections, which has in turn led to the deaths of six students in the Berkley Balcony Collapse. This is a case of gross negligence, and may even be a case of manslaughter, and â€Å"prosecutors could bring charges against Segue [Construction] but also subcontractors, the developer, property owner, management company, and city of Berkley†(Source 2). Experts in construction, property management, and construction lawRead MoreResponsibilities Of People Assigned Specific Health And Safety Duties At Work842 Words   |  4 PagesEveryone included on a construction site has responsibilities for Health Safety however all are in different way but all very important so that the project runs smoothly. The Client There are two different Clients, Domestic or Commercial. A commercial client is any individual or organisation that carries out a construction project as part of a business. A domestic client is any individual who has construction work carried out on their home. Commercial clients have construction work carried out asRead MoreManaging Occupational Safety And Health Essay848 Words   |  4 Pagesthe United States, construction has always been one of the most dangerous industries to work in. The number of fatalities that occur in this industry year after year demonstrate this. In 2012, 19.6% of worker fatalities, in private industry, were in construction (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2013) despite the industry comprising only 6.8% of the total work force. This epidemic is not unique to the United States. Essentially every country faces similar problems regarding construction safety. For exampleRead MoreVietnam s Economic Growth On The Economy1320 Words   |  6 Pages2 4. Results: 4 5. Discussion: 4 6. Conclusion 5 7. References 5 â€Æ' Tasks: Outline Introduction: Guide using this manual. Chapter 1: Overview of construction field in Viet Nam and the situation of Coteccons company – leading construction company. 1.1 Overview of Viet Nam economy and construction field: Vietnam has changed from one of the poorest countries in the world to a lower middle-income country over three decades. Moreover, Vietnam has been becoming a â€Å"new dragon†

The Effects of School Uniform Free Essays

The Effects of School Uniforms Jeanell Greene Eng121: English composition Instructor Katie Surber April 8, 2012 There are issues that probe our schools on a daily basis. Many are very important such as student behavior and performance, lack of funding, and highly qualified staff, and some are just minor such as use of technology and extra-curricular activities. There are many that are debatable and require extensive dialogue and research. We will write a custom essay sample on The Effects of School Uniform or any similar topic only for you Order Now However, there are those educational issues that just need simple discussions to formulate manageable and workable solutions. One of the major and current issues is whether school age children should wear school uniforms or wear regular clothing. There are many parents and school officials who want our children to wear uniforms and there are also many parents who don’t want our children to wear them. Many people feel that the uniform issue plays a vital role in the educational development of children. They feel school uniforms have a major impact on the educational process of how children learn. It really does not matter whether the children wear uniforms or regular clothes. Children will not learn any differently with or without the school uniforms. The debates over school uniforms are very complicated and have many points of view coming from all directions including teachers, parents, and even students. In reality, school uniforms are becoming quite popular with society, but of course very unpopular with teens and younger children. However, that is to be expected. There are many pros to the use of school uniforms. A plus to school uniforms is that it makes students visible to school personnel, students, and members of the public. School officials will know, by the uniforms, who belong on campus and who do not. Moreover, when students are adorned in school uniforms it makes it easier to identify and recognize children in public in case of an emergency. Wearing school uniforms can give students a sense of belonging. Usually, students will feel a sense of acceptance because all of the students are wearing the same thing. Therefore, it reduces the chances of being taunted and/or being bullied. This also helps to build self-esteem and self-assurance. When children wear chool uniforms, parents do not have to worry about being able to purchase designer clothing or expensive brands. There are more advantages of wearing school uniforms. Many people consider that a child in uniform is likely to take school more serious and not play around as much. Many also think that wearing a uniform helps to maintain discipline in schools; it also decreases the amount of discipline problems. It is said that the lack of discipline co mes from home because the parents refuse to take on the discipline aspect of parenting. Students fighting at school are another challenge for educators. Some of these fights have a lot to do with fashionable clothing. Students who wear the prescribed dress code will tend to fight less because there is no longer the pressure of wanting or desiring the fashionable clothing that everyone else is wearing. There is also the struggle that some schools have with gangs who are identified by certain clothing, colors, and paraphernalia. If school uniforms are worn, this will probably ease some of the tensions related to gang violence. Distractions are another argument in the school uniform issue. By wearing school uniforms, the staff in schools will know that the appropriate clothing is being worn to school daily instead of fads that are considered outrageous, too revealing or displaying the wrong and/or inappropriate messages. Some students have turned school into an everyday fashion show. Therefore, taking the real and main focus off of learning and putting more attention and emphasis on what is being worn to school. School uniforms look nicer and make students look very professional. The woes of finding appropriate dress for school can be alleviated by wearing school uniforms. This will afford them more time and resources to concentrate on their school work. It also gives the students a chance to express their individuality in another more constructive and productive way. Although school uniforms are a good idea to some people, there are others who oppose it. One of the most common reasons why people oppose school uniforms is that it supposedly suppresses individuality. Some educators say that academic progress encourages a student’s pursuit for individual thought which is much more important than what he/she wears. By forcing students to wear school uniforms this inhibits creativity and self-expression. Some people say that making students conform to the school uniform denies the students the opportunity express them through what they wear. When the students are able to create their wardrobe it makes them feel the part of individual more and not feel forced to be a part of a group. It is also felt that students are going to reject rules regardless, and what would the purpose of making them wear a school uniform serve. Henceforth, by forcing students to wear uniforms will only aggravate their individuality and make them rebel by altering their school uniform. The students’ defiance of the school uniform will cause the students to choose an inappropriate size, length, and/or add color to try to individualize the uniform. This creates another problem for the teachers and school administrators. It is also believed that cliques, gangs, and groups will still be formed by the altering of the school uniform. Many feel that there is still no proof that the way our children dress for school will increase or decrease their ability to learn or curb violence in the school setting. Even if the school system does not require students to wear school uniforms, there is still a dress code that must be followed and if it is followed correctly there is no need for school uniforms. Most people feel that the school board should not spend time worrying about school uniforms or dress codes; they should focus on a better education for children and enforce mandates by local school district and state boards of education along with national disciplines. The problem is not what the children are wearing; it is what they are and are not learning in school and at home. It has been said that some of the best students are bad dressers. Therefore, proving that dressing doesn’t improve learning, only the individual improves learning. Buying school uniforms for most people is considered cheaper than purchasing the latest and hottest trendy items. However, there of others who say it is not because it depends on where and how many school uniforms are purchased. Also, school uniforms can get ruined as well as any other clothing; therefore, the school uniforms will still need replacing just like regular clothing. With that being said, many ask the question how is it really cheaper? They feel that children will keep the clothes that they want to wear in better condition than a school uniform because in reality they don’t want to wear the school uniform anyway. Therefore, this makes the cost of school uniforms higher than the cost of regular clothes. There are also those that consider the school uniform to be ugly, unflattering, plain and boring. They feel it takes away from the individual’s appearance and makes the students not have a good self-image of themselves. The education f children must always be at the forefront of any discussion of any mandates and laws passed which effect and affect the lives of students entrusted to the care of school districts. The stakeholders must examine every avenue and exhaust all resources to enhance the academic development of these students. The school uniform has been a hot topic of discussion among educators, parents, administrators, politi cians, and students for years. There are advantages and disadvantages of wearing the prescribed school uniform dress code. Many people feel differently about the school uniform issue and have voiced their opinion in a myriad of ways. The discussion must continue as the data continues to reveal the benefits of school uniforms. Some of the benefits have been witnessed in the school setting in which I am employed. I feel that school uniforms should be worn for the comfort of the individual who doesn’t have what others have, so that he/ she won’t feel left out or inadequate. I really think that wearing school uniforms has helped with the self-esteem of some children because many of them are more focused on their learning and spend less time worrying about being picked on or bullied about what they are wearing. How to cite The Effects of School Uniform, Essay examples

Structure - Operations and Strategies of Pfizer Australian

Question: Discuss about theStructure,Operations and Strategies of Pfizer Australian. Answer: Introduction Pfizer an Australian Pharmaceutical company specializing in the development and manufacture of medicines for both people and animals. These medicines come in a biologic and small molecule portfolio in medicines, vaccines, and nutritional products. The company has been in the pharmaceutical business for over a decade thus gaining substantial market power within Australia. Due to competition and influx of many firms in the field, the company has developed strategies aimed at limiting competition which have led to several challenges like court cases due to lowering of cholesterol products and use of atorvastatin product to the community. The company has developed as an industry leader promising new products that have the potential to meets the needs of the market and emerging diseases today. The company delivers commitment to patients, customers and shareholders through improving business daily (Pfizer 2016). Companys Structure Structures define the way a company arranges employees and jobs to enable the organization perform its functions so as to meets its goals. Larger organizations base their structures on formal structures that are based on establishing procedures on how responsibilities are assigned for various positions within the company. This means that the responsibilities of employees are defined by their responsibilities and the immediate person that they report to. Therefore company structure is based on positions and not individuals within the organization. These structures depend on various factors like work, size of the company or number of employees, revenue and the geographical dispersion of the facilities that a company has. These facilities define the range of businesses that a company engages in and define the level of diversification across the market (Grewal and Tansuhaj 2001, p. 11) Since the company has grown and increased in both size and complexity, there are many business areas that the company has invested in. The company changed its operational structure to a commercial operating structure that is based on business units. This is due to the continued changes in the company that have increased bureaucracy within the company. The need to remove hierarchies and bureaucracy which affects decision-making led to the adoption of the strategic business units within the organization. These units give accountability and decision-making to executive officers who are responsible for the decisions they make. Thus the company operates nine diverse global businesses in the field of healthcare, this, therefore means that each business unit will have its manager with clear accountability for results from the initial development of the product line to access by patients through the end of the product life (Nilsson and Rapp 1999, p,69). The company operates nine biopharmaceu tical businesses units that are managed by executive offices who report to four general managers who are in charge of a range of business units. These units are; Specialty Care and Vaccines Business unit, primary care unit, Oncology, established products, animal health, capsugel, consumer health, nutritional health, emerging markets. This type of structure has given the company the best way of managing all the business functions and areas that exist. The structure is the most preferred since it allows a company to be able to manage its business operations. This allows the units to be operated like separate companies being fully accountable for profits and losses (Allen, Becerik, Pollalis and Schwegler 2005, p. 309). Companys Leadership Style The company is led based on the principles of the classical school of management which describes a leadership style based on written rules and bureaucratic office holding based on trained individuals and proper skills that meets the defined job responsibilities of the task. This means that standards need to be set so as to be used in measuring actual performance of employees and a proper way of administration through hierarchical techniques. Modern companies are run based on either implementing a fully bureaucratic structure or one other form of leadership with a few bureaucratic ideas (Schmidt and Brauer 2006, p. 15). The company has a proper division of labor where employees are divided into departments based on their specialization. This enables the company to balance between power and responsibilities within the company. The company has nine departments that are run based on specialization of the individual based on their expertise. Through specialization, a chain of command based on hierarchy is established where an employee reports to the immediate boss within the department. Strategic business units within the company however, have minimised the hierarchy by enabling departments to make their own decisions that are reported to the top management. Complete and consistent rules are applied based on the skills, experience and age of employees. Each department and unit has specific requirements for employees that can work in it. These formal rules determine all the activities that are run in the company (IBIS World 2015, p.13). Employees are selected and promoted based on their qualifications; this ensures that only properly qualified individuals are allowed to occupy positions and offices. All employees are expected to draw a line between their own assets and organizational assets. This enables the employees to utilize available assets within the organization to meets the needs of the company. However, employee development is a key thing that enables the company to develop leaders who can take up leadership positions when the one s above have either retired or turned over. Standards for employee assessment are set and at the same time having procedures for corrective action in case of mistakes within the company (Northouse 2007, p. 12). However, the leadership style delays decision-making within the company since final decisions have to be made by the top executives. Accountability and responsibility in decision-making has led to the need for unit heads to take responsibility in decision-making. Further, this leadership style does not give room for development of informal groups that are good developing group dynamics and improving team work. Since the company keeps on increasing its business activities and acquiring new markets, the need to adopt a less formalised structure will increase decision-making speed and improve efficiency within the company (Rowe 2007, p14). Companys Strategies within Australia and/or Overseas Markets Grant (2005, p.11) argues that companies take actions based on the resources to develop new products focussed on promotion. Pfizers product development strategy is aimed at continued considerable momentum of the company to develop new lines of business and acquire assets that can help the company enter into emerging markets. In 2016 the company has four major business strategies that need to be achieved; improving the performance of the innovation, maximizing value, earning greater respect from society and creating a culture of ownership. The innovation business line is the most important strategy that the company uses to stay in the market and mange completion. According to Calisha (206, p. 10) businesses have keep on developing new products that meet the changing needs of the market? Markets are not static and thus will keep on changing due to different needs that keep on developing. Innovations are developed through investment in research and development to exploiting of new opportunities within the market. Pfizer allocates the largest share of its resources to research and development to enable development of new unique products that can give the company strategic advantage. For each new product that the company develops, a license and patent rights are created to retain the uniqueness of the product to the company (Bennett 2010, p.11). The company has continuously maximised its value through taking advantage of the large business operations. The company can continue increasing its projects due to its enormous resources. Through continuous penetration into new markets and developing new products that are quickly absorbed into the market, the company can maximise its value by engaging in deep research and investing more resources in research and development. The company further invests in a focused sales force that can overcome competition within the industry. The sales forces are not based on competition and imitation y other companies but rather sales and professionals teams are recruited from the top professionals to develop a sales force that cannot be imitated by any other company. Further, the sales force is reconfigured every time through changing promotional responsibilities and territory alignments make it difficult for imitation (Mintzberg 1994, p21). Respect from the society is earned and developed through continuous maintenance and improvement of the reputation of the company with customers, communities and shareholders. The management works hard to ensure the company thrives well in business to give the shareholders greater benefit on their investment. The company has several products in the market that are not easily substituted. This is through developing generic products based on the subsidiary name Greenstone (Matthew Jonathan 2009, p.8). Creating a culture of ownership within the workforce has seen the company with the best human resources within Australia. The human resource is based on education, experience and collaborative skills. This has enabled the company develop personal intellectual strengths and diverse thinking that has led to the innovative forces behind the company. Today the company is developing new organizational structure that is based on developing a new culture based on seizing opportunities. This will be a key driver of competition to enable the company change and survive in the changing pharmaceutical pressures within the industry. Comments on Pfizer Structure and Strategies Today management and leadership styles have changed with many organizations moving away from traditional and classical structures to modern structures that are hierarchical with reduced decision-making time. Therefore Pfizer needs to reduce the bureaucracy within the company and adopt a less hierarchical structure that will have lower level managers at the sub unit level. This enables quick decision-making and innovations that can propel the company to higher levels. Employees need freedom to make decisions based on the level of responsibilities that they have. Reduced s Despite the dominance in the both the industry and market share, the pharmaceutical industry is undergoing many transformations that have led to the need for businesses to develop new strategies that will enable survival in the future. The strategies need to be aligned along expanding to new geographical areas, improving business operations and diversifying business activities to meets the needs of the growing number of patients. Pfizer can improve and expand its business market across other regions that have not been largely dominated by major players in the industry. Developed countries offer a greater market filed with aging populations, obesity, heart diseases cancer and diabetes. Therefore an investment in drugs that will meet the conditions of this population will give the company an increased market share and larger profits (Brews and Christopher 2004, p. 431). Pfizer has to increase research and development investments to meets the increasing needs of the company. Increased size, patent issues and price pressures from the market pose a major threat to the company. However, partnerships and acquisitions can be the best solution that will enable the company meets its overwhelming size. This will enable streamlining of processes within the company to enable effective spending and changing the work habits in the company (Slater, S.F., and Olson, E.M. (2001, p.1059). Further, the future business opportunities are unpredictable making many companies to identify major areas that they can specialize in. The need to grow the potential of the company can be achieved through acquiring smaller companies that are controlling segments within the market. This will offer competitive advantage that will enable the company to survive future competition. Conclusion The need to stay relevant in the market is the core business strategy of any firm, businesses challenges and market forces make companies to shrink or close down businesses due to increased losses. Therefore Pfizer can develop new products that are based on the emerging market trends. The health care industry offers greater opportunities due to disease like cancer and diabetes that cannot be controlled. This therefore offers health care industries the best opportunity to develop products that meets the needs of these increasing segments in the society. However, the company has also had negative effects and reactions from the larger public. Government regulations in Australia and international markets also keep changing, the company should therefore ensure that it meets the requirement and complies with patent issues that have been established within the market (Lawrence 2015, p.5). With increased research and development, partnerships and mergers, Pfizer has room for growth and susta inability that will enable the company to survive competition in the global market that is flooded with over five hundred firms within the sector. References Allen, R. K., Becerik, B., Pollalis, S. N., and Schwegler, B. R. 2005. Promise and Barriers to Technology Enabled and Open Project Team Collaborati. Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education Practice, 131(4), 301-311. Bennett, Simeon, July 8, 2010. Pfizer: Civil Suits for Drug Counterfeiters. Business Week. Brews, Peter J., and Christopher L. Tucci, 2004. Exploring the Structural Effects of networking. Strategic Management Journal 25, no. 5, 429452. Calisha Myers, 2016 October. Pfizer Announces Operating Structure and Select Senior Leadership Posts to Be Effective Immediately Upon Close of Wyeth Acquis. Latin America Conference, retrieved from Grant, R. Contemporary Strategy Analysis. (p.133). Blackwell Publishing: Malden, MA: 2005. Grewal,R.andTansuhaj,P., 2001. Building Organisational Capabilities for Managing Economic Crisis: The Role of Market Orientation and Strategic Flexibility, Journal of Marketing ,65,2,67à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 80. IBIS World 2015, Pfizer Australia Holdings Pty Limited - Profile Company Report Australia. Retrieved from https://www.ibisworld.com.au/enterprisefull/default.aspx?entid=12915. Lawrence Gregory, 2015 August. Pfizer Company Analysis: Market Share, Strengths, Risks. Business, Management . Pfizer Com. Retrieved from https://panmore.com/pfizer-company-analysis-overview. Matthew Karnitschnig, Jonathan D. Rockoff, 2009, January . Pfizer in Talks to Buy Wyeth. Wall Street Journal (Eastern Edition), p. A.1. Retrieved March 7, 2010, from Wall Street Journal. Mintzberg, Henry, 1994. The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning. Basic Books. Nilsson, F., and Rapp, B.,1999. Implementing Business Unit Strategies: The Role of Management Control Systems. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 15, 65-88. Northouse, G. ,2007. Leadership theory and practice. (3rd ed.) Thousand Oak, London, New Delhe, Sage Publications, Inc. Pfizer 2016, Leadership and Structure. Retrieved from https://www.pfizer.com/about/leadership_and_structure/leadership_structure Pfizer. Working Together for a Healthier World retrieved from https://www.pfizer.com.au/ Rowe, W. G. (2007). Cases in Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications . Schmidt, S.L., and Brauer, M., 2006. Strategic governance: How to assess Board Effectiveness in Guiding Strategy Execution. Strategic Governance, 14, 13-22. Slater, S.F., and Olson, E.M., 2001.Marketings Contribution to the Implementation of Business Strategy: An Empirical Analysis. Strategic Management Journal. 22, 1055-1067.

Is swimming life or is life swimming free essay sample

My parents have always joked I was a fish in my previous life and I don’t doubt them for one minute. This is because of my love of the water. It is no coincidence that my passion is a sport that revolves around the water, swimming. For the past 6 years I have been gliding back and forth across the water clearing my head of the day’s drama and getting excited for the main set. For the past 6 years I have poured my heart, soul, energy and determination into the pool. For the past 6 years I have been working day in and day out for my two minutes of pure bliss; behind the blocks at championships. However, the reward for my hard work is priceless. No words in the world can describe that feeling when you thunder into the wall for the finish and look up at the scoreboard to see you have achieved a best time. We will write a custom essay sample on Is swimming life or is life swimming? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Of course, swimming also gives back to you, it whispers subtle teachings from each stroke—butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle—and of course, no one can forget the officials. The most common stroke in swimming is freestyle. It is very basic and can be learned fairly quickly. However perfecting this stroke takes seasons and seasons of practice and is sometimes never even mastered by swimmers. Because freestyle is the simplest stroke, it also has the most variety. The catch in swimming freestyle is that you have to know how to pace yourself. There are sprint freestyle events, like the 50, 100 and 200 yard freestyle, there are middle distance events like the 500 yard freestyle and then there are the distance freestyle events like the 1000, 1500 and the mile. Each event within the freestyle category requires different race strategies and requires different pacing. Freestyle has taught me that there is more than one way to do things and to step back and assess the situation before I act or make any impulse decisions. I have made mistakes in freestyle events such as sprinting the first 500 of the mile or taking the 100 out too slow. Stepping back and really an alyzing the circumstances is really effective and may start off taking more time but ends up saving the most time because you make fewer mistakes. The second most popular stroke is backstroke. This stroke is more complex then freestyle and is swum on your back. In backstroke it is very important to keep your body in line with your head and to be fairly straight but not stiff. Backstroke also requires you to have fast arm rotation and a strong underwater pull. During my earlier swimming years I was a backstroker and I learned a lot from it such as perfect practice makes perfect. In order to succeed in the end, you have to be putting in good honest work, not â€Å"garbage yardage† or â€Å"busy work†. To cheat in practice only results in a poor end of season championship meet and all the work gone to waste. Another important lesson I learned from backstroke is to trust. Since you are swimming towards an unforgiving wall you have to trust your body and mind to know when to turn and that you won’t hit that wall. Backstroke has taught me to take a risk at times and just trust that my body or the people around m e won’t fail me. Breaststroke is the hardest stroke to nail hands down. The stroke is all about timing and knowing exactly at which moment to start your kick and throw you arms forward. The timing in breaststroke is often practiced using pacers. Pacers are bottle cap sized devices that provide a constant â€Å"tick tick tick tick† for the swimmer to use to know when to start the different parts of the stroke. This stroke has taught me time how important accuracy and time management are. I have learned to be efficient and manage my time so I can fit the rigorous demands of swimming into my academic and family filled schedule. The final stroke in swimming is butterfly. I look fondly upon this stroke because I am a butterflyer. Some say butterfly is the hardest of the 4 strokes. I beg to differ. I find fly to be amazingly powerful once you find the rhythm. The key in fly is not to lose technique. As a result you must have great endurance to keep swimming race pace and efficiently. Fly has taught me that things don’t come right away and that you have to work continuously towards a goal and not expect it to just appear at championships. My perseverance and earnest desire to excel in the stroke are the reasons why I placed 9th and 11th in the state in the 100 and 200 yard fly at championships this past March. Thanks to butterfly, I have learned that hard work pays off with determination and acceptance of the fact that rewards might not come as quickly as we’d like. Officials play a very important role in swimming. They are like the judges in a competition. They keep order and they make sure the sport is fair. Sometimes they make unfair calls and disqualify you for minor mistakes which can be devastating to your self esteem and psyche but overall they are fair. The judges have led me to be a stronger, more resilient person, capable of standing on my own two feet in the face of adversity. When I first started swimming back before I could walk, I never knew that I could learn so much from a sport that requires its athletes to swim seemingly mindlessly back and forth a 25 yard pool repetitively for two hours a day. I never expected the sport to emanate life lessons and character builders. Yet the lessons that have been taught by each stroke, the officials, and the overall sport have shaped the person I am and the person I will become. Whether it is pacing work, perfect practicing, time management, endurance training and maintaining a positive attitude despite my surroundings, I plan to use the teachings of swimming to aid me in leading a successful and fulfilling future.

Persepolis (Iran) - Darius the Greats Persian Empire

Persepolis (Iran) - Darius the Great's Persian Empire   Persepolis is the Greek name (meaning roughly City of the Persians) for the Persian Empire capital of Pà ¢rsa, sometimes spelled Parseh or Parse. Persepolis was the capital of the Achaemenid dynasty king Darius the Great, ruler of the Persian Empire between 522–486 B.C.E. The city was the most important of the Achaemenid Persian Empire cities, and its ruins are among the best known and most visited archaeological sites in the world. The Palace Complex Persepolis was built in a region of irregular terrain, on top of a large (455x300 meters, 900x1500 feet) man-made terrace. That terrace is located on the Marvdasht Plain at the foot of the Kuh-e Rahmat mountain, 50 kilometers (30 miles) northeast of the modern city of Shiraz and 80 km (50 mi) south of Cyrus the Greats capital, Pasargadae. Atop the terrace is the palace or citadel complex known as Takht-e Jamshid (The Throne of Jamshid), which was built by Darius the Great, and embellished by his son Xerxes and grandson Artaxerxes. The complex features 6.7 m (22 ft) wide double stairways, the pavilion called the Gate of All Nations, a columned porch, an imposing audience hall called Talar-e Apadana, and the Hall of a Hundred Columns. The Hall of a Hundred Columns (or Throne Hall) likely had bull-headed capitals and still has doorways decorated with stone reliefs. Construction projects at Persepolis continued throughout the Achaemenid period, with major projects from Darius, Xerxes, and Artaxerxes I and III. The Treasury The Treasury, a relatively unassuming mud-brick structure on the southeastern corner of the main terrace at Persepolis, has received much of the recent focus of archaeological and historical investigation: it was almost certainly the building which held the Persian Empires vast wealth, stolen by Alexander the Great in 330 B.C.E. Alexander used the reported 3,000 metric tons of gold, silver and other valuables to fund his conquering march towards Egypt. The Treasury, first built in 511–507 B.C.E., was surrounded on all four sides by streets and alleys. The main entrance was to the west, although Xerxes rebuilt the entrance on the north side. Its final form was a one-story rectangular building measuring 130X78 m (425x250 ft) with 100 rooms, halls, courtyards, and corridors. The doors were likely built of wood; the tiled floor received enough foot traffic to require several repairs. The roof was supported by more than 300 columns, some covered with mud plaster painted with a red, white and blue interlocking pattern. Archaeologists have found some remnants of the vast stores left behind by Alexander, including fragments of artifacts much older than the Achaemenid period. Objects left behind included clay labels, cylinder seals, stamp seals, and signet rings. One of the seals dates to the Jemdet Nasr period of Mesopotamia, some 2,700 years before the Treasury was built. Coins, glass, stone and metal vessels, metal weapons, and tools of different periods were also found. Sculpture left behind by Alexander included Greek and Egyptian objects, and votive objects with inscriptions dated from the Mesopotamian reigns of Sargon II, Esarhaddon, Ashurbanipal, and Nebuchadnezzar II. Textual Sources Historical sources on the city begin with cuneiform inscriptions on clay tablets found within the city itself. In the foundation of the fortification wall at the northeastern corner of the Persepolis terrace, a collection of cuneiform tablets were found where they had been used as fill. Called the fortification tablets, they record the disbursement from royal storehouses of food and other supplies. Dated between 509-494 BC, almost all of them are written in Elamite cuneiform although some have Aramaic glosses. A small subset that refers to dispensed in behalf of the king is known as the J Texts. Another, later set of tablets were found in the ruins of the Treasury. Dated from the late years of the reign of Darius through the early years of Artaxerxes (492–458 B.C.E.), the Treasury Tablets record payments to workers, in lieu of a part of or all of the total food ration of sheep, wine, or grain. The documents include both letters to the Treasurer demanding payment, and memoranda saying the person had been paid. Record payments were made to wage-earners of various occupations, up to 311 workers and 13 different occupations. The great Greek writers did not, perhaps surprisingly, write about Persepolis in its heyday, during which time it would have been a formidable opponent and the capital of the vast Persian Empire. Although scholars are not in agreement, it is possible that the aggressive power described by Plato as Atlantis is a reference to Persepolis. But, after Alexander had conquered the city, a wide array of Greek and Latin authors like Strabo, Plutarch, Diodorus Siculus, and Quintus Curtius left us many details about the sacking of the Treasury. Persepolis and Archaeology Persepolis remained occupied even after Alexander burned it to the ground; the Sasanids (224–651 C.E.) used it as an important city. After that, it fell into obscurity until the 15th century, when it was explored by persistent Europeans. The Dutch artist Cornelis de Bruijn, published the first detailed description of the site in 1705. The first scientific excavations were conducted at Persepolis by the Oriental Institute in the 1930s; excavations were thereafter conducted by the Iranian Archaeological Service initially led by Andre Godard and Ali Sami. Persepolis was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. To the Iranians, Persepolis is still a ritual space, a sacred national shrine, and a potent setting for the spring festival of Nou-rouz (or No ruz). Many of the recent investigations at Persepolis and other Mesopotamian sites in Iran are focused on preservation of the ruins from ongoing natural weathering and looting. Sources Aloiz E, Douglas JG, and Nagel A. 2016. Painted plaster and glazed brick fragments from Achaemenid Pasargadae and Persepolis, Iran. Heritage Science 4(1):3.Askari Chaverdi A, Callieri P, Laurenzi Tabasso M, and Lazzarini L. 2016. The Archaeological Site of Persepolis (Iran): Study of the Finishing Technique of the Bas-Reliefs and Architectural Surfaces. Archaeometry 58(1):17-34.Gallello G, Ghorbani S, Ghorbani S, Pastor A, and de la Guardia M. 2016. Non-destructive analytical methods to study the conservation state of Apadana Hall of Persepolis. Science of The Total Environment 544:291-298.Heidari M, Torabi-Kaveh M, Chastre C, Ludovico-Marques M, Mohseni H, and Akefi H. 2017. Determination of weathering degree of the Persepolis stone under laboratory and natural conditions using fuzzy inference system. Construction and Building Materials 145:28-41.Klotz D. 2015. Darius I and the Sabaeans: Ancient Partners in Red Sea Navigation. Journal of Near Eastern Studies 74(2):267-280.

Case Study on Hr Planning

It is the country†s best recognised energy brand. Centrica is a multinational company, with businesses in many countries. Centrica was formed in 1997 and consists of eight separate energy-related businesses, ranging from the supply of gas and electricity to consumers and organisations in the UK and Europe, to storage of gas for other providers, and drain and pipe work maintenance. The UK energy market is highly dynamic. Customers look for the best deals and are increasingly prepared to switch suppliers. In 2007, 900,000 customers switched energy providers. An energy company needs to show it is not just competitive on price, but that it can also provide the right levels of customer service to attract and retain customers. British Gas does not only supply gas but also deals with the installation and maintenance of domestic central heating and appliances. It provides a maintenance and breakdown service for electrical white goods and home wiring. Through the Dyno brand, British Gas also offers drain clearing services, plumbing and home security services. To deliver these services, British Gas needs high calibre staff. It employs more than 9,000 trained gas engineers to install and maintain central heating and gas appliances. This case study explores how British Gas manages the recruitment and selection of new employees. Page 2:  The role of human resource management Managing a successful large business involves acquiring, developing and maintaining a wide range of resources. These resources include materials, buildings, land, equipment, technology and, crucially, people. Any organisation needs good employees who have the right skills to achieve the company†s aims and objectives. Human resource management (HRM) is the business function that focuses on the people aspects of an organisation. It ensures the efficient management of people in the business. It is responsible for ensuring that an organisation has the right people to deliver its overall business plan. Meeting customer needs Centrica, the parent corporation of British Gas, has to deliver long term profitability. Its shareholders expect the business to show a return on their investment by making profits, now and in the future. British Gas needs to contribute to these profits. This means consistently meeting the needs of its customers with competitively priced products and services that give good returns to the company. Residential consumers across the country are the core customer base of British Gas. These customers expect top-class service at keen prices. If British Gas does not meet this standard, the company may lose business to competitors. To ensure customer satisfaction, British Gas engineers must have the technical skills to undertake work to the required standard and the people skills to deliver good customer service. Through its engineer recruitment team, the British Gas Academy must therefore ensure that the company attracts and retains the best engineers. This involves several complementary tasks. It requires planning to assess the future needs for skilled employees at British Gas. It requires a recruitment and selection programme to bring new people into the business. It requires a training operation to equip new recruits and existing employees with the right skills. Retaining people Importantly, British Gas must also ensure that it retains its best people. It is much more cost effective to retain trained and highly skilled staff than recruit and train up new people. British Gas seeks to retain people by offering a mix of financial and non-financial benefits. As well as good pay and a pension scheme, the company provides employees with the opportunity to buy shares in Centrica and it offers a great place to work and high-class training. Page 3:  Training As an expanding business, British Gas needed to increase its workforce to meet customer demand. At the end of 2002, British Gas established the British Gas Academy. The Academy has helped to develop and refocus training facilities to handle the extra training requirement in recruiting an additional 5,000 employees into the engineering workforce. * British Gas runs an intensive apprenticeship programme. This is delivered in training centres. Trainees should expect to qualify by year five. All domestic gas engineers become fully acquainted with the latest computer-aided diagnostic technology. There are also traineeships, which provide a way for new recruits to learn about the gas industry and gain relevant skills and qualifications. British Gas provides technical training for all its engineers throughout their careers. This ensures that its employees are kept up-to-date with new information and technologies to enable them to provide the best service possible. Training does not simply focus on technical skills and knowledge. Most employees have direct contact with customers, so it is important that they have good people skills. Awareness training is provided for employees across British Gas through an online learning package. Another programme is improving staff†s cultural awareness, particularly to support the growing international operations at British Gas. Page 4:  Workforce planning Workforce planning is the process of assessing a company†s current and future labour needs. The British Gas Academies must consider not just overall employee numbers but also the skills that will be required within the business. Workforce planning also involves managing any training and recruitment process to ensure the organisation has the right staff in place. Managers at British Gas conduct a programme of forecasting to predict how much the UK market for domestic gas engineering services will grow. This helps the company decide how many additional engineers it will need in the future. British Gas makes detailed forecasts of its demand for engineering personnel for one year in advance and makes more general estimates for a further two years into the future. Factors affecting workforce planning At British Gas, workforce requirements are driven by two different demands. First, there are contract customers that have service agreements with the company. Second, there are customers who call for one-off assistance if they have a specific problem. Demand for both these services has grown. In the last three or four years, the need for engineers has expanded accordingly. This has meant that it has had to recruit more staff. There are several other factors that influence workforce planning for British Gas. Engineering skills need to be constantly updated. Health and safety issues are also critically important in the gas industry. Health and safety regulations are changing all the time and EU regulations must also be considered. Apart from regular formal training to close skills gaps to ensure engineers stay up to date with technical matters, British Gas can alert engineers about technical changes via field radio or text messaging. Engineers can work all their careers in the field until they retire. Qualified engineers may spend up to 10 years gaining their skills, qualifications and experience. They have valued practical skills that are needed to deal with equipment and customers. However, British Gas also needs suitable people for promotion to higher roles, such as management jobs. It needs managers to plan, organise and co-ordinate the teams of engineers. It therefore needs to attract and recruit a wide range of people into the organisation. Page 5:  Recruitment As part of its workforce planning, British Gas implements a diversity and inclusion strategy using tailored action plans. This means it actively seeks new recruits from a wide range of backgrounds. The need to recruit a diverse engineering workforce is seen as critical by British Gas. It plans recruitment to ensure it has a socially inclusive workforce. This is important as it will enable British Gas to reflect the diversity of its customer base. For example, it is useful to have employees from different nationalities and backgrounds to communicate with customers that do not speak English as a first language. Recruiting more women engineers may help to attract female customers. British Gas has won a national award from the Council for Registered Gas Installers (CORGI) for its efforts to encourage and attract women into the engineering workforce and into plumbing and associated trades. To dispel the myth that only men can be good engineers, British Gas runs a Georgina and the Dragon campaign for children. What British Gas recruitment programmes  have achieved  is demonstrated by various awards during 2009: * British Gas  won awards from the Local Employment Partnership in the East Midlands. The awards for â€Å"Unlocking Talent†Ã‚  and the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Outstanding LEP Achievement Award†Ã‚  recognise  the companys recruitment work with the LEP and Jobcentre Plus in the region. * British Gas has been named in the 2009  Sunday Timess 20 Best Big Companies to Work For. * The British Gas Academy won an award from Women into Science and Engineering (WISE). The award Investor in WISE   rewarded the efforts British Gas makes  to promote science,  engineering and construction  to girls and young women. Advertising British Gas tries to appeal to a varied and diverse audience when promoting its apprenticeships. To advertise opportunities widely, British Gas uses specialist Sky channels like Parliamentary Projects TV, which focuses on careers, and Passion TV, which is aimed at the black community. In print media, it uses womens magazines, publications targeted at ethnic minorities such as The Muslim Weekly as well as other careers directories for the same reason. Other channels include radio, newspapers,  British Gas website  (www. britishgasacademy. co. uk) and a DVD for schools. Recruiting gas engineers of the right level is important. Candidates for a British Gas apprenticeship must be at least 16 years old, and have a minimum of four GCSEs at grade C or above or equivalent (e. g. NVQs). However, they need more than academic qualifications, they must be able to show some aptitude for customer service, such as being able to listen to customers and understand their requirements. Application British Gas uses an online application form. To help British Gas decide an applicants suitability, this includes a value-based questionnaire. This requires responses to a series of statements about attitudes to work. There are 90 statements in all, and an applicants overall responses are rated green, amber or red. The colour reflects the attitudes the applicant has about work and people. This helps to show which roles a person is best suited to. British Gas does not take applicants with red ratings further as they may not show a fit with the company requirements. However after an initial screening, green and amber applicants are invited to an interview and assessment centre for the final selection process. Here, candidates must show evidence of qualifications, ID and driving licence. Page 6:  Selection At the British Gas assessment centre the emphasis is very much upon core competencies and life skills. Life skills are personal skills that are likely to affect the customer experience when someone is working in the field. British Gas engineers needs to show courtesy and politeness, for example. These are personal qualities that have a direct impact upon customer perception. Core competencies involve team working, interpersonal skills (such as dealing with people), motivation and responding to change. These are crucial skills that can affect the way an individual fits in and works within an organisation. Candidates attend the centre for a half-day assessment. This has three elements. The total scores from the three-part assessment help British Gas to decide who receives a job offer. Candidates are notified of the outcome within 14 days. All candidates can receive feedback. For those candidates offered a job, British Gas provides the usual job benefits including a van from the outset and a competitive starting salary. The new recruits then go on to benefit from the comprehensive programme of training through its Academy. This ensures that they are given the best start in their new careers. It also builds employee motivation and commitment to the company. Recruiting and selecting staff is an expensive process. By following a robust selection programme in this way, British Gas is able to ensure it gets the right people with the right skills. It also means it maximises the benefit from its investment. Page 7:  Conclusion Recruitment and selection at British Gas is driven by the need to maintain the competitive position of the company within the energy market. Domestic gas customers demand the very highest standards of service. They can be assured that British Gas engineers have high-level skills and expertise through its careful specification of entry qualifications followed by top quality training. British Gas also assesses the personal attributes of staff through role play and questionnaires as these influence customers perceptions of the service and the company. Great care is taken in determining the organisations future staffing needs. This drives the recruitment and selection process to ensure British Gas is seen as offering dynamic and exciting career paths for people of all backgrounds. By developing and nurturing its people, British Gas ensures that new recruits have the right qualities to help the business to compete.

Essay to Howard University Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Essay to Howard University - Personal Statement Example In my opinion, medical laboratory science provides this opportunity to strike the best balance thus validating my eagerness to be a medical laboratory practitioner. I have served as a laboratory assistant where setting up the experiments is a core duty. The skills obtained have led to a vast knowledge in microscopic practices and experiments. Out of school, I engage in activities like drawing and hospital-based voluntary services. These activities motivate my interests and allow me to think in a broader perspective. They also expand my thoughts needed in a medical field leading for diversity in ideas. The community service helps me to interact with people thus improving my communication skills, which assists in modeling a trustworthy and reliable person. Both my school and out of school activities have had a gradual impact in the improvement of time management skills, which I believe is a fundamental requirement for medical laboratory science study. The personal desire to interact with other people to understand their ideas and experiences has originality from medical setup. My exposure to medical laboratory environment gives a fascinating advantage for career enhancement. Having spent some good time in a medical setting, I have had a chance to interact with various professionals in the medical laboratory. I am also an independent individual with precise, observant and good problem-solving skills, which serve as a booster for a successful career in the rapidly growing medical laboratory field of profession. I am informed of the excellent Howard University reputation through research and personal conversation with some of the alumni. This has concisely served in deepening my interest in the choice of your prestigious University for my career advancement. In addition to excellent university setup, the presence of the medical laboratory tools in Howard University will equip me with the best experimental practice to

Indian religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Indian religion - Essay Example Especially the Indian women always try to preserve their practice in a pure Indian traditional way. Indian women have very important role in maintain puja which Hindus name it as Dharma (University of California). In Indian religion Rajput women are famous when it is about regular religious practices especially â€Å"home puja†. Rajput women main objective is to become a good wife, a wife which is protector of her husband, as this is one major religious consideration which Indian women maintain specifically. In Indian religion especially in Hinduism women maintain entail fasting, which is to gain Shiv’s blessing. This is weekly activity which unmarried women perform to attain a holy partner under the blessing of Shiv. This is also maintained by married women to serve their husbands in pious manner. A special fasting is maintained on Monday, which is an important religious day in Hinduism consideration (University of California). University of California. "Religion and Protection." 2004. www.publishing.cdlib.org. 26 September 2012

Early Ages Essay Example for Free

Early Ages Essay The Middle Ages is a catchall phrase often used by historians alluding to the thousands of years between the fall of the Roman Empire and the period of discovery and reawakening. The term Middle Ages was coined during the period that followed it, which was the Renaissance (Roseinwein, 2008). Since people from the Renaissance period thought of themselves as â€Å"advanced and civilized,† they deemed the time between them and the earlier world as the â€Å"Middle Age† (2008). The term derived from the Latin medium, which means middle and aevium, referring to age (2008). The Early Middle Ages, which occurred from 5th – 8th centuries, was dominated by Christianity which eventually became the rationale for uniting Europe culturally and linguistically (Herrin, 2002, p. 609). It was also a period marked by distinctions of social classes- the noble, the peasants and the clergy, with peasants populating more (Kamien, 1998, p. 62). This was the reason by medieval society was often described as a period with lack of food supply, poor agriculture, and poor economic conditions (p. 612). As aforementioned, the Early Middle Ages brought forth the importance of religion, specifically that of the Roman Catholic Church. It was during this time when the Holy Roman Empire was established. . One outstanding work from this period and perhaps had the earliest record was medieval music, particularly the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant was the official music of the Roman Catholic Church (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Although the Gregorian chant was named in honor of Pope Gregory I, it was said that the pope was in fact not its creator (p. 65). Historians accounted the existence of Gregorian account or what they believed was its evolution to psalm singing in Jewish synagogues in the first centuries after Christ (p. 65). However the case may be, Pope Gregory could still be held responsible for the popularity of the Gregorian chant. The Gregorian chant is actually a body of unaccompanied vocal music. It was meant to set the mood for certain religious services (Kamien, 1998, p. 65). Set in Latin, Gregorian chants swept the music of the Early Middle Ages. Gregorian chant is like no other music for has no meter nor regular rhythms (p. 65). However, it is this distinct characteristic that makes the Gregorian chant a somewhat free-flowing disposition. Listening to a Gregorian melody invokes serenity, as if disengaging the listener from any anxieties. It is considered monophonic since it is music for one line and is sung in unison. It is said that there are only few names of Gregorian chant composers. This is because composers did not think of themselves as composers but as conduits of the voice of God. One of the most known contributors of the Gregorian chant was Hildegard (p. 68). A nun, Hildegard composed O Successores (You Successors), a chant intended to give praise to the â€Å"holy confessors who are successors of Christ† (p. 68). In the period that followed the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the predominant sound continued to be unaccompanied vocal music. However, the dawn of the Baroque period saw the musical style embracing the use of musical instruments like the harpsichord, violin and viola (Kamien, 1998, p. 104). Likewise, the melody has become wider instead of the narrow range that accompanied the Gregorian chant. While the Renaissance period still had Mass music, the Baroque period ushered in opera, sonata and concertos (pp. 100-115). Church music, especially the Lutheran service, was called a church cantata (p. 129). Whereas the Middle Ages was limited to the culture of the Church, the succeeding periods created new attitudes- that of showing that people have the capacity to create and shape their world instead of merely serving as conduits. The Gregorian chants, which was passed on by oral traditions, ebbed away slowly until a 1994 release of ‘Chant† by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos. This made Gregorian chant popular again due its similarity with New Age Music- smooth, uniform and non confrontational. The Early Middle Ages may have focused on sublime spirituality but the beauty of it has emanated throughout the centuries. Listen to a church hymn and feel how it has evolved from a simple, monophonic music to the finely crafted yet polyphonic texture of today. References Herrin, J. E. (2002). Early Middle Ages. In The new encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 16, pp. 609-612) USA: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. Kamien, R. (1998). Music an appreciation 3rd ed. USA: McGraw-Hill. Rosenwein, B. (2008). Middle Ages. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from Microsoft Encarta Web site: http://encarta. msn. com/text_761578474___0/Middle_Ages. html

Trumans Domestic Policy :: American America History

Truman's Domestic Policy Despite strong opposition from a Republican congress, Truman attempted to extend Roosevelt's New Deal policies by strengthening social security, conservation, implementing rent controls, and providing housing to low-income families. At times, however, Truman was inconsistent with his own party's beliefs and the ideal of the New Deal in order to suit the immediate situation and retain public support. Furthermore, Truman supported civil rights actions and for the first time, increased the political status of African American citizens. Truman's various other reforms were much like the proposals of Roosevelt, but the mood of the nation due to its affluence and that of Congress opposed his efforts and the changing times proved that Truman's Fair Deal was not as necessary as FDR's New Deal. Truman's organized policy to elaborate on the New Deal was termed the Fair Deal and aimed to improve social conditions like Roosevelt's plan had done previously. His immediate goals were full employment and an improved economy, as well as to provide for the common good. The Fair Labor Standards Act increased the minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents and the Social Security Act increased benefits to the elderly by 77.5%. Also, to the advantage of those who lived in rented homes and apartments, Truman lengthened rent controls to March 1951, and in addition, the Housing Act vowed to eliminate slums and established 810,000 low-income houses, thus providing a good amount of citizens with affordable housing. The president also implemented the Employment Act in 1946 to help stabilize the postwar economy. The act created a three member council of economic advisors and a joint committee to study and propose stabilization measures. Moreover, Truman attempted to establish a Missouri Valley Aut hority while extending the power of the Tennessee Valley authority, but was unsuccessful. However, the president did obtain increases in hydroelectric, water control, and irrigation projects in the west. Like Roosevelt, Truman was concerned about the welfare of farmers and encouraged the Brennan Plan to maintain farm income standards through price supports, loans, and storage of nonperishable commodities. Although the plan failed , the Agriculture Act of October, 1949 continued price supports at 90% parity through 1950 and then at 75-90% afterwards. This act was consistent with New Deal farm policy. Truman made other New Dealish attempts, like National Health Insurance and federal aid to education, but both were defeated with the help of protests by interest groups, namely the American Medical Association and the Roman Catholic Church.

In Act V, scene i of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play is coming to a close as disorder has evolved into order

In Act V, scene i of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, the play is coming to a close as disorder has evolved into order. Shakespeare concludes the play with words from Oberon, and then Puck. With his final words, Oberon enlightens the audience as to the will of the fairies- to bless the bridal beds of Theseus and Hypolyta, Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Through various literary devices, Shakespeare states the will of the fairies, proclaims their positive dominion, and concludes that this very dominion will allow the shift from disorder to order. Shakespeare proclaims the dominion of the fairies and emphasizes the positive nature of their will through sound value, imagery & diction. Oberon takes an authoritative stance at the very outset of his monologue as he begins with, â€Å"Now,† and immediately gives commands to his fairies. Such diction occurs once again when Oberon tells his fairies to â€Å"stray† through each house. That the fairies are able to enter into the house and â€Å"stray† about implies a certain authoritativeness about them. Also, in giving his commands to the fairies, many of Oberon's words have powerful, pounding sounds: break of day, best bride-bed, and blessed be. His repeated use of ‘b' sounds creates a commanding tone which tells the audience of the dominion that the fairies have. These very words also act as images of a new beginning- the â€Å"break of day† indicates the possibility of a fresh start. Such use of imagery re-occurs with the use of â€Å"bride-bed† which also denotes the optimistic opportunity of a new beginning, as marriage is often looked at as a reawakening experience. Oberon next instructs his fairies to â€Å"bless† these bride-beds and allow for â€Å"issue† to be â€Å"created. † The creation of issue, meaning children, is another example of a new beginning. Thus far, Oberon has established not only that the fairies have true dominion of what happens in the human world, but also the positive nature of this dominion as new beginnings are often looked at as positive and bright. As the monologue continues, through ailment diction, repetition and the personification of nature, Shakespeare elaborates on the outlook of the fairies' dominion and exemplifies the utter control that they have upon what will come to pass. Oberon personifies nature when he speaks of the â€Å"blots of Nature's hand,† suggesting that nature and the fairies are one and the same. If these two forces are at par with one another, it is implied that humans depend on the fairies as much as they do on nature. What Oberon refers to as the â€Å"blots of Nature's hand† is the fact that Nature (represented by the fairy world) is not perfect and the specific â€Å"blot† he has in mind is the fight between Oberon and Titania. Oberon says, however, that such blots â€Å"shall not in their issue stand,† meaning that the fairies do have control over such imperfections, and no negative effect will be bestowed upon the children. This is further expressed by the diction of ailments: â€Å"Never mole, harelip, nor scar. The fairies clearly have power over the â€Å"nativity† of the children which are to be conceived, and therefore have power over everything in the human world. This idea is emphasized furthermore by Oberon's repetition of the word â€Å"shall† as his ability to repeatedly declare what shall happen indicates the absolute dominion of the fairies. After having established the existence and positive nature of this dominion, Shakespeare concludes, through change in tone by sound value, religious diction and imagery, and the use of rhyme scheme, that it will bring about the shift from disorder to order. In order for there to be such a shift, much determination on the part of the fairies is required, which is established through religious diction and imagery. The word â€Å"consecrate,† as used by Oberon, refers to a religious dedication which the fairies have to the well-being of the humans. Oberon instructs each of his fairies to â€Å"take his gait† and â€Å"bless† the chambers of the humans. Such diction again implies a religious and dedicated protection that the fairies have over the humans which will enable them to bring order from disorder. Shakespeare asserts that it is indeed the fairies who will bring order to the human world by the use of the rhyme scheme which is apparent throughout the monologue. The monologue consists purely of rhyming couplets with 7 syllables. Such rhythm and structure implies that the positive dominion of the fairies has an orderly fashion to it, and ultimately expresses that the fairies will bring order from disorder. Finally, words with harsh sounds such as â€Å"trip,† â€Å"stay,† and â€Å"break of day† are used and Oberon ends his monologue in the same tone with which he begun- one of great authority. He calls upon his fairies to bring about order to the human world. By the end of the monologue, Shakespeare has enlightened the audience as to the absolute power that the fairy world has over the human world and has highlighted the dependence of the humans on the fairies. He has furthermore explained that this absolute power is of a positive nature and is the very reason a shift from disorder has occurred in Athens- the human world. While this could be a suitable conclusion to the play, Shakespeare concludes with words from Puck, who, being the protagonist leaves the audience with a choice- to walk away a realist, or to walk away a dreamer.

Bacteria Growing

Bacteria grows everywhere and there is no way to hide from it. Bacteria can be harmful, but most are not. They're strategies to help kill bacteria on human skin. The answer is soap. It doesn't matter if the bacteria is from its natural source or a petri dish. There is always a cleaning substance out there ready to kill the bacteria that grows on our body and other places in the world. People wonder what soap works the best and why it works the best. Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with understanding bacteria. A great deal of research has been done to figure out what kills bacteria. Scientist at the University of Toronto did research and believe that hand sanitizer works the best (Hall, 2012). Bacteria is everywhere and scientist want to find the best resources to kill it fast and well. Cleaning agents are hard to find, but they are worth it when human hands end up clean. There are many substances that are used to wash your hands, but only some are used to kill bacteria. Microbiology is a branch of science that deals with microorganisms. Bacteria grow when one cell splits into two during a process called binary fission. This can happen in a matter of twenty minutes (How to Grow Bacteria, 2017). Bacteria grow in sets, one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, and so on (Bacteria, n.d.). Bacteria can be harmful to the human body. That is why it is very important to keep clean. Bacteria can be grown using agar. Agar does not grow bacteria on it's own. Agar is a red algae, that when it is mixed with water turns into a gel. Growing bacteria in petri dishes work better because it provides the nutrients and moisture to help it grow. Bacteria grow better in a moist and warm environment. Usually, water and oil don't mix. This causes water and oil to separate into two different layers. Soap then breaks up the oil into smaller pieces so it can mix with the water.This works because soap has molecules with two different ends. The first end of the soap molecule loves water. Which is called hydrophilic. The other end hates water and is called hydrophobic. Hydrophilic ends will attach to the oil, as hydrophobic ends attach to the water. The drops of oil will then be removed under the running water. Soap causes bodies to be free of dirt and grease (Biology, n.d.). This is an important process when washing your hands. Studies show that hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap work the best. Soap removes soil and germs from hands, while sanitizer evaporates the germs and bacteria found on hands (Kania, 2011). Some people love to use the colorful, smelly soaps that come in a variety of types. Does they really kill germs? Not always. Not unless it contains antibacterial properties. Ethyl alcohol is also effective. Ethyl alcohol kills most bacteria and fungi. When putting hand sanitizer on human hands it takes between 15 and 30 seconds to kill 99.99% of bacteria, after one minute possibly 99.999% of bacteria. In order for the substance to kill that many germs, human hands need to continue to stay wet and let the substance evaporate after being used (Editors Encyclopedia Britannica, 2018). In conclusion, bacteria grows everywhere, any day, and at any time. Bacteria can be harmful to the body, but bodies have immune systems to fight them off. Keeping clean is very important in order to have a healthy body. The delicious smelling soaps are not always the best. Beliefs are that hand sanitizer works the best and kills the most bacteria and fungi, although, some might think antibacterial soap does the trick. Scientist who study microbiology have made important advances in learning how to keep people safe from bacteria. Ethyl alcohol is the most important ingredient to killing bacteria. Always keep clean to keep the harmful bacteria away.

The Ultimate College Graduation Checklist

The Ultimate College Graduation Checklist Graduation is coming, and you most likely are dealing with ten million things at the same time. On top of trying to make sure you pass your last semesters classes, you probably have family visiting, friends you want to spend some time with, and countless logistics to deal with before you can actually leave, diploma in hand, as a college graduate. Wouldnt it be nice if you had a handy college graduation checklist you could use to keep things organized? This list is meant to make the college graduation process a little easier. After all, after four (or more!) years of hard work, sleepless nights, and a lot of dedication, you deserve a little break! College Graduation Checklist Return your cap and gown on time - These are expensive if you forget to return them when youre supposed to.​Leave a forwarding address with the campus mail center and the alumni center - Even if its just your folks or a friends address as you sort things out, you dont want to lose your mail amidst your transition.Make sure you dont have any charges in your residence hall or apartment before you check out - Its much easier to deal with this on move-out day than two months later when you get hit with a whopper of a bill. Stay an extra 20 minutes and have someone (an RA or landlord) sign something saying you wont be charged for anything unexpected.Check in with the career center - Even if it just means getting a login and password so you can search their job databases later, utilizing their resources after graduation will be a lifesaver.Complete an exit interview if youre on financial aid - Most students receiving financial aid will need to complete an exit interview before being allowed to graduate. This can often be done on your computer and involves reading information about when your payments will begin to be due, etc. But not completing it can prevent you from getting your diploma. Make sure everything is cleared on your account in the financial aid and registrars office - The last thing you need is to be about to start a new job or graduate school, only to learn that theres a problem with your college account that you need to fix. Make sure both offices have everything they need from you before you leave campus.Check with the alumni office for deals on short-term insurance - From health insurance to car insurance, many alumni offices now offer programs to graduating seniors. Figure out what programs your school offers and what youre eligible for so that you dont have to spend too much time (or money!) searching for alternatives.Get copies of all your loan (and other) papers - From your housing contract to your loan paperwork, get copies of everything youll need down the road. This will be especially handy if there are any problems after you graduate.Compile all your electronic files in one place - When your computer was acting cranky two months ago, you may ha ve saved your amazing midterm paper on your roommates computer. Gather together all of your important documents (that you might need for job applications, writing samples, or graduate school) in one place, ideally stored in the cloud so you can access it wherever and whenever you need to. Grab a few copies of your transcript - You may think you wont need them, but you might also be surprised. New jobs, volunteer programs, and all kinds of folks may want to see your transcript after you graduate. Having a few with you will save you a lot of time, money, and trouble.Update your address with anyone who sends you a bill - This can include your bank, your cell phone provider, your loan companies, and your credit card companies. You may be so busy moving and looking for a job that you wont realize you havent received a phone bill for three months after you graduate at least until your service gets cut off.Get contact information for your references - Knowing where your references will be over the next few months, as well as how to reach them, may make or break you in certain situations. Who wants to miss out on a great job simply because a reference was unreachable while doing research in France? A quick email, phone call, or office visit to ensure you have everyones conta ct information is a smart idea. Get contact information for your friends - People will be so busy on graduation day, and there will be so many people around, that getting contact information from your friends will be mission: impossible. While social networking sites are a great place to start, having an actual email and phone number is best.​Write thank-you notes - Sure, it may seem old-fashioned, but writing thank-you notes to those who helped you the most during your time on campus, to those who gave you graduation gifts, and to anyone else who helped you along the way is a kind gesture and a great way to make sure you leave college on a high note.

Child Obesity and Its Causes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Child Obesity and Its Causes - Essay Example Children who do less physical activities and spend most of their time watching television and playing computer games are more prone to childhood obesity. For example, a child who prefers playing games on computer instead of playing physical games in the playground is more likely to face childhood obesity. Similarly, a child who prefers to watch cartoons on television in free time instead of playing some game with friends is likely to experience the medical problem of obesity. Lack of physical activities creates a nutritional imbalance in the body, which ultimately affects the overall body shape. It is a fact that when a person does not perform any physical activity, the levels of fats and cholesterol start rising in the body that results in fatness or obesity. For children, the nutritional imbalance causes obesity the effects of which even linger into their future lives. For example, children facing the problem of obesity lose their confidence when peers make fun of them, as well as face a number of critical health issues, which may include high blood pressure, chronic heart problems, joint pains, diabetes, and decrease in stamina. During the earlier years of a person’s life, human body experiences different stages of development and provision of a particular set of proteins, calcium, potassium, vitamins, and all other nutrients is the requirement of each of those stages. However, when a child avoids physical activities and likes to eat junk food most of the time in early years of life, the levels of cholesterol and fats start rising in the body while decreasing the levels of other nutrients.It is the responsibility of parents, teachers, and media to create awareness among children regarding the importance of nutritional values in life. For example, in schools teachers can teach students the importance of doing physical activities and eating a balanced diet, which should include fresh fruits and  vegetables.  

Achieving strong vertical and horizontal alignment Article

Achieving strong vertical and horizontal alignment - Article Example Human resource management (HRM) practices are critical to the success of business organizations. The goal of organizations is to maintain a strong customer base and increase revenue, but how to achieve this is equally importantStrategic HRM approaches involve a spotlight on the alignment of HRM practices with each other, which is referred to as internal consistency or alignment; and the alignment of the HRM procedures with an organization's approach, known as external consistency or alignment (Burke & Cooper 2005). Gratton and Truss (2007) proposed a three-dimensional people strategy used by HRM in organizations as vertical alignment, horizontal alignment, and an implementation dimension to show the extent to which the people strategy affects the daily operations of employees and the conduct of managers.This paper focuses on two of the three-dimensional people strategies as aforementioned. Vertical alignment involves the link between the people strategy and a business unit strategy, that is, the link between the HRM and the people in an organization. This determines whether HR interventions in decision making serve as inhibitors to success or confer competitive advantages to the organization. On the other hand, horizontal alignment operates within the limits of HR policies and aims at achieving a functional approach to managing the people in an organization (Gratton & Truss 2007).Effron, Gandossy and Goldsmith (2003) highlighted an example in which James Houghton became the CEO of Corning Incorporated by inheriting the job from his brother. The company (Corning) had been dilapidated and was suffering from among other factors, poor labor relations. However, less than ten years later, the company was producing new, high quality products that made it take a competitive position in the market. James simply formed a team that created a vision and change of behavior at the company while building an architecture of productive change (Effron, Gandossy & Goldsmith 2003) . According to McLeish (2002), vertical alignment is the employment of an approach that is manifested in the actions of employees through a jointly shared direction. This means that the management of an organization implementing vertical alignment takes an initiative to lead and empower employees in the work they do, thus improving job execution (Effron, Gandossy & Goldsmith 2003). In order to achieve strong vertical alignment, the HRM of an organization has to target "quick owns" by having an understanding of the processes that would result in a quick delivery of the business goal (Gratton & Truss 2007). For instance, the initiatives could be through innovative product offering or short term training programs to educate and empower employees in handling clients and customers. Effective reputation arises when a business organization meets the expectations of the line of management (Gratton & Truss 2007; McLeish 2002). Organizations that have strong vertical alignment are characterized by presence of business-focused HR teams. The HR team is usually very close to the business units as opposed to cases in which managers are separated from junior employees and rarely assess what the junior staffs do. A good example is the US-based company, Kraft Foods, whose staff in the business units work alongside managers in making strategic decisions (Gratton & Truss 2007). A strong alignment is achieved by proper planning with focus on key objectives and evaluation of success factors (McLeish 2002). The strategy must encompass the organization staff at all levels, and the employees must particularly understand the benefits that accrue at both personal level and organizational level (McLeish 2002). In this respect, each employee has to know the role that one has to play in order to achieve a specific goal.

Selected poems by William Carlos Williams pp. 2009-2017.&.Selected Essay

Selected poems by William Carlos Williams pp. 2009-2017.&.Selected poems by e.e. cummings pp 2173-2179 - Essay Example It is the time when the tired frost of winter begins to give way to the solar prowess of the summer months. Many a poet and writer have used it as a metaphorical device for their works. As a symbol of rebirth, spring can affect a joyous sense of elation. Conversely, no birth or rebirth can occur without first something, person, or epoch dying, disappearing, or withering into desuetude. Modern psychology, in the context of patient and cultural interpretation, has assigned to spring this dichotomous quality of bringing in the new and hastening away the old. The work of Carl Jung is particularly applicable in this instance. His analysis of the mother-maiden archetype comprehended spring as one of the many symbols of this primeval human mental construction. To this category belongs the goddess, especially the Mother of God, the Virgin, and Sophia [wisdom]†¦[This] archetype is often associated with things and places standing for fertility and fruitfulness: the cornucopia, a ploughed field, a garden†¦.[Its] evil symbols are the witch, the dragon, the grave, the sarcophagus, deep water, death, nightmares, and bogies. (81-82) For Williams, the image of the widow, or the aged wife and mother, stresses the cyclical and temporal aspect of the Jungian conception of spring. The â€Å"new grass† and the â€Å"masses of flowers† remind the narrator of when she lived happily with her now deceased husband. They resurrect memories of having a family and loving one another (Williams 1998). They had once lived happily together. Rather than symbolizing birth and things anew, the widow is troubled by her spouse’s absence. Instead she bemoans the â€Å"[red] cherry branches† for â€Å"the grief in my heart is stronger than they / for though they were my joy / formerly, today I notice them / and turn away forgetting.† The pain endures. Yet Williams, after underscoring the widow’s sorrows, draws attention to her son who

The Influence of Cigarette Smoking all Over the World Research Paper

The Influence of Cigarette Smoking all Over the World - Research Paper Example Cigarette smoking is the inhale of the smoke of burning tobacco encased. Informal smoking is the act of smoking only infrequently, generally in social circumstances or to alleviate tension. A number of health experts consider regular cigarette smoking as a psycho-addiction and having dangerous health effects. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated that cigarettes should be regarded as nicotine delivery devices. Nicotine, the vigorous element in tobacco, is intake into the lungs, where most of it remains. The remainder passes into the bloodstream, and reaches the brain in around 10 seconds and spread all over the body in just 20 seconds. The conditions and the amount of tobacco inhaled, nicotine can act as either refreshment or sedative. This can be described as some people describes that smoking gives them energy and motivates their mental activity, at the same time as others see that cigarette smoking alleviates nervousness and lessen them. Yet, nicotine increases the danger of heart ailment. Nevertheless, when a person smokes, he or she is taking in a lot more than nicotine. Smoke from a cigarette includes many other toxic chemicals, including tar and carbon monoxide. Tar is a sticky matter that accumulates in the lungs, causing lung cancer and respiratory pain. Carbon monoxide restricts the quantity of oxygen that the red blood cells can transmit all over the body. In addition, it may harm the internal walls of the arteries, which lets fats to increase in them. In addition to tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide, tobacco smoke contains numerous different chemicals. Most of them are considered to be deadly. Nonsmokers who are vulnerable to tobacco smoke also take in these poisonous chemicals. Cigarette smoking is considered as the major preventable source of death, contributing to the deaths of just about 430,700 Americans each year.  

The Case Of Ocean Park, Hong Kong

The Case Of Ocean Park, Hong Kong Ocean Park was opened on 10 January 1977 by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose. It took HK$150 million, which was funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club and the Hong Kong Government, to be built. Between 1982 and 1984, The Hong Kong Jockey Club gave a further HK$240 million to develop the facilities at Tai Shue Wan and thrill rides at the Summit. The Hong Kong Jockey Club stopped subsidizing Ocean Park on 1 July 1987 Ocean Park became its own statutory body, with a Government-appointed Board. The Hong Kong Jockey Club established a HK$200 million trust to ensure the Parks continued development. At present, Ocean Park is managed by the Ocean Park Corporation, a financially-independent, not-for-profit organisation. Background of Ocean Park Hong Kong In Hong Kong, there are two theme parks which are most popular and visitors should visit if they come to Hong Kong. They are Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. In this essay, we will mainly focus on discussing Ocean Park. Ocean Park Hong Kong (à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…҉۪), commonly known as Ocean Park, is an animal theme park, situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. It is founded in 1977 by the Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now got about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The Worlds Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and the 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes. In year 2007/2008, Ocean Park had 5.03 million visitors. It was awarded the worlds number 15 theme parks. It has the annual attendance ahead of rival Hong Kong Disneylands 4.5 million visitors. Covering an area of 870,000 square meters of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas, The Summit (Headland) and The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively. The two areas can be reached by a 1.5 km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express (train). As the Headland consists of several hills, visitors can also take the worlds second longest outdoor escalator to go from one side of the mountain to the other side.. The theme park now has 19 rides, including two roller coasters. It also consists of 11 animal exhibits, such as a Giant panda habitat, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeon aquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium showing more than 2,000 fish. Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park also operates observatories, well-developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales and Dolphins Fund. Ocean Park Hong Kong was the first institution in the world to have success in artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish. In September 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong increased its ticket prices by 12% and 14% to take advantage of the Golden Week Holidays. In July 2009, Ocean Park Hong Kong announced that they would increase their ticket prices again by 20% and 25%. Attractions park of ocean park Hong Kong Headlines Rides (à ¥Ã‚ ±Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã…  Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ©Ã… ¸Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¥Ã… ¸Ã… ½) Lowland Gardens (à §Ã‚ ¶Ã‚  Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã… ½Ãƒ ¨Ã…  Ã‚ ±Ãƒ ¥Ã…҉۪) Whiskers Harbor (à ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ °) Tai Shu Wan Entrance (à ¥Ã‚ ¤Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¨Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã‚ £Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ £) Theatre Shows A statement of the problem or critical issues for the study A statement of the problem or critical issues for the Ocean Park opened over 28 years. Allan Zeman, a person who changed the destiny of Ocean Park, was the Chairman since 2004. Before Allan Zeman joined Ocean Park, the Park was only matched the break-even point of their revenue. It is because the facilities are getting old and no new games built in the Park. The Park only maintains all the common facilities like Cable Car, Ocean Theatre, Pacific Pier, Atoll Reef, Whiskers Theater, etc. All the shows are old and not interesting to old visitors at all. After Allan Zeman becoming the Chairman of the Ocean Park, he introduced lots of new element to the Park. The most popular is the Sea Jelly Spectacular, Giant Panda Adventure, The HKJC Giant Panda Habitat and Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium. The Government of Mainland China gives the Chinese Sturgeon and pandas to the Ocean Park which shows friendship between China and Hong Kong. It attracts lots of visitors to visit the Park because of the rare species of animals. Ocean Park target customers have a wider range than the Hong Kong Disneyland. It is because the games are more excited than those in the Hong Kong Disneyland. For example, the Abyss Turbo Drop and Mine Train are too scary if children play. Allan Zeman introduced these games most likely attracting teenagers over 15. On the other hand, families which have elderly and children are also significant in his project. The SkyFair, Giant Panda Adventure, Goldfish Treasures, Emperors of the Sky and lots of shows are provided to the families to visit. Children can learn from the shows and the boards in the aquarium or the show rooms to know more knowledge outside classrooms. Ocean Park started the Ocean Park Academy Hong Kong for students to learn in nature. Students can feed parrots or dolphins in the lessons. Also, Ocean Park will provide their staff as tour guide to lead students to visit the aquarium and show rooms in order to provide an interesting learning environment to them. They provide at least five courses to difference classes of students from kindergarten to secondary school. Each level gives students different ways to learn the nature, for example, games, bring students to observe the animals, fish, sea lions, seals and pandas, etc and role play and so forth. Ocean Express commenced in the early 2010. It provides a new way and faster way to travel between the Ocean Parks Waterfront to the excitement at the Summit. It eases the burden of Cable Car. It can bring 5,000 people per hour in each direction between two main lands in Ocean Park within 3 minutes. It saves the traveling time for visitors and let them have more time to play in the Park. The Ocean Express designed like a submarine and offers a vivid experience that simulates a journey through the oceans depths. It carries through the idea of people in the ocean. On the other hand, some elderly or people may afraid of riding cable cars as they have acrophobia. The commencement of Ocean Express is a good choice for them that travel between two main lands in the Park. It targets all ranges of their customers. Since Allan Zeman joined the Ocean Park, he raised lots of themes to the Park in difference seasons to satisfy kids and big kids wants. In summer, Ocean Park set up a temporary water war game site to kids and big kids. Kids can play in a small playground with water and slides. Big kids can bring water guns which provided by the Park to have an exciting water war game in a safe temporary site. It is not only cooling down in the hot summer, but also giving a good place for families and friends to play something that they cannot easily find in Hong Kong. One of the most successful projects brought out by Allan Zeman is Halloween. This event attracts at least 50% more visitors to the Park every year at that period. Most of them are teenagers and big kids. The level of scary in Ocean Park is much higher then the Hong Kong Disneyland and therefore it becomes famous to teenagers and big kids. Lots of foreign visitors come to visit Ocean Park in Halloween as they are attracted by the level o f scary and the mood of this funny and horrifying festival. In Christmas, Ocean Park injects another theme which is called Ocean Park Christmas Sensation. As Christmas is a romantic festival, Ocean Park provides a romance atmosphere for couples in love. It is totally different from the Hong Kong Disneyland that only providing funds to kids. In conclusion, Ocean Park takes care of wide range of their customers. No matter students, elderly, families, friends, couples, kids, big kids, etc, they used to provide variety themes to its target customers and make them fresh in every visit. Purpose of the study According to the Tourism Development Bureau, 2009 Visitor Arrivals Summary by Country / Territory of Residence of the show, visitors from Mainland China had 1,848,832, accounting for the total number of visitors in Hong Kong 60.4%, 14.1% increase over 2008, statistics show Chinese mainland tourists are our most important visitors. In February 2005, the Ocean Park Corporation submitted to the Government a $5.55 billion master plan to redevelop the park into a world-class marine-themed park featuring more than 70 attractions. The redevelopment plan continues to emphasise the importance of community involvement and the parks role in supporting conservation and educational initiatives in Hong Kong. First to the second phase has been completed, some new rides and attractions have facilities open to the re-development project is expected to be in the final stages of completion in 2014. Consolidated basis of the above information, the purpose of the investigation is to understand the mainland tourists for the satisfaction of the current park, which re-development projects of the impact on the marine park. Through empirical data, we hope to show whether the re-development project had brought about the expected effectiveness and benefits to make a survey and analysis Contribution of the study Our research will focus on mainland visitors entering the park satisfaction, motivation and behavior in the park re-development project between the impact of mainland tourists as the parks main target, to bring the benefits of the parks contribution through the study expect to learn more about the expectations of mainland tourists to the park, the facilities of the park today, attractions, transport and surrounding infrastructure, based on the above criteria, and wanted to come up with behavioral intention Ocean Park visitors, tourist motivation, satisfaction Behavioral intention Behavioral intention is the consumers behavior or actions, including the recommendations of others and revisits. Boulding, Kalr, Staelin, and Zeithaml (1993)  [1]  as interpreted by the repurchase intentions, and would recommend to others to measure consumer behavior, intent, intention to act on behalf of tourists Consumer product or service behavioral tendencies, the main response to the possibility of a future purchase, whether the possibility of renewal or conversion; Customer willing the establishment of positive word of mouth support tendencies. It can be seen, recreation and tourist industry in customer loyalty should have Revisiting the meaning Positive appreciation Intention to recommend behavior The intention in this study as a basis to measure three aspects Tourism motivation Human activities, has its inherent psychological reasons, it is Motivation  [2]  , it is one of the Motivation will inevitably produce a certain kind of behavior. Therefore, the motivation = behavior is a psychological causation. Because of the psychological long-term incentives, including the requirements, needs, drives, excitement, attitude, interests, aspirations and so the definition, towards the goal and guidance to the activities of the process, TO Select Hong Kong as Ocean Park personal activities arising from what motives caused. Scope of this study of travel motivations, the Department of the subjects in the tourist motivation scale, said the scores on it. That including physical and mental relaxation, leisure, social, self-affirmation, and four levels of learning new knowledge. Subjects, the higher the score, indicating that the strength of its tourism motivation is stronger, lower scores, indicating the strength of tourism motivation is weaker. Satisfaction  [3]   The concept of consumer satisfaction theory, consumers will pay to bring it reasonable and practical to obtain satisfied with the kind of feeling. Open before the expected experience opened gain experience, and in the overall recreation experience visitors as satisfactory. The satisfaction of the Institute for the tourists call it entertainment environment, the properties of each level, This is the Ocean Park visitors engage in recreation environment, tourism, services, and results of subsequent experience. the satisfaction of tourists, including all the major services, entertainment, environment, landscape experience, ideas exchange, to recreational activities around the six areas. Department of subjects in the experience satisfaction, said the scores on it. The higher the score, which indicates that Ocean Park had a higher degree of satisfaction, on the contrary, a lower score is expressed not satisfied with that. To achieve the purpose, the following objectives are set: Personal characteristics of mainland tourists travel Motivation Motivation of tourism impact on satisfaction To discuss redevelopment plans adopted will revisit the impact Satisfaction, the impact on the willingness to revisit Results of the analysis, review the direction and objectives of the present park effectiveness, to re-formulate the future direction and policies of the park, as the view or policy-making foundation, is an important part of policy formulation. Scope and limitations of the study Scopes The research will determine the motivation and satisfaction of the guests of the Ocean Park Hong Kong. The implementation of the research will be analyzed and discussed. In the research, the ranges of study will be divided into three areas: Areas of study All the enabled facilities, including the attractions and shows, dining area and shopping stores in the Ocean Park, and the surrounding facilities related to the Ocean Park will be the areas of study. The facilities which are under construction will not be included in this research. Objects of study According to the press release announced by Ocean Park on 25 June 2010, the Ocean Park attained 5.1 million of attendance for year 2009/2010. The data indicated that there are more than 53% of guests are tourists from Mainland China, which are the biggest portion of the attendance. Thus, the research will focus on the tourists from Mainland China (both tour group visitors and individual visitors), in family basis and the head of the family, who visit the Ocean Park during the sampling time frame. Variables of study This research will focus on analyzing the background characteristics (e.g. ages, occupations, education and place of residence) of the tourists from Mainland China, and their travel motivations, satisfactions and expectations to the Ocean Park. Limitations This research will be limited by a variety of factors as below: The redevelopment work of the Ocean Park is still in progress. It will be delivered in phases by 2012. Consequently, the areas of this research will only cover the developed and enabled facilities. The research result will not include all parts in Ocean Park. Furthermore, the level of satisfaction of the visitors will be affected by the redevelopment work. For those Mainland tourists who visit the Ocean Park before or after the time frame of this research, will not be considered as the objects of the study. Since the research will only focus on a group of people and there will be time frame for the research, the research result can only reflect the analysis of a portion of the total population. The credibility of the collected data depends on the honesty of the respondents which is the situation we cannot control. This will affect the accuracy of the research result. Methodologies to be used We will obtain primary data through the process of direct observations, questionnaires and survey/personal interview. At the same time, information will be collected from secondary sources. Primary Data Observations We will conduct observations in order to acquire accurate data. The tourists from Mainland China in the Ocean Park will be observed and recorded as much of their behavior as possible. Observation is an easy but a time consuming task. Observational research techniques are required for collecting the data. The observers will be aware of not letting the targeted subjects know they are being observed. The findings are considered high degree of validity because the observer will be able to collect a depth of information about the behavior of the targeted subjects. Questionnaire A questionnaire (see Appendix I) is designed for obtaining the survey/personal interview. We intend to use the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data from at least 300 tourists from Mainland China who have visited the Ocean Park. The questionnaire is divided into three parts. Part one is to collect personal information and their motivation for visiting Ocean Park, which helps us to get the different background of the tourists. The other part is to assemble their level of satisfaction to the Ocean Park. The remaining part of the questionnaire is to gather the expectations and opinions on the strengths and limitations of the Ocean Park for further improvement. The questionnaire is designed based on the following questions: What is the factor attracted you to visit the Ocean Park? Do you satisfy with the current facilities of Ocean Park? What do you expect for the future development of Ocean Park? What do you suggest the Ocean Park for improvement? Will you visit the Ocean Park again? The questionnaire will be tested in a pilot study for checking the quality of the questions and estimating the response rate, so as to modify the questionnaire if necessary. Conduct of Survey/Personal Interview In the study, we intend to collect the data from three groups of people. The first group of targeted interviewees is the tourists from China who have visited the Ocean Park and within the ages of 18-60; the second group is the representative of the Ocean Park; and the third group is the Hong Kong Receiving Agents for Chinese Tours. We will use the questionnaire as a tool and conducting the survey with the first group of people. We expect to interview at least 300 people in the first group (tourists from China who have visited the Ocean Park) in order to collect their background, motivations and satisfactions of visiting the Ocean Park. The survey/personal interview will be carried out from 13 November 2010 On the other hand, we will invite the Chairman of the Ocean Park, Dr. Allan Zeman, for an informational interview (see Appendix II). This interview aims to gather his insights of the future development of the Ocean Park and his view on the continuing growth of the guests from Mainland China. Besides, we will search the list of Hong Kong Receiving Agents for Chinese Tours through the website of Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. We will invite the agents for an interview (see Appendix III), to get the sales information for the Ocean Park tickets and their view on the continuing growth of the tourists from Mainland China. Sampling Methods Not all members of the population will be sampled. Only the guests who are inside or outside the Ocean Park will be sampled randomly. A screening question will be asked to determine whether the respondent is qualified to answer the questionnaire. We target to talk only to the head of the family or head of the group of people. If the person we would like to interview is unwilling or unable to participate, we will invite the other family members or group members to be interviewed. Problems Occurred There will be a variety of problems occurred while conducting the research: Time availability How long should the survey be taken? Do we have enough time for doing the interviews? Lengthy questionnaire may scare away the interviewees, especially the tourists. Geographic restrictions The targeted interviewees are over too broad a geographic range for us to carry out a personal interview. Language issues The tourists from Mainland China not only speak in Mandarin and Cantonese. Parts of them speak in Chinese dialect. Low response rate Some interviewees are unwilling to be interviewed and surveyed. They will refuse to respond. The low response rates are among the most difficult of problems in the research. Incomplete questionnaire There will be insufficient data for the analysis. Problems Solving The following strategies will be set for solving the problem: The questionnaire should not be too long and too complicated. The content should be easy for understanding. We will obtain the interview and survey inside or outside the Ocean Park. It is easier for sampling the targeted interviewees. The interviewers should be multilingual and speak Chinese dialect. We will not expect all the respondents to cooperate. Secondary Data Secondary data is important for this study. The research of the secondary data will be attained through the various channels: Annual Report The annual report of the Ocean Park will be searched. The report will provide the most accurate information on the guests attendance, current situation and future development. Internet Search We will conduct the internet search in order to find the relevant articles, background and objectives of the Ocean Park. Reference Books We will search the reference books in libraries for collecting the information of Ocean Park or relevant information. Newspapers Newspapers will be searched for collecting the relevant articles and news of the Ocean Park. Data Analysis A variety of data and information will be attained through the observations, survey/personal interview and secondary sources research. The different characteristics of the respondents, e,g, ages, occupations, education and place of residence, the travel motivations, the satisfactions and expectations of the Ocean Park will be the major data collected. The implementation of the research and survey will be analyzed by our team members. The result of the analysis will show the Mainland tourists willingness to revisit the Ocean Park. Also, it will illustrate the direction and objectives of the current effectiveness of the Ocean Park, and suggest the future direction and polices of the park. A trial table of contents with chapter outlines Proposed table of contents (for project 2) Introduction Description on the business conducting Current business profile operation Background of the Ocean Park Statement of the problem Purpose contribution of the study Scope limitations of the study Methodologies /Data collection Primary data Secondary data Data analyze Identify the challenges of the Ocean Park SWOT analyzes for the Ocean Park Evaluate the marketing mix of the Ocean Park Recommendation Conclusion Bibliography Appendixes Allocation of project tasks among group members Time schedule for the whole project Questionnaire A brief bibliography Books Larsen, Michael. How to Write a Book Proposal, 3rd ed.. Cincinnati: Writers Digest Books, 2003. Print. Marczyk, Geoffrey R., et al. Essentials of Research Design and Methodology. Hoboken: John Wiley Sons, Inc, 2005. Print. Bradley, Nigel. Marketing Research: Tools and Techniques, 2nd ed.. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. Print. Ott, R. Lyman and Longnecker, Micheal T.. An Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis. Belmont: Brooks/Cole, 2010. Print. Paul, Debra and Yeates, Donald. Business Analysis. Swindon: The British Computer Society, 2008. Print. Piercy, N.. Market-led strategic change, 3rd ed. London: Butterworth Heinemann, 2002. Print. à ¦Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ ¥Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’ ¼Ã‚ Ã‚ ¼Ã‚ Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã¢â‚¬ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ… ¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ ¶, à ©Ã‚ ¦Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯: à ¨- Ãƒ ¨- Ãƒ §Ã… ¡Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¤Ã‚ ©, 2006. à ¥Ã‚ Ã‚ °Ãƒ ¥Ã‹â€ Ã‚ ·. Internet Find a Travel Agent. Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. 2010. Web. 4 December 2010. How to Write a Research Paper. Research Library. StatcPac Inc., 2010. Web. 4 December 2010. Ocean Park Hong Kong. 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Ocean Park Hong Kong. Wikipedia. December 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Ocean Park Breaks Attendance Record Once Again. Press Release. Ocean Park Hong Kong, 25 June 2010. Web. 15 November 2010. Redevelopment Plans for Ocean Park. Major Tourism Projects.Tourism Commission. 2009. Web. 15 November 2010. 510à ¨Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡9.86à ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ…   à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ §Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. AM730. 25 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ËœÃ‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã‹Å"†°Ãƒ ¨Ã… ½Ã¢â‚¬ °. à ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ´Ã‚ Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ªÃƒ ¥Ã‚ £Ã‚ «Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ ¼. Yahooà ¦- °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã… ¾. 25 March 2008. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ ¸Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¢Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ¡Ã‚ Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µ34à ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¦Ã…“â‚ ¬Ãƒ ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å" à ©Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ Ã…  Ãƒ §Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ºÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ ¥Ã…“ °Ãƒ ¦-†¦Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¢. HKCD. 25 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã‚ Ã‹â€ Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µÃƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. Oriental Daily. 26 June 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã… ½Ã‚ »Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ©Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ 510à ¨Ã‚ Ã‚ ¬. Apple Daily. 14 November 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. à ¦Ã‚ µÃ‚ ·Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ´Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã…“’à ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¥Ã‚  Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ºÃ‚ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã‚ Ãƒ ©Ãƒ ©Ã‚ «Ã‹Å"à ¥Ã‚ ³Ã‚ ° à ¤Ã‚ ¸Ã†â€™Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ãƒ §Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ­Ãƒ ¦Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ©-†¹Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ µÃƒ ¦- °Ãƒ §Ã‚ ´Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ ©Ã…’„. entnM!à ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃƒ ¦Ã‚ ¨Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒ ¦- °Ãƒ ¨Ã‚ Ã… ¾Ãƒ ©Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ…“à ¨Ã‚ ªÃ…’. 25 June 2010. Web. 1 December 2010. Allocation of project tasks among group members P = Principle S = Support Kathy Janice Joe Victor Tommy Idea Discussion P P P P P Finalize the Idea of Topic and Project Title P P P P P Methodologies Primary Data Observations P S S S S Questionnaire S P S S S Conduct of Survey/Personal Interview S S P S S Sampling Methods S S S P Secondary Data: Annual Report S P Internet Search S P Reference Books P S Newspapers S P Data Analyzing S S P Contact with Company P S Company Interview P S Time Setting S P Research Plan P S Project Proposal P S Cover page design S P PowerPoint Materials S P Group Members of Allocation of work Do the part of the project proposal: LAM Hiu Ying, Janice Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Scope and limitation, methodologies Bibliography LEUNG Wai Chung, Joe Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Background Statement of problem Bibliography WONG Kit Hung, Kathy Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Content pages, Bibliography YIP Fuk Ming, Tommy Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. Cover page, Purpose and contribution of the study Allocation of the project tasks among group members Bibliography LEUNG King Lap, Victor Collect all the information and analyze them. Find information from the relevant books and web sites. A time schedule