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