Response to Virginia Woolf Essay

Virginia Woolf spent many of her childhood summers in a seaside village in Cornwall, England. In an excerpt from her memoirs from her childhood summers, Woolf reminisces on fishing trips with her father and her brother. Woolf utilizes language in order to convey the lasting significance by using punctuation, diction, and choppy phrases Woolf uses punctuation in several different ways, but she was especially effective at using it to convey her enthusiasm. Near the end of the first paragraph, Woolf talks about how she felt when catching a fish â€Å"†¦and then-how can I convey the excitement?- there was a little leaping tug†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Here, in just this sentence alone, Woolf conveys her excitement and enthusiasm by using punctuation. â€Å"†¦ how can I convey the excitement?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This phrase appears in the middle of two other little phrases, almost like she’s taking a little break to try and collect her thoughts in order for the reader to understand them. Had she not taken this little moment to sort herself out, her words may have ended up jumbled and not well put together. This makes her seem so enthusiastic, that she has to take a break in order to calm herself back down. Virginia Woolf uses diction to help create a lasting significance. For instance, near the beginning of the essay, Woolf talks about how once when they were out fishing/ sailing, her brother, Thoby got to steer them home. â€Å"But once Thobby was allowed to steer us home†¦And Thobby took the fisherman’s place; and steered; flushed and with his blue eyes very blue, and his mouth set, he sat there bringing us to there, bringing us round the point, into the harbor, without letting the sail flag.† (paragraph 1). Notice the use of the word â€Å"flushed†. â€Å"†¦flushed and with his blue eyes very blue†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Woolf could have used a word such as â€Å"blushing† or even â€Å"rosy†, but she chose flushed because by definition flushed refers to turning red, by either being embarrassed, an illness, or by a strong emotion. Her brother was flushed because he was nervous to steer the boat home and this stood out in her mind. Although â€Å"blushing† and â€Å"rosy† are synonyms for the word â€Å"flushed†, neither one of them would have given you as strong of detail nor help create the lasting significance that â€Å"flushed† did. Finally, Woolf uses choppy, or short, phrases to help convey this lasting significance. The most obvious comes after they, her brother, father, and herself, had caught the fish. â€Å"†¦ there was a little leaping tug; than another; up one hauled; up through the water at length came white twisting fish; and was slapped on the floor.† Much like the punctuation, these short and choppy phrases create that fast paced allusion of being excited– like a little kid at Christmas. Woolf was obviously thrilled at the experience of fishing and had thoroughly enjoyed it and to help convey that, she used these little phrases. Throughout the essay Woolf used many different types of language to convey a lasting significance. All in all, these three uses of language- punctuation, diction, and choppy phrases- Woolf had used the most to talk about her summer’s spent in Cornwall, England.

Health Literacy Essay

Background of the Study Poor health literacy is a stronger predictor of a person’s health than age, income, employment status, education level, and race. There is a high correlation between the ability to read and health literacy, but it is important to recognize that patients who are fully literate may be health illiterate (American Medical Association). Nowadays, knowledge is vital for maintaining and achieving optimum health. The concept of health literacy has come to the forefront in healthcare. Health literacy is defined as: â€Å"The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions† (Ratzen &Park, 2000). Half of our population has limited literacy skills, which affects health literacy. To determine the extent of this impact, the Institute of Medicine formed a committee to examine health literacy. As nurses we need to use this knowledge about health literacy to assist our patients in understanding their health and interacting with the healthcare system. Health literacy has three components (Baker DW (1999)). : First, literacy: a lack of capacity to read, write, communicate, or solve problems which affects the ability of an individual to gain necessary knowledge of health and health systems; Second, comprehension: a lack of capacity to understand how health and health care services are structured and operate to meet health and health care needs and how they can be accessed; and third, participation: a lack of capacity to follow a course of treatment or self-management that will improve health and wellbeing, or change behaviour to prevent disease processes starting or progressing. These components may not be anything new, but they do help to clarify what the purpose of any interventions to promote health literacy and prevent the consequence of its absence for individuals within a wider population, as well as for the public health and health care professionals who work with them. It may be old fashioned, but it is almost possible to recognize a primary, secondary and tertiary preventative approach could be applied to such components. The researchers were puzzled whether the patient who is illiterate has been taking the correct patient education from the nurses. The researchers decided to have such study to know the difference of the recovery and health process between the literate and illiterate patients among the Medical and Surgical Ward at Davao Medical Center. According to Parker(2003), health and health care are increasingly characterized by technological sophistication, and choice by â€Å"informed† consumers is of growing importance in the market. Patients who are better informed about their options and who understand the evidence behind certain approaches to care may have better health outcomes. Those without adequate understanding-without adequate health literacy-cannot function successfully in a market designed for active, informed consumers. They are the ones most likely to be left behind. Problems with health literacy are extremely common and costly; more than half of the individuals are experiencing problems to read and understand the information needed to function in the health care system. Being exposed to a public hospital setting, the researchers handle different patients with different levels of intellectual capacity. In most instances, patients who are illiterate make the incorrect decisions regarding health care and sometimes, it affects their recovery or health status. It becomes a huge barrier to proper health care. The researchers are going to assess the lack of information and nursing interventions the hospital has for the illiterate. The main purpose of this study is to know how the hospital setting handles patient who are illiterate. As nurses of the future, we need to gather some information about the different ways of health teachings that should be appropriate to different types of people. (1 and a half ang intro and last is the reason why you pick the study) Theoretical Framework â€Å"Nursing is the art of improving and providing culturally congruent care to people that is beneficial, will fit with, and will be useful o the client, family, or culture group healthy life ways. † (Madeleine Leinenger). Madeleine Leinenger’s Transcultural Theory of Nursing forwards the principle that caring is the true essence of nursing. Caring is also the dominant, distinctive, and unifying feature of nursing. Human caring, however, varies from one culture to another in terms of how it is expressed and the processes and patterns unique to the culture. Leininger’s theory of Cultural Care is a product of devoted consciousness of an ever changing world, wherein individual is at play with society and their environment. The core of the theory was derived from all her experiences in hospital, clinic and in the community setting. World War II became the nest wherein the theory developed; it was during this period that many immigrants and refugees from diverse cultures were moving to the United States and to other places worldwide. With direct observations and interactions with clients of diverse cultures, with variety of health conditions, she became conscious that recovery from illnesses and or maintaining health and wellbeing was greatly affected by how health care was provided to them. The major event that led to the development of her theory happened in the early 1950’s where she worked as a clinical specialist caring for mildly disturbed children of diverse cultural backgrounds. It’s a humanistic and scientific caring discipline and profession with the main focus of serving individuals, groups, communities, societies, and  institutions by carefully considering cultural care dimensions such as: worldwide view of caring, language of caring, philosophical and religious factors, kinship and social factors, cultural values, beliefs, and life ways, political and legal factors, economic factors, educational factors, and technological factors. Conceptual Framework Based on Madeleine Leinenger’s Theory, the patient needs different way of healthcare provision, proportional to his culture to attend a high level of health. The major conceptual elements of the origin and emergent theory are: human care, culture, culture care, culture care diversity, culture care universality, social and cultural structure dimensions, and world view. As and discussed in the theory, there are 9 factors to consider in administering health care and healthy teachings to the client. If these factors are considered, high level of health can be given to the patient. The independent variable is the health literacy- literacy, cooperation, and participation of the patient; and the dependent variable is the barriers in patient education. The relationship between the independent and dependent variable is that the dependent variable relies on its independent variable and they work together to achieve its ultimate goal – which is to help render optimum care that the researchers can give to their patients. DEPENDENT VARIABLE Barrier to patient education: a. Compliance to Medication b. Lifestyle changes c. Follow-up care INDEPENDENT VARIABLE Health literacy: a. Intellectual Capacity b. Comprehension c. Participation a. Age b. Gender c. Educational attainment d. Religion Figure 1: CONCEPTUAL PARADIGM.

American History Since 1865 Essay

In the presidential election of 1912 there were two progressive candidates that impacted the landscape of America. Candidates Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were the frontrunner of the 1912 election. This election changed the country in ways that we as Americans can feel today. These two candidates spawned a progressive movement from a place where many American felt as if their government fell to help out the man on the ground doing the work. In a time when there was a big disparity between the rich and the poor throughout the country because of capitalism the President McKinley was assassinated to usher in Theodore Roosevelt. Although he became the President because he was the Vice President at the time of the assassination, Roosevelt’s charisma and his talent for public speaking made him a popular president. His ability to relate to the common man wasn’t the only thing that created favor among the masses; his policies while in office gave played a major role in his popularity. Let’s take a look at some of them. Roosevelt was a person that cared for the people, and as such when the popular book â€Å"The Jungle† by Upton Sinclair brought the countries attention to the meat and how it was packaged. The book told of the horrible unsanitary conditions that the Chicago meatpacking industry used to package their meats. The President then conducting his own investigation, after finding out that conditions were worst then what was in the book he acted quickly signed into law the Food and Drug Act. Thinking of the people and their conditions Roosevelt created what is known today as the Food and Drug Administration. This is just one of the things that President Roosevelt accomplished while in office, showing that he had the welfare of the country in mind. As President Roosevelt’s foreign policy played a major role in making America a superpower. With the creation of the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, President Roosevelt told the world that the United States would police the nations of Central America, northern South America, and the Caribbean. This wasn’t because we wanted to be nice, but it was to protect the interest of European investors and America’s economic interest (Mitchener and Weidenmier, 1941). This showed that President not only had the people’s welfare in mind but he had the financial future of the country n mind as well. During the election of 1912 there were two big Progressive Candidates that ran in this election. We covered some of the accomplishments/views of Theodore Roosevelt during his presidency before this election period, now let look at the Woodrow Wilson’s views. â€Å"I am, therefore, forced to be a progressive, if for no other reason, because we have not kept up with our changes of conditions, either in the economic field or in the political field. We have not kept up as well as other nations have. We have not kept our practices adjusted to the facts of the case, and until we do, and unless we do, the facts of the case will always have the better of the argument; because if you do not adjust your laws to the facts, so much the worse for the laws, not for the facts, because law trails along after the facts. Only that law is unsafe which runs ahead of the facts and beckons to it and makes it follow the will-o’-the-wisps of imaginative projects. † (Wilson, 1913) In this statement that Wilson made he shows his feeling of why he is a progressive. Just as Roosevelt, Wilson felt as if the government was doing too much, yet not enough for people. So during the 1912 election he found himself running on a New Freedom platform where he wanted to limit federal government and fight the monopolies. He did this by addressing Tariffs, Banks and Business. He was successful in lowering tariff on such things as woolen, steel rails, raw wool, and iron ore. Now when he did this he brought back the federal income tax which hadn’t been in existence since the days of the civil war. Wilson used these federal income taxes to help run our government that he campaigned need to be limited. This federal income tax we are still paying today and we still haven’t limited government’s control over us. By addressing Banks I think that Wilson was able to help the agriculture industry and hurt the country’s finical status in the long run. With the Federal Farm loan Act farmers were able to cover the increasing cost of land. This helped the agriculture industry, but the Federal Reserve System created a system where the country was able to stabilize prices of goods in the country, and mange long term interest rates. I know you’re asking how is this a bad thing, to which I reply â€Å"Housing Market. † I think that if you owned a house or even watched the news you know that this when our system failed us. Thanks Wilson. As far as the Business Wilson was able to establish the Federal Trade Act. This Act was established to deter business from conducting unfair trade practices. The Federal Trades Act allowed its member to investigate and take action on companies who practice unfair trades. Summary In his campaign to change the Country through a New Freedom Woodrow Wilson beat out the more popular Theodore Roosevelt. The changes that Roosevelt made in office and the promises of a new and improved government did not fair that well against the promise of less government in the New Freedom that Woodrow Wilson offered during his campaign. The two Progressive Presidents stood for the betterment of the people and the removal of these giant corporations in the government. They both accomplished this in their own way, yet they did it differently.

Is there a future in Travel Agency in the UK Dissertation

Is there a future in Travel Agency in the UK - Dissertation Example In essence, the future of the travel agency industry in the United Kingdom perceives technology both as danger and useful business prospect, in line with adapting to realities in society. Examining the future of the industry of travel agencies in United Kingdom is valuable for the current players in the market, as it will help improve the current practice and help resolve the declining market. The study aims to evaluate the effects of technology in UK’s travel agency industry, in order to analyze the potential disadvantages it presents and the potential it presents for optimal utilization. Identifying the threats that the information and communication technology era presents is valuable in mitigating its effects to the Travel Agency industry. On the other hand, analyzing technology as a tool for business growth would reinforce business practice and promote growth. Apart from market players, the study will also be beneficial for scholarly and academic work, as it would contribu te to the body of knowledge that evaluates the correlation of tourism and technology, on both the negative and positive aspects. The current research will also be helpful for consumers, as a means of awareness and a more accurate reference for choosing the best option in booking holiday travels that best suits their needs. Lastly, the study is useful for future research, as it would delve on the projected impact of technology on UK’s tourism. Research Question 1. How does Information Technology (IT) negatively impact UK’s Travel Agency? 2. How does IT contribute to UK’s Travel Agency? 3. How does IT affect consumer behavior in terms of disintermediation? 4. How can IT improve UK’s Travel Agency’s practice to sustain business? Research Aim To evaluate the effects of information technology on the future of United Kingdom’s Travel Agency Industry. Research Objectives 1. To identify and analyze the threats brought about by IT in UK’s trav el agency industry. 2. To determine the opportunities generated by IT in UK’s travel agency industry. 3. To analyze how IT affects consumer behavior on disintermediation. 4. To identify strategies to utilize IT in UK travel agencies to develop business practice. 2. LITERATURE The development of information technology, especially the widespread utilization of the internet medium has changed how the tourism industry functions. It can serve as both a boon and a bane, as it produces both opportunities and difficulties to the process and the stakeholders involved in the field of hospitality and tourism. Since the study focuses on travel agencies, the researcher will delve on the perspective of how travel agents are impacted due to the integration of the new technology to their line of work (Kilipiris and Zardava, 2012). Through the internet, both the behavior of the customers and the structure of the processes have been modified in the sense that it allows travel agents to sustain their visibility in distributing their services. However, as processes become automated, there is a risk that agents would be removed from the process and their roles would be fulfilled by virtual systems. It is important to note that in the event that their roles will be retained in the industry's structure, the utilization of technology would

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 18

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example Empowering employees is of benefit to the achievement of your organizations goals of zero serious safety events. In Brookwood Medical Center, achievement of organizational goals is attained through a culture of social responsibility, teamwork, and treating other employees with respect and dignity. Dana Reid, I support the culture practiced in your organization. It is true that the importance of education in health care cannot be understated. One of the most fundamental elements of organizational culture as asserted by Dixon and Dougherty (2010) is human interactions. I believe that level of education of an individual plays an important role in determination of behavior in relation to human interactions, and also individual opinions towards specific issues. I also concur that a culture of higher education and setting the minimum requirement for new recruits as a BSN facilitates quality improvement as only highly skilled individuals are considered. In Brookwood Medical Center, attaining a high level of education is also highly valued. For a nurse to be recruited to a nurse leader position, he or she must also have a BSN. Creating a culture relating to education helps minimize incidences of medical errors as it prevents recruitment of poorly skilled individuals. Dorgham, S. R. (2012). Relationship between organization work climate & staff nurses organizational commitment. Nature and Science, 10(5), 80–91. Retrieved from

The significance of British Board of Film Classification in British Essay

The significance of British Board of Film Classification in British Film Industry - Essay Example From a social perspective, such contents are considered as inappropriate to some segments of the prospective audience, especially children. Thus, it becomes necessary to classify movies into certain categories so that the audience can be guided as to which movie is suitable for viewing by a specific group of individuals. In this context, it is relevant that viewing of inappropriate content, especially scenes depicting graphic sex or violence, frightening images and coarse language etc can negatively impact children who are in the developmental stage. Young children as well as teenagers also have a tendency to try or imitate what they view on the movie or TV screens. Besides, they also lack the maturity and intellectual as well as psychological faculties to take informed decisions about what is proper or distinguish the real from what they view on the screen. Therefore, from a sociological perspective, it becomes the responsibility of not only the parents but also the society and gove rnments to ensure that art forms do not expose children and teenagers to inappropriate content. Thus, movie rating or classification has come into practice, with a view to â€Å"help parents to protect children and teenagers from inappropriate contents† (Rating the Movies 2010). ... Therefore, a general need was felt to implement a standard procedure for classifying the movies being produced in Britain, through a single regulatory authority. Thus, the film industry of Britain instituted the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in 1912, as an â€Å"independent, self financing not for profit media content regulator† (Mission Statement 2011), with a view to make them act as a trustworthy guide for the public in advising them about the suitability of the content for specific segments. This organisation has â€Å"exercised responsibilities over cinema† classification for about 100 years and for videos for about 27 years from 1985, pursuant to the Video Recording Act 1984, passed by the parliament (Student’s British Board of Film 2005, p. 1). According to their mission statement, they seek to function as a labelling service provider, for media content, whose main objectives are as under: - a) Prevent the public especially children, from exp osure to â€Å"content which might raise harm risks† (Mission Statement 2011). b) Help the public in general, and parents in particular to â€Å"make informed viewing choices† (Mission Statement 2011). c) To ensure that â€Å"adult freedom of choice† (Mission Statement 2011) is honoured while adhering to relevant laws on the subject. d) Take into the consideration the changes occurring in â€Å"social attitudes towards media content and respond to them through consultation with the public as well as appropriate research† (Mission Statement 2011). e) Working within statutory constraints to facilitate a â€Å"cost effective, efficient classification service† (Mission Statement 2011). f) Maintain a close rapport with the film

What barriers are there to the effective prevention of genocide and Essay - 1

What barriers are there to the effective prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity - Essay Example The human race continue to talk of the visible and the invisible mass killings, some of which have acquired explicit names, yet little action have come forth to secure sustainable world peace. Shortly after the turn of the new millennium, the Darfur mass murders accompanied by unimaginable destruction, mass rapes, and dislocation followed a familiar trend that has long demanded a concerted, prompt effort as the rest of the world watched the events of the other side of human nature unfold unabated. Sixty years after the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (CPPCG), and two solid decades after its ratification by the most powerful nation on earth, the United States, the world still lacks reliable institutional frameworks to confront the evil inherent in the subject matter at hand. The term ‘genocides’ has its origin in the work of Raphael Lemkin’s 1944 analysis of the Holocaust titled Axis Rule in Occupied Europ e; an enormous task that basically found the phrase ‘mass killing’ rather inadequate to fully capture the atrocities of the event (Kentis, 2011, p.3). Before Lemkin’s work, crimes of mass atrocities [â€Å"crimes of crimes†] lacked â€Å"explicit identity† (Power, 2002, p. 30). Scholars are in agreement that genocides are not natural disasters, but man-made occurrences that are preventable. (Fein, 2000, p. 42). Despite the inherent flaws with regards to the legal definition adopted at the above mentioned convention concerning what exactly constitutes genocide, its recognition as a crime of humanity, without a doubt, reinforced the legitimacy by the international community to act, on humanitarian grounds, to prevent and possibly stop the elements with ill intentions from actualizing any form of pre-planned atrocities. To date, the convention’s statutes largely remains monumental with genocide intervention, even with immense evidence of ethnic cleansing taking place, occurring at the final stages of Stanton’s eight stage model (Stanton, 2008). This paper briefly elaborates on some of the barriers towards effective prevention of world genocides and crimes against humanity; and where possible the analysis will include the flawed nature of the theo retical frameworks that seem to work only in paper, the blockade erected by the concept of ‘State sovereignty’, the difficulty of holding perpetrators to account, and the general lack of international will/interest to intervene in matters considered domestic. The Impediments to the Prevention of Crimes against Humanity The campaigns initiated by Lemkin to include and subsequently prohibit genocide under the international laws was more than a welcome call for international action as demonstrated by UN General Assembly’s nod on the 9th December 1948. To be sure, even though the word genocide may appear recent in origin, the concept is almost as old as mankind

Gimme Shelter and the 1960s Counter Culture Term Paper

Gimme Shelter and the 1960s Counter Culture - Term Paper Example People make culture, and culture makes them. Through making culture, individual and collective identities are formed (Cushman, 1996, p. 7). The construction of cultural institutions reflect â€Å"commonsense beliefs about human behavior† (Bruner, 1990, p. 38) Take the case of the men playing in a hobby band. The descriptive terms that one uses for these men and their vocation, such as â€Å"playing†, â€Å"audience† and â€Å"instrument† are all cultural meanings, and these cultural meanings control how we act. An individual’s experiences and acts are shaped by his intentional states, and these states are †realized only through participation in the symbolic systems of culture† (Bruner, 1990, p. 33). It is only through cultural interpretations of one’s personal autobiography that this story becomes understandable. Through this cultural mediation, meaning becomes communal and public, as opposed to private. The difference between cul ture and biological inheritance is that the latter does not necessarily shape human experience and action, but, rather, constrains action in a modifiable way. Culture shapes the human mind and life by giving â€Å"meaning to action by situating its underlying intentional states in an interpretive system.† (Bruner, 1990, p. 34). ... 42). Culture externalizes internal feelings, states of consciousness and thoughts into concrete forms that are shared by individuals. These concrete forms, such as music, are viewed as cultural objects (Cushman, 1996, p. 90). How music functions in any culture depends on how that culture operates socially, and these circumstances vary between one culture and another. Listeners responds to popular music physically, by singing along, dancing, clapping, etc.; emotional, by feeling the music, reminiscing or romanticizing; and cognitive, by learning, stimulating thought, processing information, and framing perceptions, etc (Lull, 1987, p. 141). Related to the concepts of culture, as it relates to the dominant culture, are countercultures and taste culture. Counterculture is the result of engaging in alternative forms of communication among social actors who are collectively pursuing alternative ways of living (Cushman, 1996, p. 8). The base of knowledge amongst the social actors in the co unterculture runs counter to the dominant culture. Rock music counterculture means a group of individuals who are committed to disseminate rock music that is neither overtly nor covertly influenced by the dominant culture. Countercultures are often formed around music, due to music’s ability to communicate and mediate common experiences. For instance, the 1960s were marked by the Vietnam War, which gave birth to the activists and hippies, two examples of 1960's countercultures. The youth of those times, influenced by the Vietnam War and a general feeling of unrest, basically made war on their elders, and this was a world-wide phenomenon, even in the countries were Vietnam

BUS303 MODULE 1 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

BUS303 MODULE 1 - Assignment Example Additionally, defamatory statements should be avoided because the company will take them with a lot of seriousness. This may entail filling a court suit against employees who tend to use defamatory statements when sending their emails, the company may further terminate the services rendered by employees who continue violating company email announcement policies. This means that they should disclose their contact details such as names, employee pin address, phone numbers, email address and the subject of their emails. The company will not accept emails containing graphics because the company would consider them less formal and unprofessional. Any email received from employees and all the stakeholders will be maintained in the company data base for future references and communication. Incase of clarity and quick responses employees are advised to follow the procedure of filling the forms available in the company website. Connectively, employees are advised to close check their emails b efore they press a sent button in order to clarify any unclear issue. On the contrary, XYZ company will ensure that all email sent by employees comply with the company email policies. In above connection, email sent will be treated with a lot of confidentiality and that no email sent by employees will be disclosed to any third party without the consent of the recipient. Additionally, after the company has received an email from employees or any other stake holder, an automatic email notification will be sent within twenty four hours to show the recipient that the XYZ Company is in receipt of an email sent. Afterwards, the relevant department will review the email sent and provide necessary feedback within two to five business days whereby, weekends and holidays will not be considered as business days. During the review the relevant department will assess whether the email sent is in compliance with the company email policy guidelines as provided in the book let. The company is looki ng forward to supply email policy booklet that provide a comprehensive discussion of the email policy guidelines. Incase of any assistance, employees are encouraged to seek for the advice in order to ensure that email policies are followed to the latter. Therefore, employees are advised to read the XYZ Company email policy guidelines and adhere to them until further announcements are made. From the Managing Director, XYZ Company Signature Summary on email policy announcement The main aim of adopting new email announcement policies is because the XYZ Company is contemplating global expansion to diversify its portfolio into other nation across the world. Therefore, the company wants to be more professional unlike before when dealing with its employees and all the relevant stakeholders (Christensen, Para, 3). This is because by being professional the company will attract numerous investors from the diaspora as many investors would have confidence with the company (Christensen, Para, 3- 5). The policy of ensuring that an email addressed to XYZ Company are precised and to the point may help to capture the necessary information without much strain and therefore, efficiency and effectiveness in communication will be enhanced (Johnson, PP.14-17). Connectively, the policy of using non defamatory statement aims at ensuring that the information

Terrorism and Homeland Security Quiz Assignment

Terrorism and Homeland Security Quiz - Assignment Example Terrorism and Homeland Security Quiz Force multipliers, in terrorism, is the process and means that aid in augmented activities in terrorism. The five types of force multipliers in terrorism are: religion, media, transitional support, technology and recruitments as discussed. Religion offers an auspicious environment for member groups to have a common ideology towards a certain goal. Religion offer doctrines used to recruit and train new members. Members have to respect the belief systems of the group such that they can even sacrifice their bodies in order to uphold the teachings. The terrorism groups use various religions such as Islam through quoting verses in the Quran that encourage killings. (Chandra, 2003). The terrorism groups use media to convey their message to the wider world, which enhances their survival, and as a means to elicit fear to the populace (Hamm, 2007). The terrorism groups use media to convey a message of ill intentions that lead to fluctuations in moral behaviors, in the society. The transitional support provides an opportunity to the terrorist to carry out an attack through offering financial support and military empowerment (Hamm, 2007). The terrorist groups use this support to deviate from the law; thus establishing their guidelines in order to control various localities within their dispensation in order to enhance their dominance. Terrorism takes advantage of the rapid advance of technology in the contemporary world, which allows inventions of explosive devices that terrorist groups use to make sophisticated bombs. Terrorist inculcate various technological skills in their training in order to make such explosive devices.

Controversies In Archaeology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Controversies In Archaeology - Essay Example At the end of Pleistocene period, these animals had completely disappeared or extinct. In Asia and Europe, a similar pattern of extinction of Pleistocene mammal took place where lions, bear, and woolly rhino disappeared (Fagan 47). The central question that archeologist and paleontologists ask is what caused the extinction of these large mammals in such a short time span? Some archaeologists, scientists, and paleontologists have proposed that the demise of these mammals can be attributed to the climatic changes while others such as Paul Martin have attributed it to the human cause or hunting overkill. Martin’s explanation of the disappearance of the largest mammals towards the end of Pleistocene period has not received endorsement from North American Pleistocene archaeological and paleontological records. It has been a controversial topic in archaeology since the 1860s with some archaeologists arguing that human hunters were the ones responsible for the extinction of the Pleis tocene mammals. Currently, the issue of human hunters being blamed for the disappearance of the world’s biggest creatures has been disputed with scholars from North America, Western Europe, and Australia arguing that mammal extinction during the Pleistocene period cannot be blamed on the overkill (Meltzer and Grayson 586). The theory of overkill has been disputed because of lack of sufficient evidence. Paleontologists and archaeologists argue that the overkill theory was entirely based on beliefs or faith rather than on science and concrete evidence from animal’s remains. Archaeologists such as Paul Martin has attributed the extinction of the world’s largest mammals to human causes as he asserts that their extinctions were because of impact of human hunting in North America. Further, Martin argues that the climatic changes during the interglacial periods did not lead to the demise of the large mammals such as Mammoth at the end of the Pleistocene period because these animals were well adapted to different environments and therefore, they could not succumb to the changes in climate. The appearance of the Clovis hunters in North America 11,000 years ago corresponds to the disappearance of some of the extinct species such as woolly rhinos. The fluted points have been discovered in relation with the bones of the extinct species of these animals such as the bison, horse, mammoth, and camel. These discoveries suggest that the Paleo-Indian and Clovis hunters with quick and effortless access to animals ignorant of the dangerous predators such as lions and bears rapidly eradicated the entire species of large animals they faced (Price and Feinan 152). Martin’s argues that the Clovis group of hunters hunted these Animals, which led to their extinction. Archaeological evidence from these sites and other North American plains contained the remains of mammoth, which made Martin assert that the Clovis hunters hunted these animals. This reasonable observation was then translated into generalization that the Clovis people were big game hunters even there was no (and still there is no) evidence for such specialization. Due to this rationale, some North America archaeologists have attributed the North American Pleistocene extinction in part to human causes. In order to justify his arguments, Martin used Island extinction to prove that human colonization led to the disappeara

Organizational Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Organizational Behaviour Essay As we all know and have all experienced, organizational behaviour is the knowledge concerned with the structure, functioning, performance of an organization, and the behaviour of groups and individuals within it. Organizational behaviour is a wide-spread notion and closely related to organization chart, organization culture, organization development, organization dilemma, and organizational socialization, etc. Though its an intangible theory of multifacets, organizational behaviour does play an immeasurable role geared to our needs in many fields. However, how does the writer understand organizational behaviour? Behind this question lies sorts of sophisticated tracking-down of this fascinating miracle of organizational behaviour. Organizational bahaviour is extremely important to our life and work. It has a great influence on them, but it is very hard to understand as well. The writer here wants to develop five points as he has understood. They are group or team roles and leadership, social responsibility, motivation, personality within the organizational behaviour territory.  Team Roles and Leadership  Team roles and leadership are related to each other and linked by collective goals. What do these concepts mean? Lets go to Huczynski and Buchanan(2001:890, 882) for their definitions respectively: Team Role: An individuals tendency to behave in particular preferred ways which contribute to and interrelate with other members in a team.  Leadership: The process of establishing goals and influencing the behaviour of others in the pursuit of effective goal achievement.  In order to make a clear image, lets have a look at Team Role first. Actually, a very popular and widely used approach to understanding team roles was developed by Belbins team role theory. We can remind ourselves of each of Belbins nine team roles, which are plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator, shaper, monitor-evaluator, teamworker, implementer, completer and specialist, by scoring the Belbins team role questionnaire. Honestly, the sentences which you think best describe your behaviour when you are doing the questionnaire determine the accurate team role you are playing. When we are in our own team role, we should lay great emphasis on contribution. What we believe we can contribute to a team may involve : 1) producing ideas is one of our natural assets; 2) we can work well with a very wide range of people, etc. As long as we are partners or colleagues, our performance may affect each others. For instance, we would be ready to work with the person who took the most positive approach if we were suddenly given a harsh task within limited time and with unfamiliar people. Therefore we must get on so well with our partners as to benefit our collective goals. While it is quite intangible and abstract to understand leadership, the writer wants to take an example with a metaphor describing the relationship between team role and leadership. The conductor (leadership) of the orchestra controls the co-operation of the musicians to play a piece of music, i.e., the timing, tune and pitch (arrangement) of every instrument are very carefully controlled and co-ordinated. In turn, the musicians (team role) also influence the behaviour of the conductor. If one instrument plays too loudly or too slowly, the conductor will demand adjustment and therefore maintain balance of the whole orchestra. In order to facilitate the performance of the orchestra, the conductor should have some knowledge on every musical instrument but he does not need to be keen on or good at all of them. He should strengthen the orchestra through charisma, insight, creativity, trust, stimulation, consideration, etc. If it is necessary, he can empower a head musician to lead one group of musical instruments (team work). In leader behaviour, you would always act as the spokesperson for your group, or you would stress being ahead of competing groups, or you would encourage overtime working. etc. Once you are assessing which preferred leadership style you are, the following elements should be taken into consideration: 1) whether or not you are qualified enough for the work or to be with and guide your employees? 2) whether or not you want to accept other ideas? 3) whether or not people are happy in doing their work and productivity is high? and 4) whether or not people enjoy their work and are productive because of positive reinforcement? Leadership is related to how you think you would like to behave before and with your employees and to how you work out optimized projects for your firms.

Design and Build Procurement Method

Design and Build Procurement Method If the potential readers of this dissertation within the Middle East region are going to get a better appreciation of the Design and Build procurement method, initially they must understand the advantages and/or disadvantages of this type of procurement method from both the Clients and Contractors perspective. 4.2 Arguments for Design Build Both Ndekugri and Turner (1994) argue that the Design and Build contract is often completed in a shorter duration because of the integration of the design and construction phases of a project. From a Clients perception this is one of the most important benefits this type of arrangement has to offer. Because the design/build Contractor is both designing and constructing the proposed facility, procurement and the construction phase can begin sooner than the more traditional design/bid/ and then build type of procurement arrangement. This time savings tends to results from the project being designed in phases which enables the Contractor to begin the construction works earlier. With the traditional design/bid/ construction arrangement, the Contractor does not normally start building until the Designer has completed the design and the project has been awarded. Both Saxon (2000) and the RICS Iconsult (no date) support this argument; both agree that one of the main benefits of this Design and Build arrangement is that it tends to reduce the design and construction time because they are being done concurrently and allows the Client to start earning revenue sooner than had he elected to use the traditional procurement method. According to Ndekugri and Turner (1994) another important benefit of the DB procurement method is the broad responsibility of the design/build Contractor. In traditional construction projects, problems often occur when the Designer blames the Contractor and vice versa for problems in the operation of the facility. On occasions in traditional construction projects, protracted litigation is necessary to resolve any dispute between the Designer and Contractor when they continue to blame each other for the problems. In design/build contracts, the Design and Build Contractor is responsible for both the design and construction of the project and retains the full responsibility for the outcome of the project, except for matters for which the Client retains responsibility. The Designer and Contractor are the same entity, so blaming each other does not excuse the Design and Build Contractor. The design/build Contractor is completely responsible for both construction and design defects. The Cl ient can recover directly from the design/build Contractor for deficiencies in either design or construction of the project. Therefore, the Client need not determine initially whether a defect was caused by an error in design or construction. In a more traditional construction contract, this issue must be determined so that the Client can establish whether the design professional or the Contractor is at fault. Haskell (no date) believes that another benefit of the Design and Build arrangement is that where the design and construction personnel work together and communicate and solve problems as a team, the Client will benefit from the continuity between Designer and Contractor. In a Design and Build project the same entity has the expertise to design the project as well as the expertise to build the project. Therefore they are unlikely to suffer communication problems, and because they are working as a team, they are better able to optimize the design and better able to evaluate alternative materials and construction methods efficiently. In addition to this, the RICS Iconsult (no date) believes that because the design team and the Contractor are working together as a team, the design is more likely to be buildable. Hughes (1992) argues that Design Build offers a high degree of cost certainty, encourages economical solutions, and enables value to be considered as well as price. The RICS Iconsult (no date) agrees with Hughes, and confirm that providing that the Client does not change their design brief, the Design and Build procurement method is more cost effective and provides more cost certainty than the traditional methods of procurement. Shapiro Hankinson Knutson Law Corporation (no date) also believes that another favourable feature of this arrangement, is that the design/build Contractor is liable for any additional cost that he may incur due to errors, omissions or ambiguities in his drawings and/or specification. In traditional contracts the Client warrants the sufficiency of the specification and drawings, and the Client becomes liable to the Contactor for any increased costs because of deficiencies in the drawings and specifications. In a design/build contract, the design/build Contractor is responsible for design as well as construction. The situation minimises claims for extra payment and the design/build Contractor cannot request extra compensation on account of their own mistakes or assumptions. In some instance, the design/build concept has been taken a step further, thus providing the Client with more options and/or advantages. For example, the design/build Contractor, might offer a turnkey procurement solution, this generally means that they will offer the Client a full package which includes the testing and commissioning of the facility, as well as the training of the Clients staff in the operation of the facility. The concept is that when the facility is finished and ready for handing over, all the Client has to do is turn the key. In some instances the design/build Contractor may also include in their proposal a financing deal for the project. Alternatively the design/build Contractor may offer a BOLT type arrangement i.e. they will build the project, then they will operate the facility for a given amount of time, in consideration for this, the Client will then leases the facility for the defined term and cost, then after the expiry of the term, the ownership of the fa cility is then transferred back to the Client. Schiff Hardin LLP (ii) (no date) argues that only with design/build contracts, is the Client able to obtain performance warranties because the Designer and Contractor are not in a position to blame each other because technically they are a single entity. For example it is common for the design/build Contractor to warrant that a proposed facility when completed will yield a predetermined output (e.g. process 2000 cans of coke per hour). This requirement can then be linked to the liquidated damages clause in the event that the output falls short of the predetermined output for the facility. According to the RICS Iconsult (no date), because the Design and Build Contractor has total responsibility, there will be less claims from the Contractor for the late delivery of information, particularly design information. In most design/build contracts, the contract price is fixed price/lump sums, this gives the Client some degree of price certainty. In summary, some of the proclaimed advantage of the design/build procurement include inter alia:- (i) Clients with limited access to technical consultants or their own in-house technical departments may find such contracts attractive. Similarly it is also perceived that because the design/build Contractor is responsible for design, and construction inclusive of quality, the Client will benefit from the reduced cost of third party inspectorates and contract administration, However you could argue that this is an disadvantage to the Client, because at the end of the day, Contractors and design consultants are profit driven and this situation could lead to a compromise in the quality of the project; (ii) Because the design and construction are integrated and the personnel are working together for a common goal. They are better able to optimise the Design and Build ability of a project. They are better able to evaluate alternative materials and methods of construction. Innovation and team work should result in cost savings. This could be construed to be a disadvantage to the Client, especially if all the innovation occurs during the design development stage, because it is generally only the DB Contractor that will get to see benefits for the cost savings at this stage of a project; (iii) The design/build Contractor is a single-point and both the Designer and builder are jointly and severally liable and/or responsible; (iv) In the event of a latent defect and/or litigation by the Client, the joint financial resources of a design/build Contractor will be greater than those of the individual Designer and builder; (v) Most design/build arrangements will tend to be lump sum in nature, meaning that they will usually offer greater certainty in respect of cost to the Client; (vi) Payment by fixed instalments at certain milestone stages, rather than by evaluation method, may be preferential to both Design/Builder and/or Client; (vii) In the event of a post-completion failure of the project, the Client will not be concerned to discover whether the failure is due to the design on the one hand or defective work or materials on the other; viii) From the design/ build Contractors perspective, due to the increase in risk that is inherent of a Design and Build contract, the reward will be greater i.e. more profit. However with more risk, comes more pain when things go wrong for a Design and Build Contractor; ix) From the perspective of a Design and Build Contractor, due to the specialised nature of a Design and Build arrangement, not all Contractors have the required skill set to undertake projects with the design responsibility. The consequence of this is less competition. However, from a Clients perspective this could be a disadvantage because of the likely hood of higher prices due to the reduction in competition; x) There is no need to wait until the design is 100% complete, therefore the Client will benefit from the speed at which the design gets translated into construction; xi) Theoretically there should be less of an involvement by the Clients consultants, therefore the fees from Consultants should be less. 4.3 Arguments against Design Build Clients should stop thinking that Design and Build arrangements need less input from third parties than the traditional method. Some Clients believe that because they have appointed a design/build Contractor who ultimately has a single point of responsibility, there is no need to appoint a third party inspectorate and/or cost advisor. This belief can compromise the quality of the project, as the Design and Build Contractor will attempt to complete the project as cheaply and quickly as possible. Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date) argues that because the Designer is no longer employed directly by the Client, the Client may find it more difficult to access information that would have ordinarily been available to them under a traditional project. The Client may feel that he has less control over the design phase and design intent because the relationship between Designer and Client is not the same had it been in a more traditional project. Similarly the Client in a traditional contract retains the services of the Designer during the construction phase to act as a watch dog for compliance with the drawings and specification. But in a Design and Build contract, the Designer no longer works for the Client and the Designer allegiance is with the DB Contractor Hanscomb (2004) confirms that one of the disadvantages of a Design and Build arrangement, is that disputes often occur when the Employer Requirements are not specific enough and left open to the interpretation of the parties. As a result the Client may perceive that he is getting X, but the design/build Contractors interpretation is Y. As a result the Client may not get what they envisaged. This may also lead to litigation if the parties cannot mutually resolve the difference in interpretation of the Employers Requirements. As confirmed before and by Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date), due to the specialised nature of the Design and Build arrangement, the Client may find it difficult to obtain competitive quotations. In addition, this form of procurement method quite often excludes smaller companies who do not necessary have the in-house technical ability to undertake a Design and Build. It is also common for design/build contracts to negotiated rather than be competitively bid because Clients tend to find it difficult to induce Contractors to produce preliminary designs unless they are compensated for their costs. All of these factors could be construed as a disadvantage to the Client because they may not get value for money. Appelbaum et al (2012) argues that the principal disadvantage of traditional Design and Build is that the owner loses control of the design process, since the design professionals primary legal and practical allegiance is to the design-builder rather than the owner. This can create severe conflicts of interest during both the design phase and construction administration. From a design/build Contractors perspective and especially in a competitive tender situation, they are at risk of spending a substantial amount of money on a preliminary design and/or concepts and there is no certainty if they will recover this cost. From a Client perspective they could be perceived as an advantage in a competitive bidding situation because they do not need to compensate the Contractors for their preliminary design costs. It is also commonly believed that it is almost impossible to make any genuine appraisal and/or comparison of the cost of a competitively bid Design and Build tender, especially where their designs differ significantly. Schiff Hardin LLP (no date) maintains that if a Client puts a Design and Build tender out to bid, this inevitably results in a competition to under-design a facilitate without any regard to quality, functionality, and maintainability. It could also be argued that where both the design/build Contractor and Clients lack experience in this type of delivery approach, this could have a huge detrimental impact on the delivery of the project and the expectations of the parties. In other words, if a naive Client and/or DB Contractor believes that the other party is responsible for any deliverable associated with the project, and later it transpires they are not, then an unexpected cost might arise that was not anticipated. Rowlinson (1988) also argues that from the Clients perspective, it is difficult to make a comparison of the various preliminary design proposals submitted by Design and Build Contractors. Each Design and Build Contractor will each develop a concept design that satisfies the Employers Requirements albeit using lots of different methods and/or techniques. According to the RICS (no date), from the perspective of a Design and Build Contractor, the extent of the design responsibility is generally fitness for purposes unless the contract states otherwise. This is more onerous than the normal duty of reasonable skill and care imposed on a design consultant when they are employed by the Client in the traditional role. Conversely, and in my opinion, from the perspective of the Client, this could be construed to be an advantage in the event of a design defect. During the course of this study, it has become evident that here in the Middle East, a Contractor and/or Designer is generally only registered with the concerned authorities to either undertake construction works or design works. It is rare for one entity to be registered to undertake both work classification i.e. designer and builder. Therefore for any organisation that wants to participate in the Design and Build field, they will have to form a consortium of Designer and Contractor; which can be a lengthy and complicated process for the parties, especially when they attempt to agree who has responsibility for each risk and which entity is best equipped to handle the risk. Unless the Client incorporates a mechanism in the contract that gives them the opportunity to have an input into the detailed design, the Clients input into the detailed design will be limited and this may result in the finished article not being as they previously envisaged, which then could then lead to disputes. Conversely, and again in my opinion, if the Client employs a Designer to carry out the detailed design and then by novation, the Client transfers the design liability to the Design and Build Contractor, this could result in higher costs for the Client. This could also have a detrimental effect on the ability of the Design and Build Contractor to optimise the design and construction of the project and to evaluate the merits of alternative materials and construction methods. Schiff Hardin LLP (i) (no date) also believes that from the perspective of the Client, the terms of a Design and Build contract generally favour the Design and Build Contractor. Therefore it is recommended that any Client thinking of using the design and built procurement methods should work closely with a lawyer experienced in construction law and in particular the Design and Build contracts. Conversely, and again in my opinion, the Design and Build contract will generally consider this to be an advantage because the terms of the contract are in their favour. Shapiro Hankinson Knutson Law Corporation (no date) argues that under a lump sum Design and Build arrangement, it can get confrontational on how to determine what money is due to the Design and Build Contractor. The main difficulty is the ability to assess the design/builders progress, particularly where there is no independent party that can arbitrate between the parties and make independent assessment. To overcome this problem it is suggested that milestones stone be incorporated into any contract together with a predetermined sum for payment when the respective milestone are achieved. Generally the Design and Build Contractor will prepare a document to accompany his tender known as the Contractors Proposals. This document sets out his methodology of how they intend to satisfy the performance specifications set out in the Employer Requirements. The Joint Tribunal Council in the UK (2008) warns Clients that in the event of conflict between the Employers Requirements and the Contractors Proposals, the latter are stated to prevail. They further advise Clients that when evaluating tenders, adequate time must be given to checking these proposals, particularly as the contract conditions refer to the Employer having satisfied himself that the Contractors Proposals are acceptable. Similarly the Client should allow adequate time for checking the proposals to ensure that they are getting what they envisaged. Conversely, this could be looked upon as an advantage to the Client, for the DB Contractor may have optizmed the Employers Requirements by introducing innovation and ben eficial alternatives and methods into the Contractors Proposals. An Unknown Author (no date) argues that another disadvantage of the Design and Build contract is that it is not flexible enough to accommodate change. Therefore Clients are advised, that they should avoid change. If is often found that when foreseen and/or unforeseen changes occur, the Clients budget cannot accommodate the additional costs and they are left with no alternative but to either reduce the scope of works and/or comprise on the quality of the project in order to reduce cost. This will inevitably lead to a product that is not what the Client envisaged at the start of the project. Schiff Hardin (ii) (no date) wrote that issues relating to insurance and bonding affect the relationship between the Design and Build parties. Errors and omissions by the Designer are generally excluded from the Contractors insurance policies, and errors and omissions by the Contractor is generally exclude from the insurance policies of the Designer. Surety bonds can also lead to similar problems, for example, performance bonds may not cover design services. Satisfactory bonding or insurance obligations are likely to be either commercially unobtainable or prohibitively expensive. In summary, some of the proclaimed disadvantage of the design/build procurement method include inter alia:- (i) In the traditional Design and Build situation, only if the Client employs third party inspectorates and/or cost advisors at his expense will he be able to safe guard his interests. By doing this, and in my opinion. this appears to be at odds with the concept of a Design and Build contract i.e. the Design and Build Contractor is a single entity that are jointly and severally responsible for both defects in design and workmanship. (ii) Because of the specialist nature of the Design and Build contract, there are only a limited number of Design and Build Contractor that are capable of undertaking work using this arrangement. This consequently results in less competition and ultimately less competition will result in higher prices (iii) From the Clients perspective, compared with the traditional design/bid and construct arrangement, the Client inevitably loses control of both the design and construction phase. Even if they were to engage independent advisors, they have limited influence over the whole process; all they can do is monitor for compliance with the Employers Requirements. (iv) It has been suggested that where it has been possible to compare both forms of delivery methods i.e. Design and Build verse design/bid and the construct; there was little evidence that the optimisation of design and the evaluation of alternative materials and methods of construction have yielded a cost saving for the Client. In my opinion all benefits that occur due to the innovative ideas generally occur post contract and the cost benefits remain with the Design and Build Contractor (v) Particular attention should be given to the drafting of design/build contracts and Employer Requirements because of it bespoke nature. The Client should seek legal advice particularly from a construction lawyer who are well versed in the field of Design and Build projects. This legal advice invariably increases the total cost of the project for the Client. (vi) Where Clients elect to competitively tender a Design and Build project, from the Contractors perspective, the cost of preparing preliminary designs and the tender are generally substantial because the Contractor will have to engage the services of a design professional. This cost will need to be recovered in all subsequent tenders if the Contractor is not successful. In some instances, some Design and Build Contractors will decline to bid and this will unavoidably result in a less competitive environment. vii) Where the Client has elected to appoint a Designer to undertake a relatively detailed design. After which the Client decides to novate both the Designer and their design to the Design and Build Contractor. From a Contractors perspective, this will limit their ability to optimise the design and construction as well as review alternative methods and materials. Conversely from the Clients perspective, he regains control over the design and construction phase of the project. viii) All Clients have a duty to conduct some investigation into the capabilities and experience of the Design and Build Contractor. Particular attention should be paid to the track record of the preferred Contractors. Design and Build Contractors who are relatively new to this form of delivery method can themselves become a problem because of their lack of experience. Wardani et al. (2006) concluded that resourcing is influential to the success of design/build projects where a higher knowledge and understanding of the design-build processes can reduce problems within the combined design and construction phases ix) The Client should where possible avoid changes once the concept design and tenders have been fully evaluated and the Design and Build Contractor has been appointed. If required, any decision for change should be made as quickly as possible. Xiao and Proverbs (2003) argue that variations during the construction stage are risk factors that are disruptive to the achievement of project goals. 4.4 Outcome As stated in 1.4, the objective of this chapter was to critically analyse the benefits of Design and Build procurement method. Having looked at various sources of literature from books, internet websites and journals regarding the Design and Build procurement method, the writer believes that this has been achieved. The next chapter of the report will attempt to ascertain the feelings and attitudes of the construction professionals in the Middle East region to the Design and Build procurement method and to gauge whether there is a future for this procurement method. Chapter 5: Design and Build Case Study 5.1 Introduction To gauge the knowledge, feelings and attitudes of the construction professionals in the Middle East to the Design and Build form of procurement. A survey has been conducted using a 5 page questionnaire (See Appendix xxxxx for a blank copy of the survey). A covering letter accompanied the questionnaire setting out the objective of the study. The response rate to this Questionnaire was a favourable 62%. As stated in 2.6 on this report, the data received from the respondents was collated and analysed using the descriptive statistic method. Bar charts and/or histograms accompanied with the corresponding narrative have been used to present some of the data gathered from the respondents. Questions 1 to 4 Inclusive Initially a series of participant background questions were asked of the respondents, particularly where they lived within the Middle East, and what discipline best described their role in the industry i.e. construction management, commercial. Furthermore, the respondents were asked how many years had they been in the industry, and which sector of the industry they preferred. Approximately 60% of the respondents had been in the industry for more than 20 years. 63% of the respondents favoured the sector of roads and bridges. The respondents all came from a variety of disciplines i.e. 32% from a construction management background, 23% from a commercial background and 14% from a consultants background. With reference to Fig 6 below, 56% respondents respondent came from the Sultanate of Oman, 24% from the United Arab emirates, 4% from Kuwait, 8% from Bahrain, 4% from Saudi Arabia, 4% from Qatar. The purpose of these questions was to ensure that the data provided by the respondents was re liable and could be construed to be representative of the industry in the Middle East region as set out in the objectives contained in 1.4 of this report. Questions 5 to 7 The next series of question was intended to gather data on the type and nature of the organisations that the respondents work for. Again, the purpose of these questions was to ensure and verify that the respondents all came from diverse background and /or disciplines and/or organisations. With reference to Fig 7 below, 25% of the respondents came from a consultants backgrounds and 63% came from a variety of contracting backgrounds, 4% came from developers and 8% came from other sectors within the construction industry. Questions 8 to 13 inclusive To test my preconception that the traditional form of construction procurement method is the most extensively used in the Middle East, and to test peoples attitudes to the various types of procurement methods. The respondents were asked a number of quantitative questions i.e. Q8 Which procurement method did their current project follow? Q9 Which procurement method had they used the most extensively? Q 10 Which procurement method did they prefer? Q 11 Which procurement method did they think is the most extensively used in the region? Q 12 Which one of the Design and Build procurement methods did they want to gain further experience? Q 13 Which procurement method was used the most extensively within the respondents organisation? The surprising result of the data collected for Q8, was that 21% of the respondents confirmed that their current project had followed the Design and Build procurement method. This result is not too dissimilar to Handscomb (2004) findings detailed on page 11 of this report i.e. the use of Design and Build had grown to more than 30% today. The result to question 8 is also in line with the Contracts in Use 2007 Survey undertaken by RICS for the United Kingdom i.e. 21.7% of contracts were procured using the DB procurement method just for the economical down turn. However, this response was contrary to the writers preconception of how extensive the Design and Build procurement method is currently being used in the region. The writer was not expecting the actual use of the Design and Build method of procurement to be so high. The writers preconception was more in line with the results gained from Q11 (see Figure 8 below) i.e. 92% of the respondents believed that the traditional method of procurement was the most extensively used in the region with only 4% of the respondents saying that the Design and Build method was the most extensively used. The factual 21% of projects currently following the Design and Build procurement method (Q8) and the perceived 4% use of the design and built (Q11) is completely at variance with each other, thus indicting that people are not as narrow minded as previously thought, and are more open minded than to the use of alternative procurement methods in the Middle East region, particularly Design and Build. With reference to Fig. 9 below, it was also surprising to see that 44% of the respondents favoured Design and Build method of procurement, and 40% favoured the traditional method of procurement (Q10). Again this response was not in line with the writers hypothesis that professionals in the region are not open to change and other forms of procurement methods other than the traditional construction procurement methods. In response to Q13, 83% of the respondents confirmed that the traditional method of procurement was the most extensively used procurement method by their organisation and 14% confirmed Design and Build. When compared to the answers given in Q10, it could be argued that it is the Employers in the region that are comfortable with the status quo and are not willing to consider change, the answers given by the respondents to Q10 would suggest that there is an appetite for change amongst the workers as they favoured the Design and Build procurement method. Questions 14 to 20 In order to gauge the attitudes of the respondents to the various procurement methods available, the respondents were asked which procurement method was most suited to a particular sector of the construction industry (See Results in Table 1 below). With reference to Table 1 above, the majority of the respondents favoured the Design and Build contract over the traditional form of procurement in all but one scenario. Again these results are at variance to the writers preconceived ideas of people attitudes to the Design and Build procurement method in the Middle East. These result indicate that construction professional in the Middle East are in fact open to the idea of new procurement methods and in particular the Design and Build. This is contrary to the hypothesis contained in 1.2 of the report. Question 21 88% of the respondents confirmed that they had gained some form of experience with the Design and Build procurement method, and only 12% had gained no experience at all (See Figure 10 below). This appears to reinforce the emerging idea that construction professionals in the Middle East would indeed be open to using different procurement methods in the region. Question 22 to 24 inclusive

Effective Leadership And Successful Leaders

Effective Leadership And Successful Leaders A view of leadership as it pertains to equality in education for all students regardless of gender, race, or socioeconomic status will be reviewed during this 2010 Go Global experience in South Africa. In preparation for this trip, different articles and books were reviewed for insight on management and leadership. Included in these readings were suggestions on how best to lead, as well as direction for handling toxic relationships. Toxic relationships can be defined as those relationships that are shadowed with negativity and tend to be reactive and judgment based in nature. Creating a sense of team building and acceptance were found to be key roles for those in leadership positions. Leaders should have a sense of direction, not misuse their power, and should be able to inspire others. A leader should also be humble in attitude and encourage all team members to brain storm and contribute to the task. Whether leading personally or professionally, in a business or in a school, a leader should recognize the dynamics of the group under their direction and be able to modify accordingly. While great leaders should be flexible, they must retain their convictions and focus toward attaining the goal or vision. It has been through a conviction that great leaders have inspired others to desire and create change. These leaders have intelligently led by example, never condemning anothers beliefs, but instead inspiring in others the desire to change. It is through charisma and intuitiveness that leaders are able to begin movements that create change. Movements for change are not limited to only political greats, they are also found in our own school systems. Assuming the role of the leader in a school must be carefully considered. It should be a role that one assumes with the understanding that they will both directly and indirectly affect, either positively or negatively, many that will follow their lead. Staff and students alike will be affected by the type of leadership roles they have in their school systems, so it must be remembered that school leadership is not limited to the parameters of the school, it affects generations that in turn will affect futures. Life is an echo what you send out comes back. Chinese Proverb There have been many great leaders throughout history, including Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and even Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Each person was seeking to right a perceived injustice during a particular time in our history. Through history we have seen leaders who would initiate ideas that others would continue, some who would make contributions small, yet impactful, and others who would change the course of history. No matter the result, one thing was consistent, all great leaders throughout time possessed similar leadership qualities. Reading Response to Vaclav Havel, former president of the Czech Republicà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Bohemian Rhapsody www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010218 Living Responsibly: Vaclav Havels View www.acton.org/publciations/randl/rl_article_284.ph?/view=print Vaclav Havel, former president of Czechoslovakia, has been compared to Nelson Mandela, being considered a saint in the West. Havel, a playwright who put his career on hold to lead a group against communist totalitarianism, a man who would be imprisoned, and a leader who would later become president, is a man of conviction. Speaking and responding to the global force for freedom and the long struggle between conscience and tyranny, Havel is the author of the essay on the Power of the Powerless which deals with the indifference seen in our Western cultures. It would be suicide for the world -the indifference to the freedom of others ultimately becoming indifference to freedom for ourselves. Vaclav Havel The idea that if we assume apathy for circumstances that do not directly affect us, we will ultimately become indifferent to our own freedoms has much significance. It sends a message that we must work as a community in order to continue to move forward. Leaders play a crucial role in focusing their team. Their qualities must include the ability to persuade a group to work together for a common goal, and dissuade, without insult, those ideas that serve only a selected group. As future leaders, we must recognize that our beliefs should not be subjective, nor are they limited. Our goals should always serve the good of all. The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart. Mr. Havel to the United States Congress Our ability to recognize ourselves as part of a greater good is central to becoming a great leader. Our leadership should have focus, yet be humble. Our ability to see others through ourselves, and lead others as we would like to be lead, creates such a salvation. Leadership must maintain a global view, with the leader part of the view and not the puppeteer of the view. I have read and reviewed leaders that possessed many of the characteristics of great leadership (Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson), but whose leadership qualities were outweighed by their self-centered separation of themselves from the human world. I see that leading with your heart can be subjective, but I do not believe that is what Havel meant. I feel as if he stated that compassion, respect and understanding for all members within a particular dynamic, business, academic or otherwise, will create a stronger vision. A vision shared by many is not limited, but grows exponentially. Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. Albert Einstein Reading Response to Charles Manson as a charismatic transformational leader Leadership Style No Easy  Choice http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/charismatic-leadership.html Leadership needs enthusiastic involvement, by leaders who are not jaded by personal agendas. Charles Manson, one such charismatic leader, chose to use his gift of leadership for less than honorable reasons. Manson would be defined as a transformational leader using passion and energy to transform an organization. He sensed what his followers perceived they needed and then created a vision to fill that gap. Charismatic leaders create visions that seem to improve ones present circumstance by finding the missing link between what one is getting and what one desires. This type of leader is persistent and even willing to make personal sacrifices to attain the vision which has been set. Unfortunately, a negative charismatic leader manipulates their audience for their own good even seeking out audiences that are emotionally wounded. Ones ability to discern between the honorable and dishonorable leader is just as important as ones ability to lead and be part of a productive team. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen Sir Winston Churchill Reading response to Viktor E. Frankl, psychiatrist and Nazi death camp survivorà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Mans Search for Meaning, Beacon Press, 2006 Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you. Viktor E. Frankl This book was chosen not necessarily because of Frankls leadership, but because of his responses to the effects of negative leadership during the persecution of Jews at Auschwitz. Frankl shares an honest view of the persecutions that occurred, while sending a message of ones ability to control their responses. He talks about not being one of the most muscled up men and that he was looked upon as one who would not make it (survive) long. Frankl had a choice, find himself condemned before his fight began, or choose to be positive and believe that this persecution would soon end. Leaders must understand, as Frankl had to understand, we have no control of others. It can not be forced upon another my vision for change and growth, it can only be exampled. Leadership is not a series of demands, but commands. It is a cooperative effort in which all parties feel valued and respected. While Adolf Hitler possessed many qualities of the great leadership, he did not possess value and respect for all of mankind. This self-serving type of leadership serves a limited time; it can not be maintained or carried on because there is no collaboration and no shared vision. As a leader, one will really have little to no control of anything except ones own responses. We have the ability to choose our response and through modeling teach this strategy to those among us. If I choose humbleness, invite feedback, and remain positive, my leadership will influence others to do the same. This communication strategy invites all members to take part, or have ownership, in the goals at hand. With members feeling valued and sharing ownership, leaders are able to maximize the strengths of a team. It will be the choice of all members, including the leader, to do this even when there is friction within the group. It is easy to respond negatively to internal and/or external negativity, but that response leaves unmet goals and does not promote growth. Reading response to Nelson Mandela, seeker of a multi-racial democratic society and ex-president of South Africaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Nelson Mandela Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, 1994 Invictus, (2009) http://www.mandelainstitute.org.za/ If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner. Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela, 1993 Nobel Peace Prize winner, exemplifies a man of true conviction. He articulated a vision and led by example. At a time when Mandela could have been full of anger and revenge, he chose a much different voice, a voice of dedication to an end of racism. In his speech to the court that convicted him, Mandela said Whatever sentence Your Worship sees fit to impose upon me for the crime for which I have been convicted before this court, may it rest assured that when my sentence has been completed I will still be moved, as men are always moved, by their consciences; I will still be moved by my dislike of the race discrimination against my people when I come out from serving my sentence, to take up again, as best I can, the struggle for the removal of those injustices until they are finally abolished once and for all. Mandela, a man of honor, sought for the end of racial discrimination in South Africa, and even through imprisonment maintained his desire to attain this goal . He did not seek race domination; he desired a multi-racial democratic country. Mandela understood the importance of communication and role-modeling in order to attain the desired outcome of his vision and committed himself to a non-violent resistance against the apartheid*, following the role model of Mahatma Gandhi. Apartheid a social policy or racial segregation involving political and economic and legal discrimination against people who are not Whites; the former official policy in South Africa wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Although Mandela voiced non-violent resistance, he soon saw a need to change the approach. He commented to this change from non-violent resistance at the Rivonia trial when he stated that after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force. It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle, and to form Umkhonto we Sizwethe Government had left us no other choice. The task of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. John Buchan Leaders must be able to maintain a vision when circumstances and the world around them seem to stand in the way. Mandela exhibited this quality unlike no other, no matter how provoked he never answered racism with racism and he stood solid in his dedication to democracy. He recognized the greatness in humanity and strived to help others find it as well. Mandela understood the need to make peace with the enemy. He knew that it was not the person who was the enemy, but the actions of the person that becomes the enemy. In other words, he recognized that the answer for change was in the people themselves. Being a leader is not about what you make others do. Its about who you are, what you know, and what you do. You are a reflection of the people who follow you. An effective leader is not a one-man show or do-it-all-yourself hero. Effective leadership is about recognizing and taking advantage of the skills and talents from different people to form a cohesive unit. All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership. John Kenneth Galbraith Mandela recognized that in order to create change that he too must confrontà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [his] anxiety. He knew that he would have to forge a partnership with all of South Africa (black and white alike); he would have to stand for a united country and put in the past his memories of racial discrimination. Mandela would have to learn from his past, modeling himself as a man of acceptance of all men, both black and white. Like many other black South Africans, Mandelas disapproval of government discrimination was shown in many ways. One such non-violent means to show disapproval was to cheer for any team opposing the white Springbok Rugby team. In the movie, Invictus, Mandela, then president, is questioned by the media about his new found support of the Springbok Rugby team. Without waiver, Mandela replies how can I expect others to change if I, myself, am unwilling to do the same. Realizing the need to mediate difference respectfully and setting an example to others of own willingness to change is crucial to dynamic leadership. If we create an environment that invites open and positive communication along with respect, the overall health of an organization or in this particular circumstance for Mandela, a country, will be positively impacted. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. Nelson Mandela Mandela was driven not only by his belief in equality for all people politically; he was also an advocate for other non-political issues affecting his country as well. Mandela would address, problem-solve, and advocate for the AIDS epidemic, poverty, and education. Mandela was also instrumental in having South Africa house the 2010 Soccer World Cup. http://www.mandelainstitute.org.za/about/mandate_and_vision/ University of the Western Cape meeting with staff and students (oral interviews) Mandela, an educated man himself, saw education as a tool in the fight against the apartheid. When South Africa won its fight and Mandela became President, he remained focused on the benefits of quality education for all children in South Africa. He would continue to strive for quality education even after his presidency. In 2007, the Nelson Mandela Institute (a partnership between the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Department of Education, and the University of Fort Hair) would be founded to continue his work in education. There can be no contentment for any of us when there are children, millions of children, who do not receive an education that provides them with dignity and honor and allows them to live their lives to the full. Nelson Mandela, 2006 A man among men, Mandela believes that in order to create a sustainable future South Africa must invest in the education of the countrys youth. The statistics for children of poverty who matriculate is devastatingly low. The education system had not been meeting the needs of the majority of children in the nation (the poor black child). Matriculation (graduation) of the rural working-class has been as low as 1% with a child needing to score well on this exit exam in order to enroll in a university. Of those who do manage to matriculate, they still struggle to read and write at a level of success for the university because of inadequate academic preparation. To change these statistics and recreate an educational system that can provide education success for all children, resources in addition to a focused and strong leadership are a must. Mandela advocates change in education, and brings others together to share the same vision. The Nelson Mandela Institute mandates to work globally t o achieve Mr. Mandelas visions for education and rural development and is inspired by a common future shaped by the minds and creativity of all children. It is not beyond our power to create a world in which all children have access to quality education.   Those who do not believe this have small imaginations. Nelson Mandela, 07 http://www.ncrel.org/policy/pubs/html/leadersh/goodschl.htm http://www.newhorizons.org/trans/gardner.htm Whether the leader of a country like Nelson Mandela or the leader of a school system, one must be able to communicate the vision of the organization. School systems, like countries, need dynamic leadership by individuals that realize the potential of the young people following their guide. School leaders have a responsibility to their public; they should both influence and inspire the students and the staff. They should act less like a boss making commands and more like an artist creating unbounded imaginations. They must be able to develop a clear sense of purpose as it is important for people to see where they are going. In addition to direction, effective school leaders should elicit from their staff and students both trust and respect. It is important to remember that both trust and respect are earned by the leader through their actions and are not a guarantee. The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been. Henry Kissinger http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/acs/1890s/plessy/plessy.html http://brownvboard.org/summary/ American schools, not unlike the South African schools, have seen many struggles. It has been because of dynamic people (principals, teachers, and students) that our systems have evolved to where they are. Like South Africa, racial discrimination is not a stranger to the American school systems. It was the voice and dedication of a few that allowed our school systems to change and grow. A little over sixty years ago the states overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. Plessy v. Ferguson was an 1896 Supreme Court ruling most remembered as the separate but equal ruling. It was a decision that served as justification for racial discrimination until Oliver Brown and others brought complaint against the school systems. In Topeka, Kansas Linda Brown, an African-American student, lived right across from a school, but because of the color of her skin could not attend this white school. Under the counsel of Thurgood Marshall this discriminatory practices were being challenged. The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education not only affected the educational system, it ended legal racial discrimination. Discriminatory practices can damage the good of the whole, but strong leadership can build bridges and fill gaps. Good schools, like good societies and good families, celebrate and cherish diversity. Deborah Meier School leaders create exponential change simply by caring for people and giving them a chance to succeed. When inspiring the minds of children in a school setting it can be thought that success is never final. Our behavior and our beliefs are carried on through the minds and actions of many. That is a great responsibility knowing that as an academic leader we can affect so greatly, so many. This undertaking has to be done with openness of ones mind and willingness to celebrate others successes and not our own. Imagine yourself as the principal of one of those white schools when the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education. Imagine the strength and character needed to moderate such a change. During world change, it takes great character to evaluate how your personal ideals fit into the role that you must serve. Leading is not limited to times of progression when everyone is inviting openly whatever circumstances may be needed for the change. The test of a great leader comes during times like that 1954 ruling when faced with legal obligation and social conflict. An academic leader must be able to separate oneself from who they are right now and look into the future to where they have dedicated themselves to lead others. A leader must be willing to deal with conflict head on, not with aggression, but with insight and intuitiveness. All leaders, especially academic leaders, must always err on the side of action. They must not just clean up a mistake, they must problem solve and elimi nate it. It is especially important that a school leader view problems as an opportunity for growth. Not all visions will be met without conflict, and if we perceive as an opportunity to grow, then we maximize the effects of our leadership. The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. William Arthur School leadership is not limited to only those in administration, teachers play a huge role in influencing and changing lives. A teachers full charge is to enable students to become independent citizens of society. It is more than math or english, it is one of the most influential roles in our communities. Teachers not only provide academic knowledge, in combination with administration and the community, they provide clean, safe and healthy environments for the students to learn. All school leaders, administration and teachers, must possess and be proficient in instructional leadership, management, community building, and communication. http://cecp.air.org/download/MCMonographFINAL.pdf He writes, A leader is an individual (or, rarely, a set of individuals) who significantly affects the thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors of a significant number of individuals. Most acknowledged leaders are direct. They address their public face-to-face. But I have called attention to an unrecognized phenomenon: indirect leadership. In this variety of leading, individuals exert impact through the works that they create. Whether direct or indirect, leaders fashion stories: principally stories of identity. It is important that a leader be a good storyteller, but equally crucial that the leader embody that story in his or her life. When a leader tells stories to experts, the stories can be quite sophisticated; but when the leader is dealing with a diverse, heterogeneous group, the story must be sufficiently elemental to be understood by the untutored, or unschooled, mind. Daily Journal of Observations of team members, and leadership roles within these dynamics. Sunday, 11, Julyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Meeting at the airport getting ready to depart for a two week trip away from family and not knowing anyone you are traveling with can heighten anxiety in even the best of travelers. GoGlobal trips allow many observations of group members, but it also allows one to observe the practices and strategies of the school sponsors in their real-life leadership role. As I am waiting at the airport, as I always do, I spend a great deal of time looking at not what is being said, but at all the non-verbal communication that is also being seen. Understanding a little of those I will be traveling with is very important. My opinion through my various experiences and readings is that there is a high correlation between a leaders intuitiveness and their effectiveness. While not asked, I would assume that there would be a degree of this used when interviewing the prospects of such trips.