Promoting Internally in Expatriate Management

Many companies deal with expatriate executives/personnel in a variety of ways. In determining an expatriate there is no right or wrong way. The difference is determined by how the company is trying to meet their goals. The selection process for an expatriate varies significantly from one company to another. When a company has entered the international/global market, it is vital for that company to decide upon which method to use for determining their expatriate executive/personnel. The two methods available are outsourcing and promoting internally. This paper will focus upon promoting internally. Cook (1999, p. 177) said, â€Å"Large established companies that have multiple global operations; Companies that are just starting their international operations that may not have experienced staff to effectively handle international HR situations; and Companies whose business needs fluctuate as overseas projects are initiated and completed. † If your company has decided to outsource then there are many sites on the web that are specifically geared towards outsourcing. Some of these locations are: http://www. iorworld. com http://www. ems. com http://www. expat. ca http://escapeartist. com Many companies and organizations will decide to internally promote and produce an expatriate executive rather than outsourcing the process. When a company or corporation does decide to promote internally many factors must be considered. The company will have to decide where to build the new facility, what products to produce, what resources to use, where to get the resources, what governmental policies must the facility adhere too, the size of the facility, and so on. The HR department will be responsible for developing the policies and procedures necessary for operating/running the plant. One of the first steps the HR department will be to develop the specific knowledge, skills, and attributes (KSA) and training necessary for success as an expatriate executive. However, Training will not be discussed but the process was mentioned because it is a vital ingredient to the success of the expatriate executive. Before selecting the individual, the company needs to take into consideration the family of the individual. The company will have to prepare not only the employee or executive but also their family. Once an individual has been selected, the expatriate will need to be rewarded some way. This will be discussed later. When deciding on the executive/employee to promote to an expatriate position, several KSA are desired. According to Desatnick and Bennet (1977, p. 41-148) the areas that need to be considered for an expatriate executive in order of importance are adaptability/flexibility, high tolerance for frustration and patience, empathy/understanding, high intellectual capacity, ability to learn language, problem-solving ability, opportunity mindedness, results orientated, decision making ability, communication skills, integrity, priorities skills, and professionalism. An HR department will have to decide upon which areas are more important and applicable to their organizations in order to promote the right individual. The individual will have to be flexible and patient due to the cultural difference between the countries. What is standard in one nation might not be in the other. What could be considered a standard or norm here may be considered as rudeness or affectionate in another. A thorough understanding of the new culture is vital to the success of the expatriate in that country. When an individual begins to understand the culture, hen they must be able to make decisions and solve problems within a timely matter. The person will need to have a high level of intelligence, perception, and imagination in order to succeed. The expatriate will have to be able to communicate efficiently with all forms of communications bases (writing, speaking, training, motivating, etc) and know when and what to prioritize. The expatriate should be aware that they are an extended image of the company/organization and should be professional and have integrity beyond reproach. In determining who will be an expatriate, the company will need to look at the family of the expatriate. â€Å"We not only have to deal with the employee†s ability to adapt to another culture, but most now add another variable: the spouse and family. It has been documented by countless researchers that spouses are a critically important aspect of a successful expatriate experience. † (Schell & Solomon, 1997, p. 153) The family of the expatriate plays a vital role in how successful the expatriate will be. Once an expatriate has been determined, then the ompany must provide rewards or benefits to this individual. These perks or benefits should include some if not all of the following: â€Å"Salary, Annual incentives, Long-term incentives, Benefits, and Perquisites. † (Cook, 1999, p. 39) These areas could be broken down in to several areas. Some of these areas are known as allowances. Some of the most common allowances are Housing, Education, Relocation, Cost-of-living, and Exchange rate fluctuations as determined by Bennet & Desatnick (1977, p. 211-218). In conclusion once a company has selected the process f determining an expatriate (outsourcing or internally) then they must decide on the HR policies and procedures in selecting an individual, and then providing that individual with compensation for being an expatriate. These processes and procedures developed by the HR department need to be specific. Most companies realize the importance of an expatriate executive in their foreign facilities. The foreign facility will only be as effective and efficient as the expatriate executive. The selection of the company†s expatriate executive is vitally important to the success of the company in a foreign country.

Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician, and philanthropist who served as President ot South Africa trom 1994 to 1999. He was south Africa's first black chief executive, and the first elected In a fully representative democratic election. HIS government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling Institutionalized racism, poverty and Inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress from 1991 to 1997.Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. A Xhosa born to the Thembu royal family, Mandela attended the Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. Living in Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonial politics, joining the ANC and becoming a founding member of its Youth League. After the South African National Part y came to power in 1948, he rose to prominence in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organization's Transvaal chapter nd presided over the 1955 Congress of the People.Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested tor seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted In the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961 Although Initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant umkhontowe Slzwe In 1961, In association with the South African Communist Party, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life Imprisonment in the RivoniaTrial. c Mandela served over 27 years in prison, Initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release. He was released in 1990, during a time of escalating civil strife. Mandela joined negotiatio ns with President F. W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory and became South Africa's first black president. He published his autobiography in 1995.During his enure in the Government of National unity he invited several other political parties to join the cabinet. As agreed to during the negotiations to end apartheid In South Africa, he promulgated a new constitution. He also created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. While continuing the former government's liberal economic policy, his administration also Introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services. Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the unitedKingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military Intervention In Lesotho. He declined to run for a second term, and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela became an elder sta tesman, focusing on charitable work in combating poverty and HIWAIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation. mandela By ericJang politician, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.His government focused on dismantling the egacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalized racism, poverty and inequality, Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonial politics, Joining the ANC and repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961. Although initially committed to non-violent protest, he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe in 1961, in association with the South African Communist Party, leading a sabotage conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the RivoniaTrial. c Mandela served over 27 years in p rison, initially on Robben Island, and later in tenure in the Government of National Unity he invited several other political parties to Join the cabinet. As agreed to during the negotiations to end apartheid in South the former government's liberal economic policy, his administration also introduced services. Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military intervention in combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Make a convincing argument for BOTH sides of an issue that has been Essay

Make a convincing argument for BOTH sides of an issue that has been considered by the U.S. Supreme Court or a U.S. Court of Appeals within the past twenty years or so - Essay Example The United States Supreme Court has enunciated a number of ways that student athlete drug testing does not infringe the Fourth Amendment Right or any other that various students have filed suits on, especially the high school athletes. The first case that attracted a lot of attention was the Vernonia v. Acton where student athletes, in support of their parents, accused their school in court for violating their rights through the drug tests. However, the United States Supreme Court ruled against the students by allowing the public school to continue with the administration of the drug tests. From this verdict, it is clear that the students do not have the option of evading the tests and the public schools have the permission of using force; moreover, this could apply even when the school administration does not have any reason suggesting that the student may have abused drugs. Based on the results of this, public schools in different parts of United States initiated drug-testing programs for every student participating in other supplementary undertakings including being members of certain clubs. A few years later, the Supreme Court experienced another case of Board of Education v. Earls where the court supported the general practice giving all public schools the mandate to administer drug tests to all scholars who engaged in any activities sanctioned by the school administration. Additionally, the Supreme Court also went further to permit the subjecting of drug tests even the rest of the students that did not participate in extracurricular activities. Essentially, even before the Vernonia v. Acton case, the United States Court of Appeal had made it clear that it is not necessary that public schools have an apparent reason to frisk scholars in the New Jersey v. TLO case. All the same, the public schools required a rational notion of the student engaging in unauthorized actions; relatively, this

Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

Proposal - Essay Example I believe that though some studies also showed that violent media can have bad effects on the sociability and aggression of adolescents and adults alike, these effects came more from their childhood experiences of violent media. Adults can understand what is wrong and right, so they can better understand the harmful effects of violence and they know that violent media is unreal. Children, however, are different because they are not yet mentally and emotionally mature. Violent media can have serious effects on their perceptions of violence, as well as attitudes and actions toward violence. My pathos is that I believe that when we fail to protect the healthy development of the minds and emotions of our children, we are also forsaking the development of a peaceful and rational society. If violent media is bad for kids, then kids must not play them at all, or be exposed to them, including marketing tools that sell violent media. 4. What’s your thesis? Violent media is bad for kids because it has significant short-term and long-term effects on children’s development of aggressive thoughts, emotions, and actions, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, intelligence, and parenting styles and characteristics. What information do they need and why? They need to know why violent media is bad for kids using logic and evidence because they need convincing on why violent media can affect the thinking and behaviors of their kids. How much or how little are you going to use that/those source(s)? I am going to use them all but I also need contradicting research or studies and anecdotes that oppose them, so that I can respond to these research and ideas and prove that my position is more convincing than

Sport Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sport Development - Essay Example Sport, exercise and physical education notably have a definite point of convergence which must not be ignored for the continued growth of the three distinct activities. The need for establishment, across the world, of a system that accurately integrates sports, exercise and physical education is currently an urgent need. The implementation of policies that promote the development of social networks aligned to the three activities is more than a necessity in the United Kingdom (McDonald 2005). In view of the current state of affairs, Lawson argues most world systems are not directed toward a new type of Exercise, Sport, and Physical Education (SEPE) social work. An analysis of this statement awakens the considerate person to the fact serious doubts and important questions remain unanswered as to whether SEPE programs, practices, and professionals, are worthwhile investments for governments (Lawson 2005). SEPE professionals should contribute in the formulation and evaluation of government policies concerning sporting, physical education and exercises. A variety of subjects will be analysed in the following section concerning what ought to be done to make investment in SEPE worthwhile for government. Management development can be taken to mean the process through which managers acquire and improve their competencies both for personal benefit and benefit of their employers. It has been proven over time that effective management is one of the major determinants of the organisation's success. When managers learn vital skills through exposition while doing their jobs in an informal setting and the process is formalised, then it is in no doubt management development. Management development among other things includes undertaking various formal courses which include technical aspects as well as management skills, work-based informal training and a wide range of educational courses (Girginov, 2008). According to some authors, development management is viewed in the context of deliberate actions to make progress in the course of history while others argue that it is a management style that is development oriented (Thomas,1999). In this context, good development management should consistently promote developmental values at all levels irrespective of whether it is the easiest way of achieving success in particular developmental tasks. SEPE professionals need to take actions in evaluating current curricular regarding training of coaches, sports people and sports administrators with the aim of ensuring that government policies are implemented and only high quality managers are released into the market. Collaboration Collaboration is a process which involves two or more parties working together for a common goal. Collaboration in SEPE will help in building consensus, learning and sharing knowledge as well as in developing creative skills. A collaborative environment is important for the development of sports, exercise and physical education. Such an environment will be beneficial to coaches, players, children and athletes at all developmental stages in the particular sport they engage in. Collaboration should be encouraged between groups and networks backed up with a

Globalization on the U.S. Economy Research Paper

Globalization on the U.S. Economy - Research Paper Example Globalization is a concept whose recognition appeared only recently, although its evolution can be traced back to the middle age periods in Europe. Localism and centralization in trade and social interactions defined societies in pre-modern periods, in which people remained within the confines of their birthplaces for their entire lives (Torress 107). Trade was mainly conducted in market places within territories with long distance trades only being on luxury goods, which were exclusive for the rich. Leadership was mainly through kingships and monarchs used local power elites owing allegiance to them, with no form of centralised governing machinery whatsoever. However, in the wake of natural disasters like famines and droughts, increased demand for goods and religious commitments led to the interaction between different communities and kingdoms began to expand with merchants traversing large distances in search for sources and markets for their merchandise (Waters 121). The sixteenth century saw the explosion of the concept of globalisation and the transient of localism. Some of the developments included improvements in naval technologies, which opened up trade between territories oceans apart. There was European regeneration marked by moving away from the monarch leadership to statehood existing presently, and the emergence of the French and American Revolution principles (Watters 249). This was followed by the emergence of the industrial revolution, which saw great improvements in technology, inanimate traction, increased demand and supply leading to increased trade over long distances, colonialism and missionary work across the globe.

One of the most widely used services in many distributed systems is Essay

One of the most widely used services in many distributed systems is the File Service. Investigate the issue of distributed file systems - Essay Example These challenges will be discussed in this section and also there will be a description of the main architectural features of the Network File System version 4 in relation to its previous versions. Adrian, Teodora and Naiana (2011, p. 801) say that in distributed file systems, caching is an approach that is used to reduce the traffic within the network. Moreover, Tanenbaum and Van Steen (2007, p. 276) emphasize that through catching the reliability and speed of access of data from the server is significantly increased. This means that the users of the system are able to access data with a guarantee of no delays in retrieval. Additionally, caching is aimed at preventing repeated access same data or information. It is through catching that access to data within a system is attained by one user without the redundancy which often results from many users requiring to access, retrieve or modify the same data at the same time. Tanenbaum and Van Steen (2007, p. 277) illustrate that unlike server access, which costs thousands of instructions, cache access is faster as it only costs the client terminal hundreds of instructions. Ainsworth (2009, p. 22) argues that the problem of consiste ncy can be overcome by implementing a write-through technique within the cache policy. The reliability of a write-through cache is relatively high. A delayed write approach may also be used because it saves remote writes, but has relatively poor reliability, especially in situations of a system crash. Caching techniques are designed so that the cached copies of files are presented to the user from the server in an effective manner. Therefore, users have access to the cached copy of files instead of contacting the server directly which mightlead to an overload of the network. According to Dolev and Kat (2005, p. 135), caching presents a challenge of consistency within the processes of file sharing and transfer within a distributed file system. This problem results from the difficulties

Final Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Response Paper - Essay Example In college writing the readers target to encourage an interesting claim, evidence to the claim as well as the analysis of limits and claim objections. The provision is different from those provided in the secondary level since the secondary level does not prompt utmost rationality and demands for simplicity in their conformation. The synthesis necessary in secondary school writing targets the dummies a converse scenario to the college writing (Sommers 382). Even though many discourses involve writing and reading, some do not involve the outlined practices (Gee 11). Academic writing entails the format, type, and the language. The writing requires the use of formal language throughout to abide by the conventional demands. Under such provisions, the writing discourages the use of short forms of words and abbreviations. The writing has to be in a specific format such as the APA, MLA, Harvard or any other format (Hyland 96). Through the formation of the paper, it has to maintain a type such as an essay, coursework, and dissertation amongst other types as well. The dominant discourse is however contrary to the academic writing since it mostly promotes the passive voice and does not consider formats. Academic writing is different since it also involves instructions that guide all its aspects including the themes to be written about (Sommers 376). The main controversy is the time of engagement into the discourses and the effectiveness of their impacts. There is a group of students considered â€Å"special† in this aspect and cannot be compared to those who get engaged in discourse at tender ages (Gee, 14). Another trouble around teaching academic writing is the conflict of the daily experiences in communication and the requirements of academic writing. The common language and communication tends to be informal and appears not to abide by the demands of academic writing.

Report about Virgin Mary and Saint Maria Goretti Essay

Report about Virgin Mary and Saint Maria Goretti - Essay Example She was an Israelite woman and was chosen by God to carry and give birth to his firstborn Son. Similarly Saint Maria Goretti was also handpicked by God for her humble yet unrelenting love and acceptance of God into her heart. She was a simple little poor country girl, not yet 12 years of age, and yet God chose her, clothed her with honor by the power of his Spirit. The bond she had with God was so strong that she chose to give her life up for it and be forever the living proof of the Pope John Paul II quote â€Å"God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.’ (R.schmid, 2011). Maria Goretti from a very early age was able to ‘accept what pertains to the Spirit of God.’ It was this Spirits voice that she has incorporated in every aspect of her life. She did not flee from this voice even as she was attacked by her assailant but it was the voice of her conscience that let her not give in. She chose death over the alternative of being defiled knowing that her body was the house of God. The gift of her fortitude was so great that the Holy Spirit helped her make her moral decision and chose such a difficult feat with her young spirit. She chose death when she saw no other way to defend her virginal purity. Her final act is a perfect depiction of how she lived her entire young life (Likoudis, 2004).

A Separate Peace Essay Example for Free

A Separate Peace Essay One of the main focuses in the novel A Separate Peace is the friendship of Gene Forrester and Phineas. One would assume that two completely opposite people wouldn’t have such a strong relationship. They both have different views of the world. Where one would find strength the other finds weakness. With having two opposing personalities as the main characters, it’s easy for the reader to identify with one more than the other. It also gives the reader a chance to admire, as well as pity, both Gene and Phineas. One of the most important differences between Gene and Finny is their views of the world. Gene has a more cynical world view. On the other hand, Finny’s view of the world is very pure and naive. Finny truly believes that everyone is good in the world. Another thing that sets Gene apart from Finny is their strengths and weaknesses. Gene is one of the top students of his class, while Finny just gets by with below average grades. But what Finny lacks in academic achievements, he makes up for in athletics. Read more:Â  Write about a person you admire essay Finny also has the natural ability to lead others and has a non conforming attitude, whereas Gene is follower and has a more conforming attitude. As well as many other novels, A Separate Peace includes easily relatable characters. While reading the novel, I discovered that there are certain qualities of both Gene and Finny that I can identify with. After careful consideration, I realized that I most identify with Gene rather than Finny. He and I both are drawn to people with larger than life personalities. I can also relate to his insecure feelings that come with having friendships with those types of personalities. His strength in academics is another trait of his that I can identify with. Even though I identify more with Gene, I also pity him. I pity that his jealousy pushed him to do something so harmful to his supposed best friend. I also pity that fact that he doesn’t have enough self confidence to tell Finny the truth. That being said, the person I admire would be Finny. He has this natural ability for being a leader, and it’s said several times that he can get away with anything. I also admire that instead of him moping about his leg, he twisted his own reality just to be happy. In conclusion, the main relationship in A Separate Peace involves two people with opposing personalities. They both view the world differently. Gene has more of a pessimistic view of the world, while Phineas’s view of the world is very innocent. Where Phineas finds strength, Gene finds weakness. While I indentify more with the character Gene, I also pity him for the outcome of his poor decisions. Instead, I admire Phineas. I admire his self confidence and attitude towards life.

Importance of aligning human resource processes with business strategy

Importance of aligning human resource processes with business strategy Strategic alignment these terms are some of the phrases which are being used to explain the latest, evolving function of human resources process. The aligning human resource processes with business strategy about the growth of the business, increasing the performance of the employees and keeping the costs under a control. Which means the employee satisfaction and benefits provide to the population as they are not the strategic goals, but they are tools to reach the goals important for the whole organization. The importance of the alignment of the HR process with the business strategy is about going deeper and finding the real root components of the successful human capital management in the organization. The HR Managers have to identify the real goals of the business, the business way how to reach the goals and the real needs of the business from Human Resources. Dainty (2000) the HR tends to take care of employees, but it is not what the business asks for usually. The HR process ali gnment with the business strategy needs many discussions inside Human Resources about the real goals of the organization and how the organization will utilize its human capital to reach the goals. It is not about the employee satisfaction, it is a side effect. They have to understand, how the business wants to reach the goals and then the HR process can be developed and fully aligned with the business strategy. The aligned HR process misses the nice words about the retention, the employee satisfaction and other nice HR initiatives. These are the tools; the real business goals are different. These few points which are important in jumpstarting the organisations revenue and profit growth if well utilized: Develop a workforce that can perform higher-grade assignments. Increase efficiency, effectiveness and standards of performance by the employee Keep the employees informed Provide the usual training of new recruited workforce Business strategy remains important in ensuring that a business performs well. It is important that human resources process is carried out in a proper manner the human resource has a function of delivering strategy insights in the organisation so as to enable the organisation to be more effective in sourcing, evaluating and motivating employees in this increasingly unstable business environment. J. D Wheelen (2003) the human resource has to continue providing administrative services which are dependable, responsive and cost effective to the needs of the organization. Starbucks and Humana companies have been able to be successful because of their good human resources management practices. It is clear that, for any company to be able to achieve, its market goals, it has to have correct human resources management. However, aligning the human resources does not guarantee 100% success towards achieving the market objective of a company. 2.  Discuss how the firm used benchmarking to determine the performance standards for leadership, client-facing and specialty/support functions? Leaders in different organisations and contexts do not look the same, but they share many characteristics. The challenge for  businesses is to understand both what they have  and what they  need in order to  secure  their future. Druker, J (1995), the Support Function will be an integral part of this practice which helps service-based businesses achieves significant, rapid, and sustainable improvements in customer satisfaction, cost, and revenue performance. These strategies bring our clients competitive advantage and significant, measurable, bottom-line impact. Benchmarking leadership and clients facing talent must take account  of  the values and strategic intent of the organisation. Leadership and client facing assessment can be applied at all levels in the organisation, from the identification of high potential leaders to an intervention with a senior team to examine their effectiveness and help them to raise their performance. The benchmarking for leadership, clien t facing, specialty/support functions may be driven by: Mergers and acquisitions Changes of ownership Changes to adapt to new technologies or markets Building leadership bench strength and a leadership pipeline Appointments to senior leadership positions Building high performance teams Self-confidence is more trustworthy than the statistical data. Develop approaches and methods for optimizing business support functions in strategic and administrative area Prepare project proposals and client discussions, assist with project planning, organize client workshops/meetings/conferences Participate in internal knowledge building/management Strategic and creative thinkers who are exceptionally adept with quantitative analysis and business case work Passionate about and committed to operations and technical excellence Proven leaders with the ability to inspire others, build strong relationships, and create a true followership Results-driven achievers who are able to grasp and communicate complex ideas clearly Collaborative team players, capable of working well with others but also autonomously with little direction Demonstrated broad business perspective 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Identify and explain three objectives of the talent management system including one from each category of operations, customer, and financial objectives? Objective of talent management system is to optimizing the performance of each employee and the organization. However within many companies the concept of human capital management has just begun to develop. In fact only few of the organizations have a clear talent management strategy and operational programs in place today. It is very important to develop a clear talent management strategy and to increase awareness of available talent and successors, all organizations should conduct regular talent review meetings to be prepared for a variety of business changes, such as mergers, company growth, or a decrease in talent needs. In the same way that all companies have regular meetings and reports regarding their financial status and budgetary needs, the talent review meeting is designed to review the current talent status and future successor needs in the organization. Grant R.M. (2005) the talent review meeting is an important part of the overall talent management process; it is designe d to review the performance and career potential of employees, to discuss possible vacancy risks of current employees, to identify successors and top talent in the organization, and to create development action plans to prepare employees for future roles in the organization. This is what talent management is all about gathering information about talent, analyzing their career interests and organizational business needs, identifying top talent and successes, and developing these individuals to reduce the risk of losing the best people and experiencing extensive leadership gaps when turnover occurs. Main objective of Talent Management System will assist organization in developing, managing, rewarding and optimizing organizational talent to increase workforce productivity and maximize operating performance. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Discuss how the company would measure each objective. Company would measure any objective through Balanced Scorecard. This is a management system that maps an organizations strategic objectives into performance metrics in four perspectives: financial, internal processes, customers, and learning and growth. These perspectives provide relevant feedback as to how well the strategic plan is executing so that adjustments can be made as necessary. The term scorecard signifies quantified performance measures and balanced signifies that the system is balanced between: short-term objectives and long-term objectives financial measures and non-financial measures lagging indicators and leading indicators internal performance and external performance perspectives The financial perspective addresses the question of how shareholders view the firm and which financial goals are desired from the shareholders perspective. The specific goals depend on the companys stage in the business life cycle. Hunger (2003) the customer perspective addresses the question of how the firm is viewed by its customers and how well the firm is serving its targeted customers in order to meet the financial objectives. Generally, customers view the firm in terms of time, quality, performance, and cost. Most customer objectives fall into one of those four categories. Operation objectives address the question of which processes are most critical for satisfying customers and shareholders. These are the processes in which the firm must concentrate its efforts to excel. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Discuss how the changes made to Porter Novellis talent management system impact organizational performance. Carter, L. Goldsmith, M. (2010) changes made to Porter Novellis talent management system impact organizational performance to meet the needs of todays organizations, this handbook is filled with practical advice on how to implement employee and customer-centered programs that emphasize consensus building; self, group, organizational, and one-on-one awareness and effective communication; clear connections to overall business objectives; and quantifiable business results. With lessons from companies that are widely recognized as among the best in organization change and leadership development, for succeeding during challenging times. As best practice organizational champions, these companies share many similar attributes including openness to learning and collaboration, humility, innovation and creativity, integrity, a high regard for peoples needs and perspectives, and a passion for change. And all these outstanding organizations have invested in human capital the most important asse t inside of organizations today. Porter Novellis talent management system offers lessons from the worlds best organizations in various industries and sizes, and shows how to identify the key elements of leading successful, results-driven talent management; access the tools, models, instruments, and strategies for leading talent management; apply practical how-to approaches to diagnosing, assessing, designing, implementing, coaching, following-up on, and evaluating talent management; and measure critical success factors and critical failure factors of a program. No matter what the size or mission of the organization for diagnosing, assessing, designing, implementing, coaching, and evaluating a winning team of talent.

On Writing in America: The Politics, Criticism, and Fiction of William Dean Howells :: Essays Papers

On Writing in America: The Politics, Criticism, and Fiction of William Dean Howells Upon hearing of an event which has become known as "The Haymarket Incident," a violent outbreak that involved strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company on May 4, 1886, William Dean Howells felt provoked to respond.1 Whatever personal motives this highly publicized incident sparked in Howells, who was successful novelist and influential critic of the literature and social issues of his time, the strike and subsequent executions of seven of the protesters involved had a trenchant effect on this respected man of letters. Howells illustrated his remorse for what he understood as a profound legal injustice in a letter he wrote to a friend shortly before the hanging of the Haymarket protesters: "It blackens my life. I feel the horror and the shame of the crime which the law is about to commit against justice."2 Howells' assertions in regard to the case were at the time radical and not widely supported; they contradicted the views of the majority of the American media, who chose to back big business and to disregard details that to Howells marked the trial as corrupt. Howells' views challenged a general sentiment in the press against working class protesters, who, like the workers involved in the Haymarket Incident, demanded certain rights in the workplace and proposed an eight-hour work day.3 It had become a trend in the media to back the employers rather than the employed, in the name of the free market, before the Haymarket "riots." For example, several years before the incident at Haymarket, the Chicago Tribune had characterized a group of railroad workers involved in a similar incident as "the scum and filth of the city." Three days later, commenting on the organizers of the same uprising, the Tribune contended that "Capitalism would offer any sum to see the leaders...strung up to a tel egraph pole."4 Howells was known for his radical political views, views which often questioned the effectiveness of a capitalist society, and it is not surprising that he subsequently supported the Haymarket laborers. Howells' socialistic views no doubt sprung in part from his readings of Tolstoy, especially from the Russian novelist's writings on the notion of "Christian Socialism." Howells once wrote, "Tolstoi [sic] gave me the heart to hope that the world may yet be made over in the image of Him who died for it,...(that) men shall come into their own,.

Individuality :: essays research papers

Individuality is a characteristic that sets you apart from everyone else. The author Tim O’Brien illustrates this through Rat Kiley, Kiowa and Mary Anne in his novel, The Things They Carried. Individuality shows the personality of a character, reveals the link between personality and the physical items the soldiers carried, and how individuality is used to create teamwork.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When overlooking the personalities of the characters; they all are unique. Rat Kiley is the medic of the operation. He is often known to being humorous, cracking jokes, and telling stories. Religious and cautious would be words to describe Kiowa. Being a Native American, he is careful around others not like himself. Though there are only two main characters that are female in the novel, Mary Anne is one like no other. She is introduced into the chapter as, â€Å"Just a kid, just barely out of high school† (90). Seen having a bubbly and flirtatious personality, she is still naà ¯ve, young and curious like a â€Å"kid†. Tittering between the notions of safety with her boyfriend or joining the thrill of a Green Berets life, she is overcome by her desire of danger, and goes with the Greenies. Though her boyfriend and his friends try to convince her to stay with them, she does not waver in the end. Many see her shrouded in mystery because they’re bewildered by her actions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If comparing personality to personal belongings, there are few differences to distinguish them. In Rat Kiley’s case, carrying a â€Å"canvas satchel filled with morphine, plasma, malaria tablets and surgical tape† (5) as well as comic books would not be a surprise. Being a medic, a first aid kit would be essential. Since Rat is a funny and an amusing person its no wonder why he owns comic books. Entertainment and kits would not be objects found with Kiowa. In his backpack you would find a hatchet and a copy of The New Testament. Kiowa is a devout Baptist and a bible is natural for him to be carrying. A hatchet may be a symbol that ties him with his Native American heritage. Opposite life and items from the soldiers, Mary Anne arrives with a suitcase and plastic cosmetic bag. Since she was arranged for a visit, a suitcase with her clothes is assumed. For her to wear and carry makeup reflects her girlish attitude and fresh-faced appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teamwork can not be done alone; it’s distributed to different people who assist in different ways.

Marijuana Should Not Be Legalized Essay -- pot should not be legal

My best friend used to smoke marijuana on a regular basis. Over time, he developed many obvious bad habits and changed his life style tremendously. He started getting lazy with schoolwork, and did not show much interest in anything at all. His parents noticed all these side effects that had been occurring but were unaware that their son smoked marijuana. After the grades fell so much, they decided to take him to get checked out because they were afraid he had developed some sort of ADD. They come to find out that because of him smoking so much marijuana it had led to brain problems, memory problems and affected his thinking skills. He was unable to stay concentrated on something and constantly was out of breath when any physical activity took place. My friend finally quit smoking marijuana because he saw what it was doing to his life. Many teens try marijuana not knowing all the side effects that come with this drug. This drug has many misconceptions from when it is really legal to w hat marijuana will actually do to your body. People think that marijuana is the most harmless drug because one never hears of people dying from it or getting deathly ill. This is false because marijuana does things to the body that can not be seen from the outside. The majority of the damage is in the brain and lungs which can get extremely dangerous. All the bad side effects from this drug will really harm people’s bodies and ruin their futures and lives. Marijuana has many bad side effects that harm the body. According to Szara Braude, marijuana slows down reactions causing problems with memory and learning, distorted perception, difficulty in thinking, and loss of coordination (Marijuana as a medicine 53). Many people use this drug not knowing wh... ...s look up to their peers and do whatever they do because they think it is the cool thing to do. Many times it is out of peer pressure that people try this drug to begin with. This can all be avoided if everyone is aware of the bad side effects that can occur in their bodies and what is in marijuana that will mess up their lives. Works Cited Berger, Gilda. Addiction. Chicago: Franklin Watts, 1992. Earlywine, Mitchell. Understanding Marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. New York Oxford University Press. 2002. Glazer, Sarah. â€Å"Preventing Teen Drug Use.† CO Researcher. 28 July 1995: 659-662. Mack, Alison. Marijuana as a medicine? Washington, D.C. National Academy Press. 2001. Ravage, Barbara. â€Å"Marijuana Update.† Current Health. Oct. 1994: 6-12. Robert, Michael. â€Å"Social Awakening: As Adolescent Adulthood Begins.† Health 15 (2001): 53-56.

Good Education

Advantages of a Good Education What is a good education? Some say a good education consists of going to a good school, and getting a degree. Yes, acquiring a degree is important, but what good is it if it does not leads to good morals. A person can be the smartest person in the world, but if the person’s behavior is bad, the â€Å"good education† never existed. For an education to be deemed â€Å"good†, it has to promote good morals. The good morals are gotten from God’s instructions. A good education is also an education that teaches responsibility.It makes one accountable for the things that happen in their life. It gives one a mindset that he/she does not have to rely on anybody. A good education involves getting a degree and at the same time learning what is morally right in God’s eyes. Advantages of good education include one being able to take care of his family, being able to communicate effectively and respectively, and also it reduces the n umber of birth rates. A good education gives someone the ability to take care of their family.Due to the fact that getting a degree increases the chance for someone to get a high paying job, people do it for the wrong motives. Some people get a good education so that they can be selfish with the money they get with their degree. On the other hand, someone educated to behave morally right would care to take care of the family that they have, and not just him. Even if the job is not high paying, a good education teaches one to show generosity at all time. Another advantage of a good education is that it also gives one the ability to talk effectively and respectively.To have a degree one must have taken English and communication courses that are helpful in improving one’s grammar and communication skills. What good is one’s grammar he cannot hold a conversation with others? A good education makes one able to convey his opinion in an understandable manner. Most people who get their degrees still act disrespectful. These people graduate from colleges that are said to be good, and still use foul language. Is this kind of education â€Å"good†? A good education teaches people to talk to people around them with respect.People with good educations learn of the dangers in using abusive languages at people. A God that is perfectly righteous would not support disrespect in any form. His (God’s) word says in Ephesians 4::29,†Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear†. Since a good education involves teaching what is morally right in God’s eyes, a person with a good education would not try his best to control his language from being abusive.The final advantage of a good education is that it reduces the number of birth rates. Uneducated men and women are one of the main causes the high numbers in birth rate. These unedu cated people cause unwanted births because they are not aware of the danger of sex. Sex is not morally bad, but if it is not with a spouse it is a sin. A good education, since it goes according to the word of God, gives people the awareness that sex before marriage is a sin. The bible tells us that God will judge those who are sexually immoral.A good education therefore In conclusion, all these advantages to a good education can all be taught through the word of God (Bible). In addition, knowing all these actions mean nothing if they are not practiced. A person can know that they should take care of their families, talk respectively, and abstain from sexual immorality, but it does not mean the person will do these things. Someone might want to do this, but human nature makes the person do otherwise. A good education gives knowledge, but one is in charge of being practically wise.

Blockbuster Films Essay

Extra-terrestrial beings, intergalactic space flight, fictionalized re-telling of actual historical events, biological disasters that either threaten or bring human existence to a screeching halt, these are several of the most common elements and themes found in blockbuster films. But given the varying elements of blockbusters in film history, certain uncertainties give the term no exact definition. Yet, people, regardless if they are critics or ordinary viewers, are able to determine if a particular film is a blockbuster or not. Traditionally, blockbusters are regarded as films that denote popularity or success in production, but there is no authoritative body that gives requirements or criteria for judgement for films to be classified as blockbusters. Likewise, there exist no actual norms and standards on how films are to be classified as such. The fact that there uncertainty prevails over the true definition of a blockbuster leads to questions such as: is it based on towering budgets and high production values? Are blockbusters made through the popularity of the actors involved in the film? Or are blockbusters created and classified based on the brilliant, and seemingly flawless ideas spawned by a particular filmmaker’s imagination? In any event, Julian Stringers (2) introduction to the book, Movie Blockbusters, asserts that the term has an elusive nature because the meaning of the term blockbuster if used in the context of motion pictures is never fixed or clear. However, Stringer denotes that the term’s definition varies dependent of who speaks and what is being said (2). Stringer’s definition implies that a blockbuster does not necessarily have to have big budgets or sophisticated on-screen effects, rather, a complex spectacle that poses as a genre of the cinematic tradition. And by saying that a blockbuster is a genre, the distinct elements of the cinematic tradition categorize such films under blockbuster Take the case of Christopher Nolan’s 2008 blockbuster superhero film The Dark Knight. Apart from the concept of a masked vigilante using high-powered gadgets to ensure that no more 8-year old boy would lose his parents again, the idea of a rich, powerful, and influential individual sporting a caped suit and a mask to fight crime is can only be meant for children, or to some extent what the American culture came to call, the geeks.. Nevertheless, The Dark Knight managed to crawl its way to the hearts and minds of millions of movie goers. Set in a Gotham City manifesting itself as an archetypal city fired up by the sound of progress, but haunted by the vestiges of underground criminal activity, hypocrisy, and corruption, The Dark Knight revolves around Joker’s psychotic ploys to disgrace Gotham City’s law enforcement department while trying to reveal Batman’s alter-ego in the process. Putting Lieutenant James Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent in his primary hit list, Batman bends and distorts his principles in life to put a lid on the Joker’s irritating humour. As previously mentioned, the elements incorporated within a particular film create blockbusters. The Dark Knight is no exception as the actors and the film’s plot cooperate to venture the superhero genre to blockbuster. New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis describes Nolan’s The Dark Knight as a film that stands between the thin blurry lines of art and industry, as well as poetry and entertainment. This is because the dark portrayal of the characters in the film gives a totally new perspective on comic book characters in contexts beyond the limitations of comic strips. The Joker (Heath Ledger), for instance introduces the audience to what he calls a better class of criminal. The Joker is meant to become the irony of his own name that he exhibits a serious psychotic nature through gestures such as facial expressions and his walk (Nolan). Nolan’s Joker provides a justification for his criminal sanity by comparing himself to normal civilized individuals who feel that the laws being imposed make the world a safer and a better place. It is quite apparent in the Joker’s motives that he questions the morality of the corrupt law enforcement officers and politicians who allegedly feel that they are on the side of right. Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker single-handedly carries the film to blockbuster status because of the dark, sadistic approach to the villain’s persona. Acclaimed film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times writes that Nolan’s Joker steps up in such a way that he puts up ingenious situations where Batman (Christian Bale), Police Lieutenant James Gordon, and District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckheart) are placed in tight situations that challenges their morality in every sense. Dialogue is also one of the promising elements that place a particular film in the blockbuster genre. This is in large part brought about by language’s capability to leave an indelible mark to viewers from all walks of life. Adding more magnificence to the already unique, yet chilling gestures, the Joker’s lines exhibit a foreign implication that justifies his psychotic ploys. Simply put, how the Joker justifies the sadistic choices he gives to his adversaries establishes a different consciousness to people, especially ones who are oppressed by supremacists and bullies. In a similar magnitude, Eckheart’s iconic line â€Å"either you die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain (Nolan)†, tattoos a harsh reality that serves as a portrait of the current state of political. By literally and figuratively living to his words, Harvey Dent taps a reality, though morbid, reflects how power becomes self-destructive in such a way that it corrupts people who hold it. Apart from the remarkable performances, the film’s sinister and tragic plot spells out the word blockbuster. Primarily, Nolan’s The Dark Knight poetically departs from the typical good versus evil comic book plots. Nolan’s Dark Knight becomes darker as Gotham’s beloved citizen start to pile up for the caped crusader’s arrest, the Joker’s sick, demented mind takes advantage and prompts the infamous hero to come out and get him. Roger Ebert describes the plot as haunted that exceeds the boundaries of its comic book origins and transcends in to a shocking tale of tragedy. This is because most of the film’s scenes engages both the audience and the film’s protagonists to decide on moral dilemmas. In the end, no matter what choice the hero makes, a scar is left on his morale and his identity. Ebert adds that because of the actors’ ability to captivate the audience and because of how the film’s special effects respect the emotional acting, the audience are blindsided by the drama that pierces to their compassionate side. Through-the-roof funding and sophisticated production principles seem to pave the way for blockbuster films. But then again, how would a certain film become attractive and tasteful to the audience if it does not bring the promising elements in to consideration. Through its gloomy intensity and dark and horrifying humour, The Dark Knight managed to balance the weight production values with the term blockbuster. Likewise, the serious and cruel undertones of the film‘s plot not just redefines superhero movies but it clarifies what classifies as blockbuster as well. Works Cited Stringer, Julian. Movie Blockbusters. New York: Routledge, 2003. Dargis, Manohla. â€Å"Showdown in Gotham Town. † 18 July 2008. The New York Times Online. 22 October 2008 < http://movies. nytimes. com/2008/07/18/movies/18knig. html>. Ebert, Roger. â€Å"The Dark Knight. † 16 July 2008. Roger Ebert’s Official Website. 22 October 2008 < http://rogerebert. suntimes. com/apps/pbcs. dll/article? AID=/20080716/REVIEWS/55996637/1023>. Nolan, Christopher. IGN interview on Christopher Nolan. 6 December 2007. The Dark Knight. Dir. Christopher Nolan. Perf. Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, and Aaron Eckheart. Warner Brothers, 2008.

Duality in Frankenstein Essay

Victor and the monster have a special relation that goes beyond any known up to date. Not even Henry Clerval has this relation with Victor; the monster is the fulfilment of Victor and vice versa, Victor hides from society whilst the monster aches for society, Victor does not appreciate the surroundings and nature, the monster lives for it. The monster is what Victor fails to be, for example at the beginning of his life the monster is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and a believer in Mother Nature and some superior being, whilst Victor believes he is God by creating life, he is very intelligent and plays tricks on people and he only believes in himself. The fact is that whatever the monster has, Victor is lacking for example, and the monster has love for everyone and is not prejudiced, Victor only love himself as he makes it clear during the novel and maybe he appreciates Clerval but only because Henry is what he wanted to be in the future. Also and most importantly Victor has something the monster will never have, a name, and not only a simple name he has a very well known and prosper name, the monster will never be known and disappear in oblivion, whilst the Frankenstein name will perjure forever, like he says in the begging of the novel, â€Å"I was willing to achieve the fame†. Another thing which marks the duality by these two characters is the social life they both have, most importantly Victor is always sad and apart from this, he lacks any feeling, whilst the monster living in a shed discovers that happiness can be achieved anywhere and is himself joyful even though he see other people being happy, the monster discovers love, Victor discover admiration, the monster learns how to appreciate what he has and what nature gives him, and Victor is not happy with what he has nor with what the nature gives him, he is so unconformity that he has to create his own being and alter nature. Most importantly the monster seeks social adaptation and love whilst Victor hides from people and love, he is repulsed by the idea that he has to marry Elizabeth and he does not have other friend than Henry. Another different thing by both these characters is their love for Elizabeth, the monster demonstrates that he loves her by her aspect, her eyes her mouth she is so perfect that the monster needs her for himself and Victor loves her because he admires her but nothing else so if you compare these two feelings you will see that the complete each other and they in conjunction create love and admiration. The emotions that Victor lacks are very powerful in the monster until the moment of his departure form the DeLacy house. Until that moment the monster does not realise his full repulsion and believes in the goodness of mankind, Victor hates mankind and I’m sure that he would love to be the only man in the world and depend only on himself. And the monster is so good in attitude and feelings and so loving in his interior that we feel so bad for him and so hating for victor that we can’t stand it we have to hate victor because these two characters are like the Jing and jang, the good and the bad which cannot exist with some bad in them, the monster is loving but kills and Victor plays to be good and is unsocial but loved Henry, Elizabeth and his small brother. In conclusion the monster fulfils Victor emotionally and social and most importantly with his will of survival whilst Victor fulfils the monster with that basic needs of small quantities of hate, disrespect and will to be above the others.

Communication Within Workplace

What is means by communication actually? Communications define as process of interchange of information that mainly included sending and receiving process. What is means by a successful communication? When sending a message there are kind of barriers can be interrupt, that disturb overall the communication structure, by solving the problems and finally receiving message in proper manner, than it is become a successful communication. In this research I am going identify the main purposes of communication, find out the characteristics of an organization’s structure, analyses the impact of the organization structure on how communication occurs and on its effectiveness and changes in organizational structures. In the same time, I will study on the barriers of communication in my workplace. Finally find out the way avoid the barriers to improve commutation, and the problem solving ways to have beautiful standard communication structure within my workplace. Research Question: 1. What are the benefits or purpose of communication within a workplace? 2. What is the structure of communication that should be have in a workplace and don’t have in my workplace? 3. What are the barriers of communication within workplace? 4. How to adopt the proper communication structure? 5. Who should be taking responsible to a successful communication in a workplace, who will be benefited by this proper channel? 6. What kind of communication should be have, depend on situation? 7. What is Different of current communication system and the communication should be adopted? 8. How to overcome the barriers to improve communication my workplace? Research Objective: The objective of this research is analysis the overall communication benefits and the barriers that make brake down of communication and also the ways of solving barriers within my workplace.

Has technology made us lazier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Has technology made us lazier - Essay Example New age technology which we apprehend in the twenty-first century, has completely changed the way we perceive life. Not only is life much simpler in certain aspects, but life now has a marked demeanour which was completely unconceivable even a 100 years back. One very important and very perceivable wonder that technology has achieved in recent times is the envisaging of globalisation, where the world has visibly shrunk, in terms other than referring to the earth’s size. Today technology, in a literal sense, has managed to place the entire world within the palms of a human hand. This is however just the glorious part in the chapter on technology, and a closer look will reveal that the entire story is not so rosy, after all. There is also a darker vista that remains hidden behind all the pomp and glory that is typically portrayed, a dark facet that shows a technology dependent human mind becoming useless. Too much reliance on technology also tends to make man lazier, thus he becomes physically incompetent too, and which is now quite prominent in the rising cases of child and adult obesity problems, that we see all around us. So we stand at a crossroad, where we will have to decide and the take the reins of our future into our own hands. We will have to take decision as to whether technology should be allowed to take over our lives, completely. This article will examine both the positive and negative effects of technology on our lives, and will discuss what our future will looks like if indeed we allow technology to become our master. It will explore the possibilities as to whether technology is actually making us suffer from obesity, both mentally and physically. A brief history of technology: â€Å"From the beginnings of human society on earth, human beings have struggled to survive and flourish, and they have used technology as an aid in the struggle† (Ferkiss, 1993, 1). The first man made technological

ZAPPOS.COM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ZAPPOS.COM - Assignment Example Customers are treated as humans and taken utmost care. Customer service and Culture are the biggest lessons that organizations and other leading people should pick up from Zappos and its CEO. Almost two-third of the sales for Zappos is from repeated customers which underlines the customer service provided by them. With the growing market and the ever increasing competition in the market, Zappos grew from selling shoes to the selling clothes, bedding, toys, cookware, electronics, and more. Though this has been emulated from Amazon, Zappos policy of customer satisfaction with free shipment has only contributed to its success. The company’s core values define its diversity. To encourage the employees to be in sync with the company’s culture of being open-minded, humble and encouraging to learn all the time all point towards endorsing diversity. Such an environment gives all the employees to be themselves and be professional following the corporate culture all the time. Yes I agree with this assertion. Zappos is mainly focused on customer relationship. Zappos just does not focus on lowering the prices as a part of its customer service; it takes care of each customer. They have set the tone for other companies to follow. Most companies spend lots on advertising and attracting customers but fail to deliver what they promised. Zappos does not spend more on advertising but retains most of its clients with its excellent service to the customer. It increases business impressing clients with its service. The advertising comes in place through the clients who are impressed with the service that they recommend their friends to go with Zappos. Zappos policy of being Simple, committed to customer service and being oneself are the main aspects other organizations should emulate. Friendly and humble CEO who bothers more about chasing vision of satisfying the customers and not charts and graphs of

Riding on the Waves of Online Retall Business Research Paper

Riding on the Waves of Online Retall Business - Research Paper Example Now, the internet has been proven to be an effective vehicle as well to boost a growing business’ economy. Private accounts in public sites such as Multiply and other blog sites can now be considered shopping spots for some specialized products or services, and young entrepreneurs resort to these sites to begin selling their wares first to their friends, and hope that the word spreads so more traffic is geared to their online business sites. Noninska (2003) identified three basic models that represent main electronic commerce systems. One is â€Å"Business-to-Business (B2B), another is â€Å"Business-to-Consumer† (B2C) and the last is â€Å"Consumer-to-Consumer† (C2C). This paper will focus on B2C. Cyprus (2011) explains that B2C refers to the online selling of products, known as e-tailing. B2C makes it possible that any product can be virtually e-tailed. However, the challenge for online retailers and manufacturers is to attract consumers to their website marke tplace. Originally, this needed assistance with search engines, as consumers often search for products or services they need by keying in the related words on a search engine search bar. Usually, consumers choose websites on the first few pages of the results that flash up the screen. Knowing this tendency of consumers, businesses fight for a slot in the first few pages of the results of a search. One way to do it is to purchase paid listings as well as employ search engine optimization techniques such as using popular consumer keywords in their web text. The purpose of attracting traffic towards their website is to receive views from consumers and potential clients (Cyprus, 2011). Two variations of the B2C model were identified by Robert (2007). Direct sale to the customer is the first variation. An example is SmugMug.com charging their consumers for photo sharing/hosting services. The customers’ photography skills range from inexperienced shutterbugs to professional photogr aphers. This site does not offer any feature for free unlike other sites like Flickr because they are confident that their consumers are aware that they offer a great product at the right price so there is much value in availing of their service over a competitor offering services for free. Actual products and goods are mostly sold by online retailers. The second approach is the advertising model where popular sites that generate huge amounts of traffic like YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, etc. come in. Free services are offered to consumers so visitors flock in who then become targets of advertising when they are logged in. Advertising can come in various forms such as â€Å"pay-per-click like Google ads to cost-per-impression to direct sale of a spot† (Robert, 2007). Just how do B2C outfits operate? Noninska (2003) compares B2C systems to real-world shopping experience. Transactions are done over an open network, so customers have unrestricted access. When a deal is closed, paym ent is made using credit cards. The B2C system verifies the validity of the card and the identity of the customer (Steinfield, n.d.). B2C sites should be user-friendly as well as offer benefits to customers such as low costs and data security. It should be able to deliver the required information within the shortest time possible so customers do not have to wait

Short answers Written assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Short answers Written assignment - Essay Example Environment affects the health status of a person because it is space where activities take place that are necessary for development; hence, a person living in a well-situated environment more often than not defines a well- being of an individual. Lifestyle determines the health status through the way a person lives his life. As such, a person who has vices and bad habits are more likely unhealthy and vice versa. Health belief affects the health behaviors because what a person thinks is seen physically. If a person believes that he or she is sick, then worries will just arise and start to develop into stress (DePoy and Gilson, 2004). Biological basis of ageing can be a senescence which is a result of damage to the organism. Free radical theory and hormonal theories are just two of the biological theories of ageing. Free radical theory states that different reactive oxygen metabolites are able to cause a broad damage to organisms and shortens lifespan. It could affect a health behavior of a person through the physical changes in the body. Free radical diseases such as cancer and atherosclerosis can also be the major effect; though the discovery of antioxidants are said to help decrease the effects of radical reactions in the body (Rattan, 2006). On the other hand, hormonal theories suggest that eminent levels of steroid hormones produced mainly by the adrenal cortex can cause a fast aging turn down. The two theories are different in such a way it affects living organisms. Free radical theory shortens the lifespan of an organism while hormonal theory controls the stage in which ageing occurs (Rattan, 2006). However, both theories suggest a process in which ageing occurs to living organisms and how it affects the health behavior. As people age, hormones are becoming less capable of maintaining our bodies like the younger days and one effect is menopause (for women). Erik Erikson proposed the concept of development in

Andy Warhols Outer and Inner Space Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Andy Warhols Outer and Inner Space - Essay Example The paper "Andy Warhols Outer and Inner Space" states narrative and representation in "Outer and Inner Space", directed by Andy Warhol. He was able to maintain the austerity and reduction of his portrait films while incorporating an unprecedented degree of formal complexity. From the critical perspective, in his cinema artworks Warhol is not interesting in conveying visual information so much as translating the experience of posing in front of the camera, and the eerie emptiness that that experience could be said to entail. These formal means enabled him create a phenomenological portrait of our bifurcated experience of temporality itself, the present tense of experience splayed across the registers of future projection and past recollection.This is the main reason why his audience gets some sense of that emptiness through the amount of affective projection that the portraits seem to require from it. However, in Outer and Inner Space we have no time to daydream about Edie. Instead, t he Warhol’s narrative and representation causes our perceptual situation to unfold, in a sense, like Edie's own split experience. Warhol’s films are eminently devoted to real-time recordings of his performers doing such banal tasks as applying make-up, making coffee, talking on the phone, gossiping, having casual sex, drinking, arguing, kissing, sleeping and eating. Capturing ordinary, everyday action seemed was a central interest of the underground. This perspective referlected an important impulse in 1960s radicalism. , a perspective that historians Sohnya Sayres et al (1984) described as "the attempt to infuse life with a secular spiritual and moral content, to fill the quotidian with personal meaning and purpose" (p.18). Practically, looking at Warhol's Screen-Tests part of the magic and mystery one feels doubtless comes from a deep-seated desire to witness death give birth to life, for the photograph to become animated before one's eyes. However, no matter how "de ad" these images are presented, they can never remain "inert" when seen by the affectively-engaged spectator. During Outer and Inner Space Andy Warhol used the video tape-recorder to make two thirty-minute tapes of his rising superstar Edith Sedgwick (Angel, 1988, p.42). For the duration of both tapes, she appears in close-up and in profile, the bright, high-contrast image of her face almost completely filling up the frame. What space does exist is completely black. Her face does not appear in space so much as seem "cut out" from it - without depth, the image is as flat as a screen-print. Throughout the entire recording time, her face will barely move, and she will never face the camera. Rather, she gazes off to screen-right - towards the empty black space at the edge of the frame. This artistic approach corresponds to Warhol's avant-garde idea to provide a split within time: the present as past and the present as future. Simultaneously, audience is split between perceptual registers - the visible and the audible - just as Edie is split between her own self-image, and the voice in the back o f her head she cannot manage to dismiss. The two are, of course, importantly related. The video image is, for Edie, primarily audible. She rarely perceives the image directly, but its insistent

How does carnival reflex the culture from where it comes from And Essay

How does carnival reflex the culture from where it comes from And Consider the nature of carnival - Essay Example Carnival and related activities are generally a transformation of local traditional beliefs and rituals. Different rituals in carnivals are validated on the belief that they bring good fortune, solve problems, and appease out angry forefathers passed in a new world. Carnivals reflect the culture from where they originate. Following discussions will bring out the cultural reflections from rituals and celebrations of carnivals. Three carnivals, Carnival of Veneza, Notting Hill Carnival and Australian Carnival Mardi Grass are discussed in particular to show how different rituals are influenced from the land of their origin. All carnivals, from Rio to Australian Mardi Gras, give a peek in to the culture of their origin. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is considered as one of the biggest show of celebration on the earth. It is best example of cultural reflections on carnivals. Samba, a dance brought over by African slaves with them, is the main attraction of the celebration. The dance has seen a rapid transformation over years, it was fused with the choros, street bands of Brazil, but still its vivacious color and free spirited movements reflects an African culture and reminds of its historical evolution. The history of carnival of Veneza dates back to 2nd May 1268. Carnival starts around two weeks before Ash Wednesday and ends on Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. Traditionally, masks have been central theme of the celebrations. People wear different types of Venetian masks such as Bauta, Moretta and Larva and disguise themselves as a symbolism of social and economical equality. Wearing of masks has been prohibited many times under different governments citing different political and religious issues and the carnival was dormant for several centuries. The origin of carnival of Veneza has several historical significances. It

Organizational Behavior 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organizational Behavior 3 - Essay Example By focusing on discussing the problem, both parties can have a better chance to solve the problem. Descriptive communication is all about being able to accurately and objectively describe the problem. In other words, negotiators should avoid judging or labeling a person for their behavior. Aside from focusing on solutions to the problem, negotiators should be able to maintain his/her objectivity when describing the event. Speaking in general terms can trigger miscommunication. To avoid misrepresenting the problem, negotiators should be specific when managing the problem. In general, specific communication means that negotiators should communicate in such a way that they will be clearly understood by the receiver of the message. In other words, they should speak direct to the point. Disjunctive communication is all about taking all the time to speak out one’s own thoughts without letting the other person express what they think. On the other hand, conjunctive communication is all about being able to initiate a conversation that flows smoothly. Therefore, when solving a problem, negotiators should make use of conjunctive communication and not disjunctive ones. For example, negotiator should avoid asking further questions before the other party completes his/her last sentence. Invalidating communication can make the receiver of the messages feel ignored, alienated, or worthless. On the other hand, validating communication is all about making the other party feel understood, valued, accepted, and recognized. Therefore, when solving a problem, negotiators should make use of validating communication and not invalidating ones. In most cases, this can be done by trying to avoid criticizing the other person. Owned communication is all about taking the responsibility for one’s own statement. For example, â€Å"I told you that you need to rest early†. Using the word â€Å"I† already indicate ownership

Opinions on Stereotypes Essay Example for Free

Opinions on Stereotypes Essay Webster’s Dictionary defines the word â€Å"stereotype† as a simplified and standardized conception or image of a person, group, etc. , held in common by members of a group. (1265) Many people create stereotypes of an entire group of people based off a single person. There are several different stereotypes that exist amongst society today in many different forms. Most churches and religious affiliated organizations condemn homosexuality which causes less gays to be open about their faith. This brings upon the stereotype that the gay community is not religious at all. This, however, has been proven false. According to Dan Giloff’s article, â€Å"While 72 percent of straight American adults describe their faith as ‘very important’ in their lives, so do 60 percent of gays and lesbians. †(par. 3), the gay community has plenty of religious affiliates now; The United Church of Christ now ordains ministers. Other religious groups are following in their footsteps, making moves to open their doors to the gay community. The people of the gay community are stereotyped heavily in society. Gay men are said to be obsessed with fashion, have great style, have a caddy attitude with very strong opinions, a love for dogs and are destined to be hairdressers, stylists, Broadway dancers, or fashion designers. Lesbians have plenty as well, such as: they move fast in relationships, dress manly, work in some kind of construction field, wear flannel, and hate men. These are all huge generalizations. Although gay men and lesbians may fall under some of these categories, not all do. People have too many factors that make up their identity, so it is unfair to set a certain list of characteristics to them. One of the most common stereotypes is gender stereotyping, which can be limiting to men and women in the world today. Throughout the years there have been plenty of stereotypes placed on women. One being that the woman should always be in the house cooking, cleaning, and tending to their spouses with no complaints. The culture of today has cultivated an image of women, saying that they are outspoken and have strong opinions about anything, that they spend all your money, that they are extremely demanding, and do nothing but gossip and shop endlessly. Women have worked towards breaking this stereotype by taking a stand over many decades and actually making many breakthroughs. Although that is a big stereotype involving women, there is research that shows women are â€Å"typically categorized in 3 primary clusters: traditional (e. g. homemaker), nontraditional (e. g. career woman) and sexy. † (Psychology of women quarterly). In an article from Psychology of Women Quarterly, scientists did research showing that career women held jobs in higher status while the sexier women held more appeal for the lower status, more feminine occupations. A sexier dressed woman showed to invoke negative emotion while also making people think incompetence was inevitable. Where as a more career based woman showed to be looked at as more of a leader figure that was prepared to take care of business at any cost. While Women are stereotyped to be a homemaker or a career woman, men too have sterotypes. Men have been stereotyped as being stupid and sex-obsessed people only worried about the next sports game; or weathly businessmen who cheat on their wives constantly with the closest woman in his office. Contrary to most women’s belief, there are plenty of men who are hardworking businessmen who have happy and loving home lives. Men live above this stereotype all the time. The blonde has two sides, the positive side where blondes are considered to be alluring and desirable. Then there is the negative side, where they are perceived as not being too intelligent and don’t use their common sense to figure out things; they rather rely on their looks than their intelligence. The hair color is often associated with â€Å"floosies†, â€Å"airheads†, or â€Å"ditzy† women. This is a very broad stereotype because there are many smart and successful blond women in society amongst the governments, school systems, and many other places. According to Harriet Brown, â€Å"In landmark 2003 research from the University of Pennsylvania, more than half of the 620 primary-care doctors surveyed characterized their obese patients as ‘awkward,’ ‘unattractive,’ ‘ugly,’ and ‘noncompliant‘ the latter meaning that they wouldnt follow recommendations. More than one-third of the physicians regarded obese individuals as ‘weak willed,’ ‘sloppy,’ and ‘lazy. ’† (par. 3). The stereotypes placed upon obese people usually falls under the words the doctors stated in the study from the article. Most people over look that it could be a medical condition causing such weight gain in obese people. They see the weight and automatically assume that it was a choice based upon laziness and lack of drive. People do not look beyond what they see, which creates plenty of false accusations. While there are many lifestyles that are stereotyped, such as, people assume if your gay; you must have aids, if your atheist; you must hate the world, if you have no religion; you must not have any morals, etc. One in particular is if you’re a biker you like to party hard, have tattoos and are a criminal. However, as much as people who ride motorcycles love the smell of fresh air and the open road, different riding styles are associated with different lifestyles and are completely diverse Racial stereotypes are in abundance in today’s world as well as throughout history. Most associate themselves with racist thoughts. Asians must be smart, Arabs must be terrorists, Irish must have drinking problems, Italians must be in the Mafia, Germans must be Nazi’s, African Americans must be in gangs, whites must be nerds, etc. These stereotypes can be wrong and hurtful in many situations. One public incident from any person of any race can create a stereotype. Society places people they don’t know much about or they don’t understand into classifications, thinking that people who look like them will act the same. Media plays a role in creating all of these stereotypes although people play the biggest role in creating them. It is human nature to notice the difference between themselves and others before the similarities. Media is still held responsible for a lot of the creation because not only does it use pictures of a generalized group to show how a person may look, but media also uses stereotypes as comedic entertainment on popular shows and movies. The romantic movies of today ,as well as in the past, depict very heavily the gender stereotypes placed upon men and women. They always show the â€Å"knight in shining armor who saves the damsel in distress† story, the men always sticking to their â€Å"typical† man stereotype and the women always to theirs. Media does influence our views and thoughts about people and does encourage generalizations about certain classifications of people. People to this day still fight with being held under heavy stereotyping. Society places an immense amount of merit on these loose generalizations. This sadly makes it hard for a lot of the people who do not fall under them and do break free from these stereotypes. While there is some truth to a lot of stereotypes, people need to understand one person cannot define an entire group of people. Whether a stereotype is negative or positive, they both exist and are limiting and leave no room for individuality. Works Cited Brown, Harriet. Does Your Doctor Make You Feel FAT? Prevention 63. 7 (2011): 26-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2011. Gilgoff, Dan. Fighting the Gay-As-Godless Stereotype. U. S. News Digital Weekly 1. 23 (2009): 12. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Nov. 2011. Heather Branstiter, et al. Evaluations of Sexy Women in Low- And High-Status Jobs. Psychology of Women Quarterly 29. 4 (2005): 389-395. Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Nov. 2011.

Acrobatics Workshop Essay Example for Free

Acrobatics Workshop Essay No matter which figures or pyramids are being tried, the facilitator must make sure that there are catchers present to prevent injuries. Participants should be instructed how to catch one another and to take responsibility for others in the group.  1. Description of the activity  Part 1 Warming Up Trust Exercises  A. The participants are put into pairs. One partner becomes a guide, the other becomes blind. The guide takes their blind partner for a walk (around the grounds, over obstacles, etc. ) while holding hands. After some minutes the partners change roles. Variations: Follow the same steps as above, but have the seeing partner lead with only one finger. Alternatively, have the seeing partner lead using only their voice no physical contact between partners.  B. In pairs, participants stand face to face with their feet together and holding hands. Each person leans back carefully with full body strength by stretching their arms. The challenge is to maintain balance.  C. All participants stand together in a circle and hold hands. Count off into 1s and 2s. On the signal, using all their strength, the 1s lean inside while the 2s lean outside. After a few seconds, carefully pull back into a normal circle and then change (2s inside, 1s outside). D. In small groups (3-7 persons), one person stands in the middle of a circle. Standing stiff and without moving their feet, the one in the middle falls from one person to another and is slowly passed around inside the circle. After some moments, change roles. Give everyone a chance to be in the middle.  Variation: you can also do this with just three persons. The one in the middle is slowly passed forward and backwards between two persons. Part 2 Stretching  Before trying actual figures, it is important to warm up the joints and the muscles. Gently stretch legs, arms, neck, and shoulders. Dont forget to pay attention to the wrists and ankles, too.  Part 3 First Acrobatic Steps  3A. Napoleon (3 persons):   The first person goes down and takes the bench position; the second person goes up and forms a bench on top of the first person (see diagram 4)   The first person goes down and takes bench position; second person goes up and stands on the shoulders and hip of the bench. Keeping their balance, the bench slowly starts to walk forwards on their hands and knees (see diagram 10). (Remember you must NEVER stand in the middle of the benchs back, only on their shoulders and hips!) The third person is always the catcher for the person who is up.  3B. Knee stands (4 persons)   The first person goes down and takes the bench position; second person sits down on the benchs hips (facing benchs feet); taking the second persons hands, third person goes up and stands on second persons knees (keep holding hands). If second and third person can balance on their own, the bench can walk away, leaving the two in balance position. The fourth person is the catcher. 3C. Galion figure (4 persons)  Ã‚  The same as 3B (above), but second and third person open op their arms on one side and look in the same direction. (You still need the fourth person as catcher.)  Part 4 Pyramids and standing on shoulders  Once participants have grasped the basic steps, they can proceed onto building pyramids and making new shapes (see diagrams in section D Some Pyramids).  2. General remarks  Who can do acrobatics? Acrobatics can be used with groups of all ages: teenagers, adults, even children from 4 or 5 years of age. It is important to include the warming up and trust-building exercises, especially if the people in the group do not know each other very well. Stretching and warming-up the muscles is important to avoid accidents. Everyone in the group should be taught the catchers tasks. The group has to take responsibility for itself it is up to everyone to look out for one another. Why use acrobatics?  Acrobatics is a perfect method for team-building at any age. Its good to learn to give and to take help from one another. Even if you have only a short amount of time, participants can learn amazing things like building pyramids or standing on shoulders. Acrobatics can help people learn about taking responsibility for others but also about respecting limits (their own and other persons). The atmosphere in the workshop should allow participants to say if they dont want to try a certain figure or activity. An extra touch  If you have more time (e.g. the group stays together several days), the participants can put together a presentation. This is a great way for the group to show off what they have learned (especially good for children and young adults).  Accessibility  Some groups may have specific needs (e.g. older participants or individuals with physical or mental disabilities), but these are not reasons for people to be excluded. For example, past experiments with acrobatics has shown that its possible to include people who might be missing a limb or even those in wheelchairs. There may be some limits, but in most cases it just takes some fantasy to create new forms and figures which include all members of the group. 3. Literature  There are many resources to be found describing acrobatics and other circus activities. Two of these include:  1. Rudi Ballreich, Udo v. Grabowiecki (Hg.), Zirkus spielen. Ein Handbuch, 1999 Stuttgart/Leipzig. Not only about acrobatics but all circus skills you can use with young people, tips for presentation as well. (German language)  2. J.M. Fodero/E.E. Furblur, Creating Gymnastics, Pyramids and Balances. Leisure Press, Champaign, Illinois, 1989. This book focuses only on acrobatics and has a great amount of drawings for figures for 2 persons up to pyramids with 15 or more persons. For beginners to advanced. You can find some figures presented in the book on the Internet: http://www.mypage.bluewin.ch/mmc/akro/bkd7.html. (A German-language edition of this book is available under the title Menschenpyramiden.)

Objectives And The Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay

Objectives And The Functional Requirements Of Cladding System Construction Essay There are some elementary objectives of the cladding system. These objectives are the reasons for the invention and adoption of cladding system due to our increasing construction technology and demands of clients. There are many types of clients, some are emphasize more on aesthetic value, some are emphasize more on functional value, some are emphasize on time of erection and even some are emphasize on construction cost. So, the primary objectives of cladding system can be concluded as below: Supply of enclosure to the structure with the function of essential protection against the natural elements such as wind, rain, storm and etc. Invention and adoption of dry construction method which is more advanced such as off-site prefabrication, off-site manufacturing and etc. Minimize the additional dead load onto the frame. Improve the aesthetic value of the structure or the architectural concept. Control internal environment. Thus, in order to accomplish these elementary objectives of cladding system, the cladding system must perform these functional requirements: Strength and Stability It should have sufficient strength to support its own weight between the points of support or fixings to the structure. It must provide adequate stability against lateral wind pressure. It is essential to allow the differential movement in material expansion and contraction between the cladding system, the structural frame and the adjacent building elements. Exclusion of Wind and Rain Generally, the method is to construct solid cladding systems with an outer leaf as a rain screen and inner leaf of light weight block for insulation. In order to accommodate movement and resist weather deterioration, the material that used to seal joints and claddings must be resilient enough. Durability and Freedom of Maintenance The frequency and extent of work necessary to maintain minimum functional requirements acceptable appearance must be minimized to save cost. There are some problems and requirements of maintenance of several types of material. These are some examples. For masonry, a little maintenance is needed only. Glass requires frequent cleaning and renewal of seal. Besides that, sheet materials such as bronze, aluminium and stainless steel will be oxidized easily and faded faster as compare to masonry and glass. Control of Internal Temperatures As we know, the solar is gained through glass panel. Thus, we must control the proportion of glazed to solid areas. Besides that, thermal control can also be achieved by some methods. For example, deep recessed window used in conjunction with external vertical fins and used of non-transparent external louvres. By the way, used of special solar control glass is encouraged also. Thermal Properties Additional insulation need to be provided by lining of the cladding materials. It must achieve the U-values that laid down in the building regulations It must avoid the problems that would arise from cold bridging and from surface and interstitial condensation. The problem of air leakage should be minimized. Environmental and Sustainability Issues It is defined as how much the cladding system can contribute to the overall energy efficiency of the building. Environmental friendliness of cladding materials also plays a very important role in these issues. Fire Requirements Due to the proximity of other buildings and the use class of the building, fire resistance may be required. In order to restrict the fire from spread over the internal and external surfaces and within voids, the lining material that used for insulation is made up of non-combustible materials. Sound Insulation The resilient pad is used to prevent sound originating within the structure to be transferred vertically through the cladding members. Airborne sound originating from external source can be prevented by utilizing double glazing panel to window area. Aesthetic Issues The context within which the building is situated will determine the level of aesthetic of that building. Necessary to satisfy the aesthetic aspiration of the clients. General Function of the Building There are some functions of building that need to be stated and established such as day lighting and natural ventilation requirements, degree of privacy required, exploitation of pleasant views or exclusion of undesirable views and etc. A CLIENT REQUIRES A ROAD THAT REQUIRES LITTLE MAINTENANCE WITH REASONABLE NON-SKID PROPERTIES. WITH THE AID OF DIAGRAMME, SUGGEST A TYPE OF ROAD AND THE CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGY FOR THE PROPOSED ROAD. The road that I will proposed which meets the demand of client is rigid pavement. Rigid pavement is made up of concrete road slab. These are some functions of pavement. Pavement provides a flat surface that makes the journey comfort. Pavement helps to transfer and distribute the transportation load onto the ground evenly. Besides that, pavement protects ground surface against weather effects such rain and wind. These are the characteristics of rigid pavement. Characteristics Rigid pavement Subsidence damage Considerable with expansion joints Initial cost High and require low skill labour Maintenance Low Appearance Glare from sun Non skid properties Reasonable Resistance to wear Good if the quality of concrete is controlled Ease of reinstatement Costly, difficult, require curing time Weakness The requirement of relatively frequently spaced temperature expansion and contraction joints, which also provides a less comfortable surface for riding. Construction Methodology The construction methodology of rigid pavement can be classified into several procedures which are placement, screeding, consolidation, finishing, curing and joints. Placement Truck or truck attachment is used to place the precast concrete directly to the desired position. Otherwise, placement machine is used for more accurate and even placement. Once the precast concrete has been unloaded from the truck, it tends to become less homogenous. Figure 1 Figure 2 Screeding During this process, the excess part of the roughly placed precast concrete is cut off to the desired elevation of slab. Generally, this is done by dragging a straightedge across the slab at the required elevation. Consolidation In this process, the freshly placed precast concrete is making to form a more uniform and compact mass. This can be done by eliminating unwanted air voids and causing it to move around potential obstruction such as reinforcement bar. Generally, consolidation is done by using vibrators which are formed by long and slender vibration rods. Vibrators can be drive by rotating an eccentric weight which causes the whole vibrator to move back and forth. Vibrators are used to excite particles within precast concrete mass. This will cause the particles attach each other closer and better flow around obstructions. Proper consolidation is very important to the performance of rigid pavement. It must possess adequate vibrations to enhance the durability. Too much or too little vibration will lower the performance of rigid pavement. Vibrator static head also influences the efficiency. Figure 3 Finishing In this process, the task is to create the final surface finish and texture of fresh precast concrete. In general, finishing can be categorized into 2 types which are floating and texturing. In floating, a flat surface is run across the precast concrete in number of times and may involve many different tools. This process is used to remove high spots, low spots and imperfections, embed larger aggregate particles beneath the surface and to prepare the surface of mortar for texturing with compaction. After floating, fresh precast concrete is quite smooth. A rough pattern is usually formed by dragging a broom, rough-textured item, or tinted instrument across the surface to enhance the non-skip property of rigid pavement. In general, texturing can be divided into 2 types which are Microtexture and Macrotexture. Microtexture is more common than Macrotexture. Microtexture is accomplished by dragging a section of burlap or artificial turf behind the paver. Curing The task of this process refers to the maintenance of adequate moisture and temperature within a precast concrete mass as it sets and hardens in order to develop the desired properties of strength, durability and density. Curing can be done by 2 different methods which are water curing and sealed curing. Water curing is method that prevents moisture loss and supply additional water to precast concrete surface. This method is labour intensive and generally not practices in rigid pavement anymore. Sealed method is method that prevents moisture loss but do not supply any additional water. This can be done by putting a waterproof covering over a slab such as plastic or using a liquid membrane-forming chemical compound. Figure 4 (Finishing) Figure 5 (Curing) Joints There are many types of joints used in rigid pavement. The basics of transverse contraction joint construction should include joint location, saw cutting timing, saw cutting depth and joint sealing. Joint locations are necessary to indicate on the construction plans and should be planned in advance. The timing of contraction joint sawing is determined by 2 main factors which are shrinkage cracking and precast concrete support strength and joint raveling. In the aspect of saw cutting depth, transverse contraction joints are usually cut to a depth of 1/4 to 1/3 of the total slab depth in order to make sure cracking only occurs at the joints. After the previous procedure has been done, it requires to be sealed to reduce the water and incompressible material entry. Figure 6 (Joint Layout) Figure 7 (Shrinkage Crack) Figure 8 (Sawcut Depth) DESCRIBE THE PERFORMANCE AND SPECIFY THE MATERIAL THAT CAN BE USED TO FILL THE VOID OF DISUSED STRUCTURES, EG: CULVERTS, REDUNDANT SEWERS, CELLARS AND BASEMENTS AND ALSO FOR SOIL STRUCTURAL STABILIZATION, EG: BRIDGE ABUTMENTS, TUNNEL STABILIZATION AND EMBANKMENTS. In our construction technology, there are many materials that can be used and performed very well in construction process such as concrete, plastic, stone, ceramic and timber. All of these materials possess advantages and disadvantages. In this question, the material that will be chosen is aerated concrete. There are a lot of reasons why I choose this material, aerated concrete. Aerated concrete is a highly workable and low density material which incorporating entrained air up to 50 percents. In general, it has the characteristics of self-levelling, self-compacting and may be pumped. Besides that, the risk of plastic shrinkage or settlement cracking of aerated concrete is significantly lower as compared to normal concrete. This foamed concrete is ideal for filling up the redundant or unnecessary voids such as disused fuel tanks, sewer systems, pipelines and culverts. Other than that, aerated concrete also has a good thermal insulation property. The aerated concrete can be fully utilized in several applications such as: Unwanted voids Pipelines Service ducts and shafts Bridge arches or subways Disused structures Culverts Redundant sewers Cellars and basements Higher structural stabilization Bridge abutments Tunnel stabilization enbankments Insulating fill Low density insulating sub-screed Insulating fill to house over-sites By the way, there are several highlighted final concrete performances of aerated concrete that can said to be the advantages of this kind of concrete. Aerated concrete contains high entrained air content. With this property, the aerated concrete is able to resist the damage that formed from freeze and thaw. Besides that, entrained air can acts as a good thermal and acoustic insulator. The aerated concrete has good cohesion ability. It can form a stable foam structure that reduces settlement and reduces bleeding and segregation. Other than that, aerated concrete possess controlled density and strength. For example, low strength of concrete enables the removal for subsequent access to services and maintenance. The range of densities and strengths available depends on the types of foamed concrete. Structure that formed by aerated concrete is very stable. It can generally be surfaced after 24 hours. Besides that, other materials can be combined together and included in the mix. Combination of different materials depends on the applications and requirements. There are some combinations such as polypropylene fiber, fibersteel, quarry fines, vermiculite, flyash and volcanic ash. Autoclaved aerated concrete is one common type of aerated concrete. It is a material like wood but without the disadvantages of combustibility, decay and termite damage. The initial cost of autoclaved aerated concrete is very high but it can be compensated by lower cost of labour, finish, maintenance, and energy. In terms of manufacturing issue, construction issue and etc, it is a good ecological choice. The autoclaved aerated concrete is very versatile because the mixture proportions can be modify to setup different insulation values and compressive strength. Due to the reason of autoclaved aerated concrete is light in weight and workable, thus it can reduce the construction time, waste and energy by faste r speed of construction. BRIEFLY DESCRIBE THE ACTIVITES INVOLVED IN EXTERNAL WORKS AT THE START OF THE CONTRACT. In general, external works is defined as the construction works that done externally from the main building. The external works can be divided into several main parts which are drainage requirements, temporary constructions, public utilities, special industries services, minor external buildings, security and lighting. In construction industry, most of the activities are spanned within the entire project period but some of the external works are involved at the start of the contract. These external works are drainage main runs, access arrangement, storage facilities, car parks, hard areas for plants and machineries for construction of foundation and service mains to building entry. Firstly, drainage will be explained in detail. Drainage can be divided into 2 main types which are surface drainage and sub-surface drainage. Surface drainage is defined as the removal and disposal of water from the surface of a pavement. Sub-surface drainage is the type of drainage that uses the underground pipes and other fittings to direct the flow of water from where it is not wanted to some other places. Sub-surface drainage might include land drainage. Land drainage can be defined as removing and disposing of surplus groundwater gardens, fields and other plots of open land. Surface drainage system often refers as channels that direct the surface water to a drainage outlet. These channels are made up of stone or precast concrete. This system usually discharges all the relatively clean water into a local watercourse such as ditch, stream or river. This system can reduce the demand on the effluent treatment plant. The relatively clean water usually consists of water from the roof and the paving. The channels are slope down towards the public footpath and highway. After that, the water will be directed into gullies or linear drain which will flow to the storm water sewers later. In surface drainage system, the gully and access point is function to collect and discharge the collected water into local watercourse. Generally, there are three types of gully and access point used to perform this function. They are individual trapped gully, continuous grating over precast channels and combined kerb and drainage system. In the aspect of individual trapped gully, there are many types of gully that have been used. P-trap and hopper is commonly used with rainwater pick-ups rather than use in large areas drainage of paving. Yard gully also know as a bottle gully, compact gully or an universal gully. Other than that, road gully is much larger than P-trap and yard gully but they work in the same way. The specifications of road gully are it has a fixed 150mm diameter outlet but come in a variety of diameters and depths. For example, road gully the used within the carriage ways is commonly used to drain an area less than 250m2. In the aspect of continuous grating over precast channels, it can be various sizes, from 50mm deep units for roof drainage to 250mm deep for motorway drains. These channels can made up of various materials such as polymer concrete, wet-press concrete, HDPE and stainless steel. In a specific application, the type of channels used will depends on the end use of the drain. There are two main types which are built-in fall units and regular depth units. Built-in fall units are channels that maintain a fixed depth along their whole length and compulsory laid to a fall. It is suitable to use in large drainage for flat areas such as car parks, freight yards, airports and etc. The regular depth units are suitable to use in short length drainage which has a natural gradient. Lastly, the combined kerb and drainage system have 2 main functions. It can acts as road isolator. Besides that, it is also a discharge point of collected surface water. Generally, sub-surface drainage system deals with foul water such as kitchen waste, toilet or soil and vent pipes, bath or shower or bidet and any industrial process. Besides that, this system can deals with both foul water and surface water such as rain water pick-ups, yard or road gullies and linear drains. Sub-surface drainage system consists of underground pipe line, manhole or inspection chamber and culvert. In underground pipe line, various materials can be used to make pipes such as vitrified clay, uPVC, concrete, ductile and cast iron (CI), glassfibre reinforced plastics (GRP), high density polyethylene (HDPE), pitch fibre and asbestos. In general, there are 3 main types of pipes which are socketed clayware, plain-end clay and plastic 100/150mm. There are 2 main types of jointing of pipes. Plain ended pipes are a type of pipes that have identical ends. They can be joined by means of a coupling. Other than that, socketed pipes have identifiable male and female ends. The method of laid must be in the way of female end pointing upstream. Next, access chambers are commonly not more than 600mm deep which provides an easy access for cursory inspection and access of maintenance equipments. Inspection chamber possess the same function as the access chamber but inspection chamber is larger than access chamber with a minimum 450mm diameter. Besides that, inspection chamber tend to have more branches or spurs feeding into them. Normally, the inspection chamber can be up to 1000mm deep. Manhole is the largest chamber that provides the same function. Manhole can be any depth with the minimum internal dimension of 600x900mm. There are two main types of manhole which are brick manhole and precast concrete manhole. After that, culvert can be defined as a structure which provides a waterway or other opening under a road. In general, the type of pipe culvert chosen should be class Z spun reinforced concrete with spun concrete collars or spigot and socket type. At the start of the contract, there are some external works that need to be done in order to proceed to start the construction works. The external works that need to be done 1st is to prepare and provide hard access to all parts of the site, hard storage for materials, site facilities and car parks. Generally, in order to reduce the cost of temporary road and access, the contractor will lay the base course of the future permanent road as the temporary road and access. There is a way to keep the site temporary road dry for the convenience of construction works which is laying the drainage system as soon as possible. Public utilities services are very important to a building. Thus, all the public utilities need to be planned carefully before any major structures are built. Any constructions of service mains and ducts should be constructed concurrently with the foundation construction works in order to make the entire construction works faster and avoid any inconveniences.