Niccolo Ammaniti’s novel ‘I’m not scared’ Essay

Topic two: â€Å"The character and morality of Michele are underestimated by the adults of Aqua Traverse.† Niccolo Ammaniti’s novel ‘I’m not scared’ is based on fear that is within the characters of Aqua Traverse. Fear can cause people to respond in an irresponsible manner and forget about morality. Throughout this novel, the adults of Aqua Traverse did not only lose their humanity but they also underestimated Michele’s character and morality. It caused them to forget the love of their children and each other. This fear was caused by the feeling of poverty and not being able to leave Aqua Traverse. It has been stated many times throughout the novel, for example Teresa had pleaded to Michele: â€Å"When you grow up, you must go and never come back.† This fear forced them to kidnap the 9-year old boy Phillipo. This vague idea of living a better life left the adults emotionally bankrupt. However, this novel proved that morality is not only in wise and old people but within everyone. It is based on the individual’s character, as Michele did encounter fear just like the rest of the adults, but he did not let fear override his morality. Michele had lost trust in everyone surrounding him, including his own true friend Salvatore; this forced him to look within his moral directions. All children must trust their parents in order to be protected from any form of fear that they may interact with. But in this novel, the adults had focused on their own fears and believed Michele would always be too young to understand anything. Michele’s parents are blinded by the crime, that they don’t take any notice of Michele’s maturity level. They don’t realize they are destroying his innocence at such a young age. Michele’s father, Pino is the main cause for the other adults to forget about Michele’s true character and independence. Pino is one of the major characters in the novel. He portrays being the villain and bringing his son in the face of evil, not realizing this is causing him to lose his innocence. At the beginning of the novel, Pino was described as a caring and loving father. He cherished every moment that he spent with the family, as he brought the children gifts and insisted on fetching the water instead of the kids. Later on, his affection was drawn out when he refused to listen to Michele’s excuse as to why he was late and instead told him to ‘get out’. Pino’s evil character was further exposed when he blackmailed Michele into believing that he will be the blame for Phillipo’s death if he visits him again, as he had stated: â€Å"If you go back, these people will kill him and it’ll be your fault.† This left Michele with a heavy amount of weight being put on his shoulders; it also caused him to increase his anxiety. Pino proved his naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve thinking about Michele by purchasing him a new bike in order to buy his silence or gain his peace, in which Michele was not about to hand over whatsoever. He was the main person who underestimated Michele’s main character, which lead him to not shoot Phillipo in the end of the novel, but instead his own son, Michele. It wasn’t only Michele’s father that had underestimated his character, but also his very own mother. Teresa was busy with her own agendas and was overcome by her fear of having to live in Aqua Traverse for the rest of her life and the children’s life. She appears to be strong as described by Ammaniti, but she is weak from within and her strength is dying gradually. She demonstrated her strength when Felice injured Michele; as she attacked him with all her might and then threatened her husband Pino: â€Å"If he touches Michele again I’ll kill him and then I’ll kill you.† It was unexpected to believe that she was involved in the kidnap of a boy that’s the same age as her own son. However, she is very obedient towards her husband which forces her to not rebel against any evil acts. At the end of the novel Teresa becomes very emotional and stressed that she doesn’t take any notice of Michele’s character from within. This novel only proved that a person does not have to be wise and old in order to have true morality. Michele was a good example of this. He motivated himself with his imaginations and brought a heroic character inside of him. Despite the fact the adults never took any notice of him, it only brought him to take higher risks and chances no other child would take, such as disobeying his father’s rules. He understood the adults were too busy with their own criminal minds and that he must take action to help free Phillipo and take him back to his family. Niccolo Ammaniti truly explored this novel throughout a child’s mind in the face of evil.

One Source Essay

The purpose of this paper is to argue for and against an organization adopting an ethical approach. This essay will look into the two sides of the argument in depth using relevant theories, examples and case studies. The first part of this essay will look into why an organization adopting an ethical approach to management could ultimately benefit the firm. On the other hand, the essay will look at the case against a firm adopting an ethical approach to management. The essay will then conclude by suggesting that it would be important for organizations to act ethically to a certain extent.One definition suggests that ‘ethics are the moral principles that should underpin decision-making. A decision made on ethics might reject the most profitable solution In favor of one of greater benefit to society as well as the firm' (Marabous, 2003). The key words used in definition are ‘moral principles', so this definition suggests that acting ethically means acting in a moral way. In essence, an ethical approach to management Is generally acting right to benefit the community and the environment not solely concentrating on maximizing profits.It Is also important to define what exactly acting morally is, one good definition suggested that morality is the notion of what is good and bad (McIntyre, 1998). Argument For In arguing for an organization adopting an ethical approach, the benefits that an organization would gain from this behavior Is that it could be used as a USPS (unique selling point). This is evident in a variety of organizations today, for instance, the Body Shop. Body shop sells products that are kind to the environment, and also boast the fact that they are 100% against animal testing.A key point is that, not only does the many strive to Improve the communities In less developed countries, but it publicizes these actions In order to get support from possible consumers. This strategy appeals to customers a great deal, which implies there are plenty o f consumers who choose not to buy products that have been tested on animals so choose to buy products only from the Body Shop. Similarly there are consumers that may not have such strong opinions against animal testing but buy products from the body shop because it seem like the right thing to ad.These ethical approaches to management has seen Body Shop's profits rise over the years, and are now one of the arrest cosmetic retailers in the country as a result. As well as advertising the fact that they are against animal testing. The Body Shop also promotes community trade. Active self esteem, defending of human rights, and the protection of our planet. Organizations will also gain significant public relations advantages from ethical behavior. There are examples of organizations that have not acted ethically, and as a result have received very negative publicity.One key example would be Nestle. A study in the British Medial Journal said that manufacturers of powdered milk, such as Nes tle were breaking international codes by selling their products to West African countries. The Studies were carried out in two West African countries Togo and Burning Fast. Findings from the study showed that Nestle had been Issuing free powdered milk to mothers in these West African countries, officials from Nestle had convinced mothers that powdered milk was actually better for their children than 1 OFF needed to find money in order to purchase this milk.Of course money was not always available so drastic measures were taken, such as over diluting the little dowered milk they had available, or diluting the powdered milk with water that was not very clean. As a result of this children's health in the region was poor due to lack of nutrition and consumption of contaminated water. The result of this study severely affected the reputation of Nestle. Pressure groups and other activists urged consumers to boycott products from the firm because of the way they had acted in Africa. As a r esult of this poor publicity Nestle had operating profits fall significantly.This case study is a prime example of how not acting ethically could seriously image the reputation of the firm, so another advantage of adopting an ethical approach to management is that this sort of situation could be avoided. Another major advantage of an ethical approach to management is that an organization could get more out of their workforce. Employees can expect to respond positively to working for an organization that they trust to be acting morally correct. Employees may feel proud to work for a firm that they know is abiding by ethical and moral guidelines.This would also help motivate the workforce and boost their confidence. As a result this could in turn lead to higher productivity from the workforce and ultimately lead to higher operating profits. A positive ethical approach to management could add to the competition for employment at such a firm. An ethical approach to management would also result in a lower labor turnover, because less employees would be leaving the organization if they felt they were being treated right, subsequently all of these reasons would lead to lower costs for an organization I. . Training and paying redundancies. A survey conducted in 2003 even showed that about 75% of The Body Shop's employees felt ‘proud' to be working for the organization. According to Banyan (1996) the success of the final solution depends on the capacity of managerial techniques to denude individuals of their dignity and deprive them of their humanity. Argument Against One of the main disadvantages that come with an ethical approach to management are the costs involved when managing ethically. A key example would be the exploitation of cheap labor.Sport manufacturing giant Nikkei has been accused of exploiting cheap labor in Asian markets. A report in Vietnam in 1997 showed that Nikkei had been mistreating women that worked in the factories producing shoes. The wo men were being paid about $1. 0 per day which was well below minimum wage in America. It was reported that the workforce was even punished for using verbal communication and were only allowed one toilet break during their period of work. From an ethical point of view this is the opposite of how a firm should act, and thus Nikkei received bad publicity for their actions.Although from Nine's point of view exploiting cheap labor in these Asian markets meant extremely high profits per unit produced, because shoes produced were being sold at around $150. Since the bad publicity and attempted boycotting from pressure groups, Nikkei vowed to act in a ore ethical manner, so paid worker significantly higher wages and also improved working conditions, although this did reduce the amount of bad publicity they were receiving it also meant that Nikkei so their costs soar.Although the company still makes a healthy profit, a more ethical approach to management has meant they are the argument that not all organizations will see a loss in profit for acting more ethically. It will largely depend on what type of organization is in question, for example Marks and Spencer sell organic chocolate and promote the fact that there is air trade between farmers. Although Marks and Spencer do have to pay farmers fairly, they can also charge a premium on their products to maintain profit levels.This way the firm can hit two birds with one stone, because they get positive publicity and a good consumer base, and are able to maintain profit levels. Another Disadvantage of a more ethical approach to management is that it could conflict with existing policies within the organization. A possible restructuring of the organization may need to be done; internal divisions may be created within the business. This of ours is a problem is the workforce is not used to change or does not want change in general. This could lead to lack of motivation of workers which in turn would lead to lower levels of p roductivity.A company could possibly also experience problems in sending a message in an organization which is decentralized. Even though the workforce may be in favor of a more ethical approach to management it would be extremely difficult to implement it, and additional training of the workforce may be required for maximum efficiency. Conclusion Having argued on both sides of the organization approach, it suffices to state that, it s important for firms or organizations to adopt an ethical approach to management as the advantages clearly outweigh the disadvantages.

Overtime vs Hiring: A Case Study Essay

Abstract This report aims to address the debate over whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees when faced with shortages, or cover the shifts with overtime. The issue is examined from the viewpoint of Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, and takes into account factors and costs as found therein. This report includes a graphical comparison of the costs associated with each option, and analyses and discusses the greater expense of hiring. One of the most debated topics in management is whether it is more beneficial to hire new employees or pay overtime to increase production or coverage. Many factors go into this decision, including benefits, duration of the period of extra work needed, and even type of work involved. In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, this issue gets more attention than at most places of business. Minimal staffing levels, union regulations, and round-the-clock posts – among other factors – conspire to make this decision one that is faced often. When all factors are considered, is it better for the department to hire new officers when coverage is lacking, or to utilize overtime to staff positions as needed? Executive Summary In almost all instances, it is more cost-efficient to fill gaps in coverage with overtime rather than hiring new officers in this department. This report will examine the factors involved, analyze the financial implications, and discuss exceptions to the findings. Explicit and implicit costs to the department will be discussed, along with their relevance to the decision-making process. This report will also compare the costs of new hires and overtime to find an equilibrium point beyond which the decision should change, and introduce the concept of diminishing returns. Finally, it will summarize the process and discuss application. Definition In Columbia University’s Department of Public Safety, there is a minimum level of on-duty staffing required at all times. Department employees are licensed, uniformed personnel belonging to the Transit Workers’ Union, Local 241. Management is required to ensure sufficient coverage on a daily basis, while conforming to the guidelines of the collective bargaining agreement. Sick time, vacation time, requests for guard services or special details, and emergencies such as natural disasters can create shortages in coverage that need to be addressed. Failure to cover these openings is not an option, and so management is left with two choices: hire additional full-time personnel to cover the openings, or pay overtime – at the rate of one-and-one-half times normal salary. Spending large amounts on overtime raises concerns in multiple areas, such as yearly budget reviews and union negotiations. This report aims to examine the issue in depth, and decide which option is mor e fiscally appropriate in a given situation. Factors and Costs As previously mentioned, there are numerous factors that influence this decision. The following are the most critical points that must be considered: * Department employees are unionized. Due to contractual agreements, the department must maintain all currently occupied positions. Any vacated position must be filled, somewhere in the department; for example, if an officer resigns, the department must fill that vacancy, whether in the same position or laterally, or be found in violation of the collective bargaining agreement. * Note that this is regardless of shortages, and only applies to permanently vacated positions. If the department has three extra officers on a given tour, and one resigns, the department may not continue to operate with two extras; rather, it is necessary to hire a new third extra. If an officer goes out on extended disability, however, it is not contractually necessary to fill that opening. In these cases, the department can cover the shortages, if any, through other means. Hiring remains an option, but the mandate to retain positions applies to newly created positions as well. In effect, if a new officer is hired in this situation, and the disabled officer returns to duty, the department is now obligated to keep both positions filled permanently and has a new minimum level of staffing. * New hires are paid at a rate of 80% salary for the first two years, then 82.5% the third year, 85% the fourth year, then 100% from year five on. * Overtime is paid at one-and-one-half times salary for any work done beyond 40 hours in a week. If an employee works a shift during all 7 days of the pay period, work done on the 7th day is paid at twice salary. * Any mandatory overtime performed without at least one hour of advance notice is paid at double time. This is relevant because when electing to not cover openings with additional personnel, any emergency shortages could lead to mandatory overtime without notice. * Most posts on campus require continuous coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This means there are three distinct tours with their own unique dynamics for coverage. The 8Ãâ€"4 tour, for example, has the highest concentration of senior officers, meaning they accrue more vacation time than junior officers. The summer months are obviously prime time for vacation picks, and two officers are allowed out at a time during summer. This means that summer vacation time is booked solid on the 8Ãâ€"4, so the tour is perennially short two officers all summer. Also, as a medical research facility in addition to a university campus, there are more posts open during the 8Ãâ€"4 tour than any other. As a result, it makes a difference where the shortage occurs. * Shortages on the night tours are easier to absorb, because there are fewer posts, but there is also night differential to consider: any officer working between 4pm and 8am makes an extra stipend of $1.80 per hour for night differentia l. As a fixed bonus separate from salary, however, night differential has no impact on this decision, as shown later. * New employees must be trained for a minimum period of one month before being able to assume post unsupervised and unassisted. This not only reduces the utility of a new hire for the first month, but also reduces the utility of the officers assigned to train him or her. * The department provides, as a service, officers for hire on campus for special events. The department charges $50 hourly for this service per officer assigned. If there is extra coverage on the tour during which the guard service is requested, an officer may be reassigned from a non-mandatory post, at a significant savings to the department. By using already assigned personnel as opposed to paying overtime for another officer in addition to the scheduled non-mandatory officer, the department can significantly reduce the overtime budget. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that no overtime is covered in this way, to preserve an empirical comparison of salary costs. * Officers are paid hourly, and thus are a variable labor cost. If the amount of time worked during a pay period changes, the officer’s salary for that period will change accordingly. For the purposes of this report, it will be assumed that labor costs are fixed. All officers not assigned to overtime always work exactly 40 hours per week, and those assigned to overtime always work in increments of exactly 8 hours per additional shift. Docking pay for tardiness will be disregarded. * The department pays an amount equal to 37.7% of each officer’s salary for his or her benefits package. This payment remains in effect so long as the officer is on the University’s payroll, whether or not he or she actually works or is paid. Officers on vacation, sick leave, or disability still incur this cost. While the cost of benefits itself is highly relevant, and will be used extensively in analysis, the fact that disabled officers still incur this cost even when not being paid by the department is not relevant to this discussion. Measurement In trying to determine how best to fill coverage, the most obvious comparison is between costs of a new hire and overtime. As previously stated, overtime is equal to one-and-one-half times salary (S). Cost of overtime can therefore be represented by the equation COT=h(1.5S), where h represents hours worked. New hires, who incur a cost of 37.7% of their salary, have a cost of CNH=h(1.377S). New hires always have a starting salary of 80% of full pay, while officers working longer than two years have a gradually increasing pay scale. One eight hour shift of salary at the rookie wage scale is equal to $149.20. For a third-year officer, that rises to $153.84, then $158.56 for a fourth-year employee. Finally, upon completion of four years of employment, the wage scale tops out at $186.48. A new hire will always work 5 shifts a week, leading to CNH=5(1.377)(149.2), or CNH=1027.24. COT, on the other hand, varies based on how many shifts of overtime are required that week, and the seniority of the officer performing the overtime. Plotting those equations against each other leaves us with the first graph below, labeled Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority. As expected, officers receiving full pay cost significantly more to cover with overtime than any other officer, but even at that escalated rate, there would need to be shortages in excess of 3 positions per week to justify hiring a new officer. For all other levels of seniority, 4 shifts of overtime could be covered per week at a lower cost than one new hire. In order to simplify the situation, this report will henceforth take an average of the salary levels and assume that all officers working overtime earn that rate of pay. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Overtime at Each Level of Seniority After applying this assumption, full pay is removed as an outlier, and it becomes always less expensive to fill four shifts of overtime than to hire one new officer. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Day Shift As seen in these graphs, the presence of night differential increases cost equally across the board, and therefore has no impact on this decision. Weekly Salaries, New Hires vs Average Overtime Rate for Night Shifts Analysis The graphs provide striking evidence that new hires are significantly more costly for small to reasonable shortages, seemingly four or fewer per week. However, due to the nature of the department, this is an underestimation. Since all three tours need to be covered, and officers must contractually be assigned to a stable tour, each tour must have its own graph. It is clear in every graph above that if there are five or more shifts of overtime per week, it is always less costly to hire a new officer; this is not completely accurate. During a given stretch, if there were expected to be 6 shifts of overtime that need to be filled each week, but the shifts are distributed evenly, with two shortages per tour per week, hiring one new officer will not account for five tours of overtime, but two. As presented by Bob Thomas (2006, p.13), â€Å"adding officers does not automatically reduce an equivalent number of overtime hours by the amount of the actual hours worked.† Thomas explains that while adding officers reduces overtime, it also raises costs disproportionately in an example of diminishing returns, an effect found mirrored in the previous graphs in this report. In essence, hiring additional officers beyond a certain point will produce reduced utility with each new hire. Hiring additional officers will add utility, but at a much higher cost per unit of utility, creating an inefficient Summary The measurements set forth in this report clearly show that only the most extreme of shortages justifies hiring an additional employee from a cost-effectiveness standpoint, but this is not the only factor to consider. Most important among these is the contractual obligation of the department to hire a new officer each time a position is vacated. Fatigue is a concern that is often raised regarding the use of overtime to fill gaps in coverage. Steve Earley’s report for the Riverside Fire Department (2001, p.14) cited studies finding a correlation between the number of hours worked and work-related injuries. The department has already taken steps to mitigate this, as employees are prohibited from working longer than 16 consecutive hours, and are strongly dissuaded from working 7-day weeks. Overtime is also distributed in a rotation, by seniority, so that no one officer has significantly more overtime opportunities than any other. In conclusion, the data is so compelling that whenever possible, shortages should be covered with overtime rather than hiring. Works Cited Earley, S. (2001). An Analysis of the Utilization of Overtime Versus Hiring Additional Personnel. Riverside, CA. Thomas, B. (2006). Corrections Overtime Planning Study. Olympia, WA.

Compare two different case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Compare two different - Case Study Example The third aspect of similarity is that both rulings are appealed, the absence of personal jurisdiction is challenged and the rulings are reversed. The cases are different in that in Bombliss v. Cornelsen, Bombliss is the plaintiff and Cornelsen, the defendant. In Internet Solutions Corp. v. Marshall, Internet Solutions Corp is the plaintiff and Tabitha Marshall, the defendant. In Internet Solutions Corp. v. Marshall, the final ruling is made in the Florida Supreme Court while Bombliss v. Cornelsen is settled in the Appellate Court of Illinois. In Internet Solutions Corp. v. Marshall, the contention is Fla. Stat. section 48.193(1) (b): whether or not the material posted online on a Florida resident must only have its access restricted to Florida. In the case, Bombliss v. Cornelsen the contention is whether or not the contacts between Cornelsen and Bombliss are adequate to establish personal jurisdiction, and thereby satisfying due process. in the event that Tabitha Marshall had committed the defamation, the court would establish whether the claim the plaintiff pressed for in the court are commensurate with the damages. The court would then make a ruling to the effect that Marshall pays for the damages that the plaintiff, Internet Solutions Corp incurred because of the information she had posted in the website. In the event that Marshall is unable to pay for the damages, Marshall would be subjected to a prison

Gangs and the Violence They Create in the Prison System Research Paper

Gangs and the Violence They Create in the Prison System - Research Paper Example In the light of these studies, correctional officers can understand the mechanism of gangs in prison and take appropriate steps to deter violence in prisons. The existence of gangs in prison poses numerous challenges for the jail authorities because these gangs are involved in creating violence inside prison systems. Gangs in prison are formed usually be former street gangsters and as such, formation of gangs in prison is inevitable because gangsters prefer to associate themselves with gangs because it enables them to continue their illegal activities even inside the prison. Gangs within prison become a source of grouping such inmates that share the same ideas or philosophies; or that share common criminal background. However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that gangs forcibly involve such inmates that were not previously part of any gang. Being a part of prison gang is not a temporary connection. Gangsters must remain loyal to the gangs they join in prison. The reason why gangsters naturally become members of prison gangs is that individual gangsters cannot perform the same way, as they would in a gang. The network of gangs may be affiliated with other networks in and outside the prison. This facilitates their activities inside prison, as a result of which much of the violence is created in the prison systems. Prison gangs are off-shoots of street gangs; however, the working of prison gangs is entirely different from street gangs. In prison, the gangs must operate within the limits of the prison walls and they do not have the liberty to run away or escape. They do not have their secret hideouts to plan and execute their actions. Moreover, due to the strict surveillance in prisons, gangsters cannot communicate or transmit their messages as they would in an open environment. Thus, they need to develop their specific way of communication through various symbols and signs. Using symbolic language is much safer than verbal or other typical

Article review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Review - Article Example This lack of concern for the management always ends having cost effects on the company’s transport system, zoning, and environment and family lives of their employees. For instance the company hence has to compete with other companies for workers. Housing cost hence affects many businesses in various ways. The article also explores the housing options benefits that Tyson Foods, Inc. as a company are planning to offer in homeownership initiative. In addition, there is mentioning of the partnering of Tyson Foods, Inc. with Freddie Mac to provide financial assistance to specifically income-eligible workers. Most notably is the reference on various similar successful homeownership initiatives by other companies such as Cisco Systems, Mayo Clinic, Hewlett-Packard and Intel among others. Finally, the article substantiates the role companies should play in strengthening their workforce through proper homeownership initiatives. For in one way or another, all these companies have helpe d increase their workforce and communities through lasting housing solutions. The article substantiates the information provided by other reading concerning this subject of management’s role in provision better housing benefits to their workforce and the impacts it has on their operational cost. This article offers a significant contribution to various topic of urban planning giving detailed analysis of how housing costs affects many business bottom-line and society vitality more broadly. This is a concern for many urban planners, and hence the article helps in substantiating this subject. It adds to concerns of other studies including that done by Brown (2004). According to Brown (2004), by employers engaging in homeownership initiatives help retain loyal employees and cut on operational costs. Brown further added that such programs have been around for a while and have allowed employers expand operations, recruit new employees and be

AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1900 Research Paper Essay

AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE 1900 Research Paper - Essay Example president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) for his conviction in working towards the betterment of the common man and the economy by his bottom-up approach, even at a time when the members of his own party were against some of his decisions. On the other hand, some are of the opinion that although the New Deal did provide the much needed immediate relief to the nation that was suffering from the adverse impact of the Great Depression, the deal, however, was a failure from a long term point of view and was unable to bring America out of the economic depression. The depression ended only after the United States entered World War II in   1941, when the increased demand for wartime commodities such as ships, tanks, and ammunitions gave the U.S. economy the jump start it needed. The above issues in the American history, when analysed in terms of the Franciscan values, it is observed that although the Franciscan values were not explicitly referred to during these times of struggle, there were ways sought to achieve what are known as the Franciscan values, particularly the values of serving and caring for the poor and the oppressed, working for justice, and taking responsible social action. These values that help an individual or a nation to show compassion, are the most needed, particularly in a situation of distress, when an entire nation is feeling the impact of an economic depression. Also, in such situations, when there are major labor issues, when the definition of the government’s role in the economy is questioned and when the political leaders have to take difficult decisions of entering a war or not, the values of resolving conflict and promoting non-violence come into the picture. The paper talks about the struggle of the American leaders during these periods of economic depression and war, in successfully applying these values to resolve the grave issues facing the nation. The paper first talks about the significance of the New Deal from a short te rm as well as a long term point of view, followed by the circumstances and the causative factors that lead to the New Deal. This is followed by a detailed description of the various steps taken by Franklin Roosevelt in order to successfully implement the New Deal, after which, the paper talks about the achievements of the First New Deal, particularly in terms of the 3 R’s – relief, recovery and reform. This is then followed by the criticisms the First New Deal received which resulted in the birth of the Second New Deal. Lastly, the paper talks about setbacks in the leadership of Franklin Roosevelt including the famous court-packing controversy and the Roosevelt Recession, followed by the conclusion. Throughout the paper, the relation of the historical events and personalities surrounding the New Deal to the Franciscan values and the struggle in applying these values has been clearly demonstrated. Before I get into the circumstances that lead to the New Deal, it is impo rtant to understand its significance in the context of American politics and society. The significance of the deal can be seen in the fact that the deal took place when the nation was going through one of its worst phases and the deal promised to bring the nation out of the economic and the political turmoil. Moreover, the deal paved the path for the application of the concept of welfare state, based on the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes, and for this

Family Support Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Family Support - Article Example Family support is a philosophy that promotes the growth and development of families. It aims to enhance the strengths innate in families as well as strengthening identified weaknesses in order for the members to achieve optimal well-being and personal success. Various family support programs have been developed and offered in communities, however, Malcolmson (2002) believes that family support should have a strong commitment to relationship-building based on trust, respect and sharing of power. Dunst (1995) offers the following characteristics of family support programs: Enhancing a Sense of Community: the coming together of people with similar needs and values. Mobilizing Resources and Supports: sourcing and establishing the necessary services in supporting the family’s needs. Shared Responsibility and Collaboration: sharing of skills and ideas in taking care of the family’s needs Protecting Family Integrity: keeping the values and cultural perspective of the family st rong Strengthening Family Functioning: helping family members to strengthen their capabilities to be able support each member to function at his/her best. Adopting Proactive Program Practices: availing of family support services that support and strengthen the family. How does the theoretical framework of family support e.g: premises/paradigms and guiding principles culminate in a promotion model of service delivery to families as described on the reading. The theoretical framework of family support gives the prevailing idea that support services are more preventive than promotional. Initially, being preventive is viewed as a good thing. The cliche â€Å"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure† hails prevention as the ultimate paradigm to keep families safe, healthy and far from the risks of deterioration. However, Dunst, Trivette and Thompson (1990, as cited in Dunst, 1995) and Cowen (1994, as cited in Dunst, 1995) contend that the use of prevention models goes again st the principles of family support. They argue that the prevention of problems does not guarantee that families will effectively function and their competence will be optimized, as opposed to situations when they are given opportunities that support and strengthen families from the onset. Family support is characterized with a proactive paradigm that focuses on further enhancing families’ strength with promotion-oriented practices. Such practices have a mastery and optimization orientation, and the development, enhancement and elaboration of an individual’s skills and strengths are emphasized, most especially the competencies that increase his control over the important aspects of his life (Dunst, 1995). Hence, a promotion model of family support builds strengths instead of rectifying deficits. This way, the individuals benefitting from the promotional family support finds it easier to deal with life’s challenges and difficulties while they set growth-oriented goals and the achievement of personal aspirations. What do you see as the role of the practitioner in this model of service to families? Consistent with Dunst’s (1995) characteristics of family support services, the practitioner has multiple roles in the delivery of such service. Being alert to the needs and strengths of the families in the community, he has a broad picture of the resources and supports available. He is able to match service providers with service consumers and he bridges a sense of responsibility and collaboration between

Environmental Issues (Environmental Protection, Specific Industries, Research Paper

Environmental Issues (Environmental Protection, Specific Industries, etc.) of Southeast Asia - Research Paper Example However, with the development in an economy, the requirement to protect the quality of the environment for that particular country also augments. Thus, it can be observed that there exists a complex association between the environment of a country and its international business activities. It has also been observed that industries tend to move their business operations to the developing countries from the already developed ones. From a realistic point of view, companies find developed nations to enforce stern policies regarding their environment compared to the developing countries (Mukhopadhyay, â€Å"Impact on the Environment of Thailand’s Trade with OECD Countries†). Thailand is being lately considered to be among the rapidly developing economies among all the countries in South-East Asia. The standard annual pace of economic development between the periods of 1980 to 2004 has been around 7% at an average. This economic development has been attributed to the non-inte rventionist trade policy of that country which did act as the chief force and foundation stone for this development. There has been a noteworthy boost in the exports as well as in the imports of the country (Mukhopadhyay, â€Å"Impact on the Environment of Thailand’s Trade with OECD Countries†). Long-Established and Continuing Bilateral Relationships The issue of environmental pollution is becoming a vital concern and is developing to be a problem especially in the city areas of Thailand. The history of amicable relation and exchange of traditions between Japan and Thailand dates back to above 600 years. Therefore, it becomes apparent that there exists a strong relationship of trading activities between these two countries. The mutual association between them is getting stronger and closer over the years, especially in the economic front. This can be attributed to the flourishing business of Japan and its extended investments as well as the continuous shifting of techn ological skill and expertise into Thailand. Japan is also said to be the largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA) towards Thailand. In regard to direct foreign investment in Thailand, Japan continues remaining to be the biggest foreign contributor in that country. However, a dip in the quantity of invested capital was recorded owing to the Asian economic as well as currency crisis in the year 1997. This close association among the two countries has also triggered the increase in the amount of visitors from Japan to Thailand. The intention of travel has surpassed the commercial requirement and expanded into exploring places of interest in the country of Thailand. Due to this reason, quite a significant amount of Japanese residents can be found in the various parts of Thailand, majority of who are supposed to be the employees of Japanese organizations. All the above mentioned factors are escalating the population of that country as a result of which there has been a s ignificant boost in the modes of transportation in that country. This augmentation in the transportation forms is triggering the

Write responses for discussions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write responses for discussions - Assignment Example synchronizing limb movements to facilitate walking or effecting steps that enable the patient to carry out more intricate activities. Early mobilization of the patient also equips the patients with alternatives to actions they could do initially with ease such as bathing, dressing, driving etc. Recuperative treatment begins in the acute-care hospital unit, within 24-48 hours after the stroke, well after the patient’s condition has stabilized. Firstly, we the therapy involves inducing and promoting autonomous movements because stroke patients are often paralyzed and destabilized. Patients are encouraged to shift their position regularly and indulge reflexive and dynamic array of activity exercises to bolster the action of their TIA-impaired limbs. With reference to the extent of injury to the brain, the patient’s condition may improve gradually and steadily from sitting up, aided movement between the bed and a chair to standing, bearing their own weight, and walking independently or aided. Staffs at the mobilization unit, nurses and therapists, help recovering patients to perform more complex and demanding tasks, such as bathing, dressing, and using a toilet, and motivate patients to use their TIA affected limbs. Cumming, T. B., Thrift, A. G., Collier, J. M., Churilov, L., Dewey, H. M., Donnan, G. A., & Bernhardt, J. (2011). Very Early Mobilization After Stroke Fast-Tracks Return to Walking Further Results From the Phase II AVERT Randomized Controlled Trial.  Stroke,  42(1),

Advantages Of Bluetooth Technology implementation In Modern Life Case Study

Advantages Of Bluetooth Technology implementation In Modern Life - Case Study Example The Bluetooth technology in business information system uses a weak signal so that it doesn't interfere by means of cell phone signal or additional signals. This technology is identical to the radio signal technology. The Bluetooth technology can be utilized to transfer data between different sections at the Business Information System. The current status of the technology Bluetooth has held every corner of society resorting overwhelming trend since Ericsson proposed the new technology-Bluetooth in 1998. The development of Bluetooth is improved rapidly in recent years. As a new short distance wireless transmission technology, Bluetooth has been paid close attention to the fields of science, industry, and entertainment. Bluetooth service utilizes radio waves to transfer data that's mean distances between each Bluetooth devices has to in short distance. Another weakness point about Bluetooth is security; because of the underlying communication medium is an open system for everyone. In these cases, this technology is not effectively operational. It is suitable for only office-based communications and data handling. According to Flint, Karvinen, McKnight, & Tee (2008), Bluetooth is a new and modern type of technology in the telecommunications sector. This new technology allows connecting wirelessly to computers, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants or PDAs. This wireless connection allows easy interconnection by a short-range wireless link. In this way, we can transfer data within a short distance with high data rate. By means of this technology, users of wireless technology, cellular phones, PDAs can purchase a 3in1 mobile phone that is able to offer the facility of portability at the office or home. It also presents the capability to obtain rapidly synchronized information in a notebook or desktop computer.

The Holeâ€A look into the prisons within the prisons Essay Example for Free

The Hole—A look into the prisons within the prisons Essay In the United States today at least 80,000 prisoners are being held in some sort of isolation unit, commonly called solitary confinement. Prisoners in solitary are isolated in a 6X8 foot concrete room for 23 hours a day. This is how the United States government chooses to regulate the prisons, by locking prisoners in this cell for weeks, months or even years on end. Most prisoners are allowed 1 hour a day for â€Å"recreation† where they are allowed to go outside, alone, in a fenced area about the size of their cell. It is a dirty, cold, concrete room with only a metal slot in the door that they receive meals through. The room contains a bed, shower, and toilet, as well as a very small amount of personal items. They receive no educational classes, rehabilitative programs or other transitional services to help them prepare for their return to society, even when they are going to be released soon. They have absolutely no structure to their day. Since I was a child I have always been interested in the Criminal Justice System. I have long hoped to become a prosecutor and have always been curious about prisons and criminals. My original curiosity with solitary confinement specifically came from a Law and Order episode I saw. The main detective asked to be put in solitary confinement for a weekend to prove that the criminal’s defense was fake (the criminal was claiming he pushed the detective off the roof because of the psychological suffering he endured in solitary confinement). Throughout the episode I watched, as the detective slowly started hallucinating and got very anxious and angry. I assumed that the show was exaggerating for entertainment value however I wanted to find out whether that was true. Throughout my research process I have found that the symptoms the detective displayed are the same symptoms that thousands of real prisoners have. Through out my quest to learn more about the practice of Solitary confinement, my opinion has changed dramatically. At the beginning of this project I thought of this topic the same way I think about almost everything else, very black and white. I had little sympathy for prisoners, even those held in solitary confinement. I didn’t think of it as torture and didn’t understand what the problem was. Throughout my research my opinion has started becoming grayer, creating an internal tension for me between two conflicting views. I have a strong held belief that prisons provide justice and safety. I hope to become a prosecutor to execute law and order. However, I have become conflicted throughout this assignment because I have found that this way of punishment has been clearly shown to be immoral and inhuman. For my â€Å"site visit† I visited the Valhalla county jail. I was struck by the number of wives, parents, teenagers and young children who were there to visit loved ones. I listened in on defense attorney KL’s conversations with two of his clients and was shocked to find that I really did feel that one of them was being charged too harshly. I am of course not defending what the prisoners did, and many of them deserve to be locked up, but the thought these people are treated so inhumanly, I feel disgraces our country and what it stands for. America, which supposedly stands for freedom, justice and the pursuit of happiness, locks up thousands and thousands of men, women, and teenagers sometimes as young as 14, in a cage. How could America, the land of freedom and opportunity, take part in such an appalling practice? Most of us wouldn’t treat our dogs the way the prisons treat the criminals, especially those in solitary confinement. Solitary Confinement was first used in the Auburn state prison during a two-year experiment in 1821, during which scientists observed people in extreme isolation. They housed a group of prisoners in individual cells â€Å"without any labor or other adequate provisions for physical exercise.† Alexis de Tocqueville and Gustave de Beaumont reported, â€Å"This trial, from which a happy result had been anticipated, was fatal to the greater part of the convicts: in order to reform them, they had been submitted to complete isolation; but this absolute solitude, if nothing interrupt it, is beyond the strength of man; it destroys the criminal without intermission and without pity; it does not reform, it kills. The unfortunates, upon whom this experiment was made, fell into a state of depression, so manifest, that their keepers were struck with it; their lives seemed in danger, if they remained longer in this situation.† This experiment was done almost two hundred years ago and although the results were horrendous, solitary is still used today. It is sometimes necessary however. According to solitarywatch.com, Solitary confinement is used for three main reasons: protection, punishment and rehabilitation. Through out my research I have found very little data to suggest solitary confinement is the least bit rehabilitative, so I have come to the conclusion that it is really only used for punishment and as a protective measure. Certain inmates such as former police officers and child molesters are more likely to be attacked by other inmates while in prison and are therefore put there for their own protection. Solitary confinement is also used as a way to regulate the prisons. When a prisoner gets into a fight with another inmate or violates a prison rule, they are put in solitary confinement, or what the guards call, â€Å"the bing†, as punishment. It is called â€Å"the bing† because many of the prisoners start going crazy when placed in solitary confinement. Some common side affects are: hallucinations, hypersensitivity to noise and touch, insomnia, paranoia, feelings of rage and fear, distortions of time and perception, depression, anxiety, PTSD and an increased risk of suicide. When these side affects occur, the prisoners often start screaming and become very incoherent and manic. In 2009, Robert Foor, an Illinois inmate with mental illness, was placed in isolation and â€Å"became more mentally ill, mutilating himself by cutting and biting, and [attempted] to hang himself.† He ultimately died in solitary confinement at Tamms Correctional Center. Another Tamms inmate whose mental health had been notably declining, faced increasing isolation and longer sentences, due to incidents of throwing feces and urine at guards. One study even found that the people held in solitary developed were more likely to become psychopaths than those in the general population (28% vs. 15%). â€Å"The isolation unit at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, Illinois has been described as consisting of â€Å"gray walls, a solid steel door, no window, no clock, and a light that was kept on twenty-four hours a day.† Living in those kinds of conditions, it’s hard to imagine someone not going crazy. Another comparison I made to my own life was that I realized that when I spend even 5 hours in my room alone, I become anxious and sometimes depressed. My room is clean, not made of concrete and has a bed, light, desk, laptop and phone. Although I choose to keep my door closed I could come out at any time I want, I just choose not to. If I become anxious and depressed after only several hours alone in a small room, with conditions much nicer then the solitary cells, then I can’t even begin to imagine how the prisoners in solitary feel. Furthermore, I have found that solitary confinement is not only harmful for the prisoners, but for our society as a whole. It is detrimental for our society for two main reasons. The first is that it is much harder for prisoners who spend a prolonged period in solitary confinement to reintegrate into society. Many of the prisoners suffer from PTSD and other mental conditions because they have very limited human contact for months or even years. This makes it dangerous for them to then be released into the general population, especially when they have very little guidance before being released or after. Many prisoners are released directly into society from solitary confinement. Research done by the human rights watch, show that prisoners in solitary have a much higher rate of re-incarceration because of their anger and depression. With little education, classes or skill training, it is difficult for them to become productive members of society. They are unable to get jobs because of their limited skills and because of their arrest record. People are judgmental; very few people want former criminals working for them. I have found that many people don’t realize that people make mistakes and go to jail only to suffer, probably more then than the suffer they once caused. Prisoners are beaten, raped, and isolated, causing severe physical and psychological damage. Another disadvantage for the society as whole is that housing prisoners in solitary confinement cost approximately three times as much as it does to house a prisoner in the general prison population. According to a news article published by the Daily News, it costs American taxpayers $75,000 per inmate in solitary confinement per year as opposed to $25,000 dollars per inmate in the general population per year. It also came to my attention that solitary confinement has long been called a â€Å"human rights violation†. America is violating the Geneva Convention by putting people in solitary confinement. The psychological harm that the prisoners undergo in solitary is considered torture. Sister Marion Defeis who worked as a Chaplain for 23 years at Rikers Island wrote, â€Å"When I would make visits, walking cell by cell, I was overwhelmed by the lethargy and depression of the inmates. That’s not how our system is supposed to work. We have prohibitions against cruel and unusual punishment.† While this is true, no alternative to solitary has so far been put to action. I conducted a phone interview with Marion Defeis who was explaining her work at Rikers as well as her current work at a non-profit organization in Brooklyn for single mothers previously incarcerated. The alternative she proposed was that when there is an altercation in the prison the prisoner should be separated to a different area and should receive psychological help to try to improve their mental state, instead of locking them up which will ultimately worsen the situation. She also felt that the punishments that the prisons use do not always fit the crime committed. The chart below shows how many isolation sentences there were because of different violations. During an interview with Mr. L he explained that a lot of times when there is an altercation it is the victim of the abuse that is put in solitary confinement. Although it is for their own protection, he feels that it is unjust for the victim to have a worse penalty when it was the offenders that committed the violation. A lot of times minors are also put there to protect them from the adult prisoners which he felt was unfair that they should get a worse penalty just because they were younger and therefore more vulnerable. These two instances both dramatically changed my views on solitary confinement and made me more sympathetic to what the prisoners held in solitary go through. Although Mr. Lawrence did feel solitary confinement is overused, he did clearly find it necessary in some situations. This was surprising because as a defense attorney I expected him to be very against it. Another essential moment throughout my research process was during my conversation with former prosecutor Mrs. Levine. She really only dealt with solitary as a protective measure, when there was a witness that was going to be put in jail with the person they were testifying against, they would need to be separated to insure they would not be injured or killed in jail. She explained that when she was going through the training to become a prosecutor she had to visit a solitary cell. She told me that she would really have to feel that she was in serious danger to be willing to be put in those kinds of horrible conditions. One researcher who took part in a report conducted by the New York Civil liberties union stated, â€Å"It doesn’t take half a brain to realize we’re not going to get a good product out of this.† This was a very powerful quote for me that landmarked a shift in my thinking. When a single researcher can so clearly see the affects of solitary confinement after only one study, how can the rest of the country not see the detrimental affects after all the research collected? Not only are thousands of people held in solitary confinement, but so many different kinds of people are put in solitary as well. Prisoners as young as 14 years old to as old as 70, men and women, whites, blacks and Hispanics as well as a lot of times, the mentally ill. According to the American Friends service committee, â€Å"An independent investigation from 2006 reported that as many as 64 percent of prisoners in SHUs were mentally ill, a much higher percentage than is reported by states for their general prison populations.† Frequently, mentally ill prisoners who are placed in the general prison population commit crimes and are put in solitary, which only exacerbates the problem. Once their punishment is over they are put back into the general prison population but at that point they have even more severe mental problems and once again end up in solitary. Furthermore, it has been reported that a disproportionate number of black people are in jail or in solitary compared to the NYS population. This is represented in the chart below. For the community service portion of this project I volunteered at the Children’s Village in Dobbs Ferry NY with boys ages 8-12, many of whom have parents currently detained. I spoke with several staff members who explained that incarceration is an everlasting cycle. The staff works hard to break this cycle by helping to teach the boys necessary skills to succeed in life. It was shocking to me to realize that jail and solitary confinement would ever relate so directly to my life. When I found out that many of the parents of these children who I have been tutoring for the last three years are in jail, I thought differently of the children. I became more sympathetic and understanding of what they have lived through and realized that they weren’t just out of control kids who didn’t feel like learning their multiplication table. Their parents were living in cages. That’s why they were so angry and depressed and refused to learn. It also discovered that just 10 minutes away from my house was a maximum-security prison called the Bedford Correctional Facility. Not only are their hundreds of women housed there, but about 25 of them are held in solitary confinement. Their children come to visit them with their foster parents and have to kiss their mothers through glass. My struggle throughout this assignment has been withholding judgment about the topic. If I were not required to keep an open mind, this would have been a very different process. There is still much to be learned about the practice of solitary confinement. I have now recognized how harmful solitary confinement is to the prisoners, country and society as a whole, however it is hard to put an end to solitary confinement without coming up with an alternative solution. This project has also made me wonder why they call prisons â€Å"correctional facilities†. I have found no evidence to show that these â€Å"facilities† help â€Å"correct† anything. Sister Marion Defeis’s alternative is certainly a possibility, however it would require a lot of time, effort and certainly money that I am not sure society would be willing to pay for people who have been found to have committed such horrific offenses.

Disruptive Technologies And The Innovation Dilemma

Disruptive Technologies And The Innovation Dilemma Disruptive technology was first introduced in Clayton Christensen article Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave (1995) which was co-wrote with Joseph Bower. [1] In view of business and technology fields, as discussed by Clayton Christensen, disruptive technology is a technology initially in a form of simple application, then improves and dominates dramatically in the markets, where the markets do not expect. Disruptive technology typically improves in a way that by being lower priced and designed for various disciplines of consumers. [2] Instead of allowing consumers with lots of money or lots of skills to use it, disruptive technology is designed in which allow whole new population of consumers to use it, access its services. [3] For leaders of the existing markets, disruptive technology makes potential threats on them. It is because it competes with the existing leaders of the market in such an unexpected trend. Leaders of the existing markets sometimes fail to compete with disruptive technology since they do not expect disruptive technology can improve and dominate dramatically in the markets. Generally, disruptive technology dominates the existing markets by moving into a new market where the older technology fails to follow. In additional, it enhances and makes improvements in its performance until finally displace the market incumbents. [2] There are lots of examples of disruptive technology such as personal computers, digital memory cards, digital photography, and Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD). Personal computers displaced the original mainframes computers. The dominant of digital memory cards has displaced the floppy disks which were widely used in the past. [4] Endnotes: [1] Bower, Joseph L. Christensen, Clayton M. (1995). Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995 [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Disruptive Technology (accessed on 6 January 2010) [3] http://www.claytonchristensen.com (accessed on 6 January 2010) [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Examples of disruptive innovations (accessed on 6 January 2010) What is sustainable technology? How does it differ from disruptive technology? (1/2 to one page) Sustainable technology improves established products performance without replacing them. Sustainable technology is usually developed by well-established company which usually holds a leadership position in the corresponding industries. Generally, most of the new technologies and innovations improve the performance of products. The term sustainable technology was introduced by Clayton Christensen in 2003: What all sustaining technologies have in common is that they improve the performance that mainstream customers in major markets have historically valued. [1] In general, sustainable technology does not create side effect on the existing markets. Sustainable technology can be classified into two categories: Revolutionary or Evolutionary. For Revolutionary technology, customers are allowed to deal with a problem in a radically mean while for Evolutionary technology, products in an existing market are improved in such ways that customers are expecting. [2] Sustainable technology aims to sustain the organizations focus, and sustainable technology usually satisfies current customers needs, while disruptive technology does not initially improve the focus of an organization. They sometimes do not have a market when they are created. In view of the difference between incumbents and entrants in terms of technology adoption, since sustainable technologies are well established together with the domination of strong players in their markets, an entrant may choose to begin with alternative technologies. Besides, disruptive technologies have lower gross margins, smaller size of target markets and simpler products, which allow them to carry out by either firm. [3] Nevertheless, when compared to disruptive technology, products of sustainable technology are usually regarded as too expensive to be adopted and preferred instead of too cheap that no one want to adopt and prefer. [4] Endnotes: [1] Christensen C. 2003. The Innovators Dilemma, Harper Collins Press [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia (accessed on 7 January 2010) [3] http://www.claytonchristensen.com (accessed on 6 January 2010) [4] Xiao Huang Greys Sosic 2008. Sustaining vs. Disruptive Technology: Industry Equilibrium under Technology Evolution, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 Managers in successful, on-going business are more comfortable with which type of technology disruptive or sustainable? Explain your answer. Illustrate it with examples. (One page) Instead of disruptive technology, sustainable technology which serves the present customers and puts emphasis on incremental improvements is more comfortable to develop and maintain from the point of views of managers who are doing on-going and successful business. Since the majority of advances are sustainable technologies, with the established technologies, developed good reputation of the organizations and relationship with the customers in the mainstream markets, it is no doubt that managers in on-going business will feel more comfortable in those sustainable technologies. [1] In the mainstream markets, there are enough suppliers willing to develop and support the new technology and customers to buy it. In the computer industry, as a manager of Intel Corporation, it is more comfortable for them to perform continuous advancement on the processing power of Intels integrated chips as a sustainable technology since there are enough suppliers such as Tenco Electronics Co. and IT Market Web to support their development and large groups of mainstream customers to buy them. [2] As a manager in an organization, a stable and sustainable market is preferred. In the healthcare industry, applications which are used to manage the assets and traditional supply chain are usually considered as sustainable applications. It is nothing but the improvements and enhancements in the existing processes for the mainstream customers such as the large hospitals. Suppliers of these applications include the large hospital suppliers and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) consultants. [3] With the large supports behind, managers are much used to prefer sustainable technology. Sometimes, if an organization chooses to adopt disruptive technologies instead of sustainable technologies, rapid technology improvements may overshoot the mainstream markets. This is a significant perplexing problem for a manager in an organization. Taking the producer of graphics cards Nvidia as an example, the development of technologies and products were good initially. [4] However, a large difference to their customers requirement was finally reached when the number of polygons rendered per second was increased rapidly every successive improvement. From the perspective of managers in an on-going, successful business, sustainable technology is more preferred in general. Endnotes: [1] http://www.hartnall.com (accessed on 9 January 2010) [2] http://www.alibaba.com/suppliers/Intel (accessed on 9 January 2010) [3] Karen Crooker, Dirk Baldwin, Suresh Chalasani, RFID Technology: Applications in the Healthcare Industry, European Journal of Scientific Research, 2009 [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Nvidia (accessed on 9 January 2010) What does Christensen mean when he asserts that many great companies went out of business because they were too focused on satisfying their customers stated needs? How can the example of Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) be used to illustrate this point? Explain your answer. Illustrate with additional examples. (1 2 Pages) Many great companies were too focused on satisfying their customers stated needs, actually, they do not have much difficulties on succeeding this objective in order to develop their sustainable technology. It is hardly for managers in a good business to pursue in worse margins. But this is the problem, they were too focused on their high-end markets and the low-end disruptive technologies markets sometimes do not make sense to them. Thats why DECs leaders and engineers viewed PCs as underpowered toys. However, DEC finally went out of business. [1] DECs PDP and VAX products were considered the most popular minicomputers for both scientific and engineering industries during the 1970s and 1980s. [2] Their management team was considered as the best team in the industry. However, the emergence of microcomputers had destroyed DEC finally. This was the problem of their business model. The mainstream market for DEC was customers who brought high-end minicomputers at high margins. These computers were wealth to buy powerful computers. In contrast of DECs minicomputers, microcomputers were mass produced to customers who were expected to use low-cost computers with little help from the manufacturers at low margins. Initially, microcomputers could not meet the high-end markets but over a successive improvement, they met the most demanding markets. The reason of the collapse of DEC rather than the microcomputers corporations such as Apple, Dell was that DEC was too focused on their high-end markets and could not develop new markets for their products. DEC was forced by those microcomputers corporations to concentrate on their high-ends markets and customers in which the margins were considered as better and more profitable. However, after improvement of microcomputers performance, most of the microcomputers could do the most jobs as well as the minicomputers did. The dream of DEC was finally over and the most-demanding market was low cost microcomputers ultimately. [3] The other example was Eastman Kodak which missed out the digital photography revolution. In the past, Kodak dominated the chemically based photographic process markets. Their only competitor was the Japanese company, Fuji, but actually did not make too much threat to Kodak at that moment. In the past, Kodak had put hundreds millions of dollars into a chemically based system which focused on satisfying their mainstream customers needs. Nevertheless, an emergence of a disruptive technology digital photography revolution had made a huge punch to Kodak chemically based photographic process business. Digital photography technology was created in Japan. When the first Japanese VHS and Betamax camera systems were available in the markets, Kodaks Polaroid chemically based system no longer made sense when compared to digital photography. Nevertheless, Kodaks did nothing and tried to ignore this tidal wave approaching on them. Finally, they missed the chance of digital photography revolution and lost hundreds millions of dollars of investment which was equivalent to billions dollars today. [4] Although digital photography was developed finally in Kodak nowadays, Kodak had to pay a huge price for their delay in digital photography revolution. The digital transformation required a series of layoffs and facilities closure, cutting 12,000-15,000 jobs around the world. A 20%-25% reduction in its workforce was happened since 2000. [5] In conclusion, refer to Christensen and the examples of DEC and Kodak illustrated in the previous paragraphs it is not a good practice for successful, on-going companies too focused on satisfying their existing customers stated needs. They should develop their wider field of views into a new market and make significant preparation to resist the tidal wave from others disruptive technologies. Endnotes: [1] http://www.alumni.hbs.edu/bulletin/1999/april/qanda.html (accessed on 10 January 2010) [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Digital Equipment Corporation (accessed on 10 January 2010) [3] http://www.datasentinel.com/files/dataSentinel (accessed on 10 January 2010) [4] http://www.articlesbase.com/, Stock Research Eastman Kodak And The Power Of Disruptive Technologies (accessed on 10 January 2010) [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Eastman Kodak (accessed on 10 January 2010) Explain how lowly disruptive technologies can ultimately surpass successful existing dominant technologies in sales, technical capability, and profitability. Illustrate your answer, using either the example of computer disk technology, power shovel technology, or steel production technology. (1 2 pages) In low-end disruptive technologies, at the beginning, disrupters aim to serve the least profitable customers who are satisfactory with good enough products. These types of customers do not intend to pay lots in improving the functionality of the products. Later, the disrupters try to improve their profit margin by seeking customers who are going to pay little more for better quality of the products. Therefore, the disrupters are required to innovate. It is common for incumbents try to be away from not so profitable margin and move to serve more attractive customers. After successive encounters, the incumbents are pressed out into a smaller market. Finally, the disrupters reach the most profitable markets and expel the established organizations out of the markets. [1] Taking computer disk drives technology as an example, NAND Flash is a typical low-end disruptive technology. [2] NAND Flash has a great impact on computer storage business in view of technical and economic aspects. For the purpose of low storage application, FAND Flash is actually cheaper than the hard disk drives. In terms of random I/O operations, FAND Flash has a higher performance than hard disk drives. A single NAND SSD can have a 10-30K random I/O operations per second (IOPS), while a single hard disk drive can only have 250 IOPS. At the markets where customers interest in low storage capacity rather than high storage capacity, FAND Flash is much more cost effective than hard disk drives. In order words, FAND Flash has squeezed hard disk drives out of the low-storage business market. The cost of mechanical components of a hard disk is around $20, while the disk controller costs around $3. [2] The smallest capacity of a hard disk is a single platter and additional platters provide incremental capacity. Say, the smallest capacity platter of a modern 2.5 hard disk drive is 160GB and capacity will increase over time when technical capabilities improve. The cost of a single NAND Flash chip is generally between $1 and $8, depending on performance and density. Currently, a 4GB NAND chip using multi-level cells (MLC) costs around $7 while the controller is the same of that in hard disk drives. [2] For certain capacities, say lower storage capacity, NAND Flash actually costs less than the minimum cost of a hard disk drive. This is the reason behind why USB storage drives usually adopt the use of NAND Flash. Now, it can be explained that below the cross-over point, FAND Flash is much more cost effective while above the cross-over point, hard disk drives are much more cost effective. However, it is of great importance that we should be noticed that the shifting of the cross-over point towards a higher storage capacities. Moores law has a long history in the application of computer hardware. The capabilities of many electronic devices are strongly related to Moores law, such as the storage capacity. [3] NAND Flash which is made of semiconductor is benefited from Moores law. With the improvement of performance of semiconductor, the storage capacity of FAND Flash has exponentially increased, and so the hard disk drives do. Therefore, FAND Flash will not squeezed hard disk drives out of high-storage capacity. Nevertheless, the cross-over point is moving towards a higher storage capacity, say today it is around 16GB but four years later, it is around 64GB, and eight years later, the cross-over point might even reach to around 400GB. [2] As a result, the low-end market of FAND Flash is expanding continuously. The markets below the cross-over point of FAND Flash are expanding while putting the markets of hard disk drives below cross-over point into pressure and diminished. It gives us an implication that wh en the cross-over point exceeds the amount of storage capacity needed, people will move to buy the cheaper one computer memory storage disk, that is the FAND Flash. Therefore, hard disk drives will finally be out of business. In conclusion, taking the example of FAND Flash and hard disk drives in computer disk technology, low-end disruptive technologies can ultimately surpass successful existing dominant technologies. Endnotes: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Disruptive Technology (accessed on 12 January 2010) [2] http://www.realworldtech.com/, NAND Flash: A Classic Disruptive Technology by David Kanter, 30th December 2009 (accessed on 12 January 2010) [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/, Wikipedia, Moores law (accessed on 12 January 2010) For each of the following categories of employees in a successful company, explain why individuals in these categories are reluctant to champion disruptive technologies in their organization: Senior executive (1/2 to one page) Middle managers (1/2 to one page) Sales people (1/2 to one page) Senior executive From the point of views of senior executives, the change of the developed mature organizational structures is irrelevant and they found difficult in changing their mature organizational structures. A director in a global grocery business said that: One of the most difficult challenges I face is going into the board room and asking for changes in our operations and structures, since the original manuals were written by three main board members about 15 years ago. [1] In additional, when consider the investment of new technology, senior executives have to ensure that the investment in new technology is appropriate. This technology should keep track with the current technological systems. It is a difficult task for senior executives to write off previous investment and invest into a new technology. However, it is the most important decision they have to make. Middle managers In a maturing organization, middle managers usually tend to become too comfortable on their normal works. They are not willing to champion disruptive technologies since it is not worth for them to taking risks outside their comfort zone. They are not willing to champion disruptive technologies since it is not worth for them to take risks outside their comfort zone. Most of the middle managers are too focused within their disciplines to give their work assignments. They are not willing to take risks to identify ideas or technologies outside their disciplines. In additional, they find that it is of a great challenge to manage and lead an interdisciplinary team. [1] In a maturing organization, since the knowledge has been accumulated for many years, this knowledge developed from past experiences is the routines and behaviors for middle managers to follow. From the point of views of middle managers, it does not make any sense to discard this knowledge. Middle managers are usually unwilling to get rid of their routines and behaviors. Sales people Similarly, sales people in a maturing organization are reluctant to champion disruptive technologies in their organization. As they are used to sell their products and technologies based on their major disciplines, it is not comfortable and does not make sense to sell new technologies to customers who are out of their current disciplines. [2] A well and stable relationship between sales people and clients is developed and established in a maturing organization, it is difficult for them to sell new technologies or the unexpected disruptive technologies to their long-term customers without support indeed. From the point of views of sales people, disruptive technologies are new technologies which are required to explore a new market of customers. As a sales people, they are reluctant to develop relationship with an unexpected group of customers, sometimes, it is difficult for them to find new customers if the disruptive technologies are not successful. They do not want to take risk to explore into those unexpected region. Endnotes: [1] http://www.allbusiness.com (accessed on 15 January 2010) [2] Albert Harold Rubenstein, Eliezer Geisler, Installing and managing workable knowledge management systems, Greenwood Publishing Group 2003 What can organizations do to encourage the fostering of disruptive technologies? (One page) From the management point of views, there are several managerial recommendations for organizations to encourage the fostering of disruptive technologies. These recommendations for organizations are discussed in the following paragraphs. First, it is of great importance for organizations to know that options are not limited. Organizations should not be fixed in the ground, where just fulfill their current customers needs. They should keep searching for options, although taking the chances randomly is a little bit risky. However, taking the opposite point of views, it is worth to keep discover options to defend the threats from other disruptive technologies. [1] Second, a knowledge-based organization must be developed continually in nowadays markets. Organizations should look further, be proactive and have a wider sight of views. The internal and external environments in an organization should be closely monitored. Once there is a sudden change or threat come from, the organization can respond to the change appropriately for both internal and external environments. Executive management should be dynamic, keep track with the change of business ecosystem such that they can set up the proper and latest organizational strategies to guide the organizations. [1] The third focus is the organizations structure which has a great impact on how the firm can respond to change appropriately. Actually, organization structure is the most important factor to determine the operation of a business. A well executive leadership and management plans can hardly succeed if there is no flexible organization structure which responds and adopts effectively and efficiently to the changes. [1] Leaders at the executive level should have a clear mind on the organization structures and the implications of that structure in order to develop and foster a disruptive technology successfully, enhance the competitiveness of the organization in the markets. In additional, it is important to analyze the relationship between radical research and the established business units. Establishing some distance between these two is critical. Organizations should aware that there is a potential risk of creating a sustainable product instead of a disruptive product, if the business units are allowed to affect the end product too much. [1] Eventually, according to Bower and Christensens article, Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave, a potential disruptive technology is sometimes considered as unpleasant by traditional project management systems. [2] Therefore, the systems should encourage employees to have a wider sight of view. Employees at all levels of the organizations should be interested about advance technologies for both inside and outside their industries. In order to be successful, goals and values should be incorporated into the organizations guiding principles. Endnotes: [1] Dr. LEE, TERADYNE CASE, BUSA 541. The JKF Group, 12th October 2002 [2] Bower, Joseph L. Christensen, Clayton M. (1995). Disruptive Technologies: Catching the Wave Harvard Business Review, January-February 1995 Essay Lets say you have been asked to write a book review of The Innovators Dilemma by a leading scholarly business journal. This should be an in-depth review of roughly five pages length (single space). In the review, you should do the following: Highlight key points raised by Christensen Discuss how Christensens views are revolutionary, in the sense that they go against much of what we have been taught by business schools (e.g., Do all you can to satisfy the customer) Discuss how Christensens insights reveal a major reason that organizations resist change Discuss possible weaknesses of Christensens approach for example, are there technologies and/or areas of business and government where his viewpoints dont make sense? (Hint: The answer is yes.) Use the book review as an opportunity to showcase your personal views (the best book reviews always do this) A book review on Clayton Christensens book, The Innovators Dilemma In this book, Christensen has highlighted some key points regarding the term disruptive technologies. Sometimes, it could be called disruptive innovations. Disruptive technologies or innovations were considered as technologies or innovations overturning the existing order in an industry. Initially, customers who were not served by the current market were the main target of disruptive technologies and innovations. Under successive capacity or performance improvements, the low-end innovations squeezed out the incumbents in the mainstream markets. Christensen criticized incumbents were not sensitive to the disruptive technologies and incumbents usually focused on satisfying the needs of their mainstream customers. In general, incumbents did not respond sensitively to resist the threat brought from others disruptive technologies until it were too late to do anything, say an organization finally went out of business. Sometimes, managers were not comfortable and not interested in those low margins. They were not willing to develop disruptive technologies or innovations as they considered exploring a new market was taking a risk. Christensen have explained the reason behind why organizations collapsed and failed in their business in spite of being the top position in the markets, having the ability to develop the best and capable sustainable innovations and technologies in their industries. This is a problem of their business model. Sustainable technologies improvement was not the reason for the leaders went out of business in an industry. At the time being, they developed their ability and capability to compete in their high-end market. Nevertheless, it was mentioned by Christensen that these were sustainable technologies and innovations which were already utilized by the best organizations in the industries. Following an s-curve, improving performance was already expected by their customers. With the well established relationships with clients, well developed reputation, sufficient money and more advance technological power in the market, leaders usually did not fail. Until the emergence of disruptive technologies, the story had changed. Disruptive technologies were even a nightmare of managers. In the contrary, disruptive technologies are so much cheaper, where they explored and opened a new market in which the mainstream incumbents did not consider to explore. But at the moment the rate of improvement of performance of the disruptive technologies and innovations exceeds the users demands, they surpassed the high-end and mainstream technologies and innovations ultimately. Christensens views were revolutionary in view of technological and innovative business. He mentioned that great firms succeeded because they listened to their customers needs and invested aggressively in the technologies and innovations. Nevertheless, at the mean time, great firms failed with the same reason, listened to their customers and put their great effort to satisfy their customers. It was revolutionary compared to the traditional concept of business schools, which sold the concept of doing all the best to satisfy your customers. Christensen did research on the history of disk drive industry. He showed the reasons behind why the leading established drive markers were unable to reach the 8-inch drive market. It is because of the delay of strategic commitment to enter into the emerging market. Christensens insights had revealed a major reason why great established firms in the markets resist to changes. Christensen had mentioned that since established organizations structure and groups working together were facilitating the design of its dominant technologies and innovations, the organizations structure and the groups learning to work together could be affected and could not design new products. Organizations required very different technological capabilities called radical change. Actually, established firms were sensitive, aggressive and innovative in terms of their sustainable technologies and innovations. But the reasons why they resisted changes were the problem of downward vision and mobility in terms of Christensens trajectory map. Finding changes and new technologies markets for each of the firms seemed to appear once when they were first established and then apparently lost finally. This resistance to changes kept going continuously. Despite there were much supportive commentaries on Christensens approach regarding the issue on disruptive technologies and innovations, but nothing is perfect. There were some weaknesses of his approach. It seemed that Christensens view did not consider the overall socio-political environment and human factors in reality. In this book, the large integrated steel mills industries displaced by those mini-mills steel industries was taken as an example by Christensen. Christensen put emphasis on how mini-mill first entering into the low margin markets and then squeezed out the integrated mills when mini-mill technology, performance and quality improved. Nevertheless, the relieving effects of labor-management relationships were not considered in this case by Christensen. He did not consider if the unions want to accept new labor rules requiring more flexible job descriptions. Whether management willing to adjust pay scales with workers who were trained in and able to perform jobs was not considered. However, obviously, Christensen did not consider the effects of labor-management relationships. Moreover, for the example of replacement of steam shoves by hydraulically operated equipment, one question should be asked, Were labor unions, and management, averse to retraining equipment operators who had many yea rs invested in becoming adept in operation and use of, a particular technology? In general, in view of human nature, people approached to keep away from changes, especially unexpected changes from disruptive technologies. However, disruptive technologies required people to accept and adopt the changes. It did not a must for people being reluctant to disruptive technology. There were small portions of people who chasing the latest technologies and placed cost into lower level of consideration. These were the first groups of people to accept disruptive technologies. Taking personal computers as an example, actually, they were expensive and did not have too many functions when they were first introduced in 1970s. (Wikipedia, 2010) Most people did not recognize the use of personal computers at home. But with those groups of people who like chasing the latest technologies, eventually, prices went down and performance of personal computers climbed up. Ultimately, people began to use personal computers in home and workplaces. Christensen in his book mentioned that disruptive technologies came from a low cost margin and displaced the high-end margin. However, Christensens disruptive technologies or innovations did n

Project Management in Construction

Project Management in Construction Definition: â€Å"Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and participation satisfaction.† Definition according to Project Management Institute Objectives of Project Management: For construction project management the objectives depend a lot on resource constraints and the target should be accomplished with these in view. A main component of the whole process would be to investigate for better alternatives or making tradeoffs to reduce the conflicts between stated objectives and resource constraints. Especially with manual resources originating from so many cultural backgrounds, the probability of conflict is far higher. In general the objectives of project management in construction can be stated as: Stating of objectives and plans: this should include the various factors like Budgeting, Scheduling, targets and participants. Maximization of Efficiency: This should be accomplished by proper utilization of various resources, labor, material and equipment. The ultimate goal is to meet the objectives within prescribed schedules mentioned in (1). Coordination: A proper communication and coordination has to be maintained between various phases like planning, design, estimating and constructing. Conflicts and differences should be properly evaluated and resolved thus leading towards a common goal and objective Modern Management: Development in various tools and technologies along with detailed research into existing project management principles and trends lead into a new phase of management called Modern Management. Research and study into modern management processes reflected the following additional components: Management process approach: To study the management functions in detail. Management science and decision support approach: Assists managers in taking complex decisions by approaching a given problem in mathematical and scientific manner. Example: Operations Research Behavioral science approach: Involved more in interacting with people Sustainable competitive advantage: Is an indication of a proper management strategy. Modern management can be considered to be a combination of all the ingredients mentioned before, that is General Management, Project management, Special knowledge domains and supporting disciplines. The application of Modern management into construction has proven to be quite effective and efficient. Project Risk: Risk is an important factor of any project. Taking risk by a participant of a project shows his willingness to compete but has the down side of putting the whole project at stake. There are also potential chances of conflicts being arisen between participants due to this factor. There are usually many risks involved in a construction project, a brief list of which can be stated as follows: Social Problems: This includes factors like Environmental protection, public safety rules. Economic problems: Stock fluctuation, fluctuations in exchange rates. Relationships: This is one of the most common and most important factors. These risks develop due to the instability in relations between contracting agencies, participants of project, etc. Technological: Though a key factor in a project life cycle, technology can become a risky factor sometimes. It is up to the project owner and upper level managements to resolve the conflicts created by risk and to give the Go/NO-GO order to the team. Once the decision is made to take the risk, the project management and participants should strive to make the project a success. Organization: The other important factor in project management in general and construction project management in specific is the organizational structure of the company. There are various factor involved in designing and configuring the project that depend on the organizational flow. Some of the factors are Method of decomposition of project (Sequential Vs Parallel Vs Staggered decomposition, which depends on the organization needs and availabilities). Number of organizations involved in the project and the phases they are involved in. (Ex: The owner organization which is involved in the whole life cycle can call some contracting organization for their specific needs). Organizational structure which decides the number of projects being taken up at a given instance of time. (Ex: Matrix organization structure involves same teams for various projects, where as Project oriented organizational structure involves various teams for various projects). Professional Construction Management: A professional construction management normally refers to a team that specializes various phases of construction activities like Planning, Design and construction. They have the responsibility to coordinate with contracting organizations to resolve conflicts and make the project a success. A professional construction manager is a firm specialized in the practice of professional construction management whose responsibilities includes: Working with the owner and the Architectural/ Engineering teams to decide on strategies and make decisions. Consider various resources and constraints and develop alternatives if needed. Process the progress of the project making sure that the owner is well informed of the situation. Material and supply chain management. Provide other services and subcontracts. Professional construction management is involved normally for massive projects like Alaska Pipeline Project. 10 rules for Managing projects that win: Rule1: Clarify the project goal: the most important part of the project is Goal. An effective project manager always emphasizes on goal and rephrases it again and again to the team members. This will clear the vision of people (team members and end users) regarding what they have to achieve thus compelling them to strive for it. Rule2: Use objectives to define responsibilities: the objectives defined to reach the goal should be used in recognizing and allocating responsibilities. An effective team manager will recognize individual talents of team members and assign responsibilities accordingly. Rule3: Establish Checkpoints, Activities, relationships and time estimates: Team members work the best when they know what to do and have a specific target set in front of them. Creating Timelines, checkpoints and activities help the team members concentrate their energies in the proper direction. Rule4: Supercharge the plan with a picture: Try to make the project progress as clear as possible to your team members and upper management. Use Gant and Pert charts to show the progress visually which will aid them to understand the process much better than verbal explanation or presentations. Rule 5: Develop an empowered project team: Understand the elements of human behavior and recognize the differences in team members. Note that each person’s skill can be used in a unique fashion to contribute to the project. Try to find the motivating factor for team members, each person can be motivated by something different. Rule6: Reinforce People’s motivation and energy: This can be accomplished by bringing in a sense of ownership into team member’s mind. Trying to align people’s thoughts with one another and with project goal will help a lot too. By brining in this common thinking and sense of challenge, team members will be cheered and motivated at all stages of project life cycle. Rule7: Communication: Communication between team members and team management is one of the most important factors for project success. Make sure all the aspects of project including progress, successes, failures, etc, are all well informed to the team members. Another part of communication is to listen sincerely and regularly to the opinion of team members, some times listening is more important than talking. Rule8: Vitalize people with energy from conflicts: Try to use the energy generated with various conflicts in the project life cycle to encourage people. This will help them to focus and resolve issues cooperatively. Rule9: The Power of being a project manager has to be used in brining the commitment from team members. This will help them in using their individual powers to make the project a success. Rule10: Try to be creative. Case Study: Alaska Pipeline Project: Alaska Pipeline project was considered to be the most expensive private project in 1970s. With over 10billion dollars of budget and 800 miles of pipeline, this project required top notch project managements abilities to be completed and perfected. I choose this project as an example because of two reasons: (i) The Vast ness of the project and (ii) The involvement of Professional project management organization. During the planning phase, the owner assigned the whole project to a Construction Management company (contracting, called CMC) while retaining the centralized decision making ability. Initially the hierarchy from top to bottom consisted of 9 layers which created many risks and conflicts between various subcontractors and other participants of the project. There were also delays made in decision making process because of various construction sites and count of subcontractors. To eliminate this, the owner then created a Professional Project Management firm by combining a portion of Owner and CMC. The primary goal of this team was to control all the subcontractors. This change reduced the number of layers of hierarchy from 9 to about 5, in turn closing the gap between management and workforce. This also boosted the performance of decision making process as the communication and collaboration process was greatly improved. . One of the primary decisions of this team was to decentralize th e construction of 5 segments of the pipeline as a different project thus giving the organization a goal oriented look. With the introduction of this new firm, all the major rules of project management were covered and the project was successfully completed within given budget and time. References: Burke, Rory â€Å"Project Management-Planning Control†, 4th Ed, John Wiley Son 2002 Lock D, â€Å"Project Management†,   8th Ed Gower 2004 W.Alan Randolph, Barry Z.Posner, â€Å"Checkered Flag Projects†, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall. Project management in construction Project management in construction Brief 199803 The role of the Project Manager amongst other things may be that of the partnering facilitator as identified in various literatures and by authors such as, but not limited to Latham and Egan etc. Highlight a theoretical but practical role for the project manager as a partnering facilitator.     Outlined below is a discussion and an examination of the notion that the role of the Project Manager amongst other things may be that of the partnering facilitator which enables projects to be carried out efficiently. The notion that the Project Manager amongst other things could fulfil the role of the partnering facilitator has been identified as well as being developed further in the literature of Latham and also Egan, besides others. Authors such as Latham and Egan regarded that the fulfilling of the part of being a partnering facilitator as one of the main functions of any successful Project Manager, but of course not the only one. As part of the evaluation of the role played by Project Managers, the potential role of being a partnering facilitator will highlight a theoretical but practical role for any Project Manager to carry out whilst acting as a partnering facilitator. Project Managers have played and still continue to play important parts within the public and private s ectors of the British economy. However, for the purpose of this evaluation the theoretical, yet practical role that would allow any Project Manager to act as a partnering facilitator are considered within the confines of the construction industry in the United Kingdom. It should also be remembered that the ideas relating to the concepts were actually originally developed by engineers in the United States before being widely adapted by businesses and academics alike (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). The construction industry within the United Kingdom would upon both a theoretical as well as a practical basis provide plenty of scope for a Project Manager to fulfil or serve the role of a partnering facilitator during the course of carrying out their job. The reasons for the construction industry offering opportunities for Project Managers to be able to act out a role of being a partnering facilitator are strongly related to the nature of that industry within Britain itself. Construction firms exist to develop, plan, deliver, and finally complete building projects, Project Managers are also trained to think and function in a similar way (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). The Project Manager thus arguably has a vital linking and organising function or purpose contained within the core responsibilities of their job, which in itself is pivotal for the efficient running of the construction industry in Britain. Any or every construction project needs to be managed effectively, and well organised i n order for it to be completed on time and within budget, a requirement that the use of a Project Manager is intended to fulfil. Even if only one company was formally engaged in completing a construction project a high degree co-ordination and organisation would still be required to make sure the efficiency of the organisation remains consistently high as well as being successful. A single company will have various stakeholders with different concepts of what needs to be done to successful complete. The more companies which are involved in a proposed project means a higher number of stakeholders need to enter working partnerships (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). In reality, construction projects normally have several contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers involved in the whole process, which further increases the need for co-ordination and sound organisation. The Project Manager is therefore ideally placed to carry out the necessary co-ordination and organisation to achieve the full completion of the project (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). Latham and Egan, amongst others, have contended that the level of co-ordination and organisation that Project Manager have to use to get their jobs done with the British construction industry could justify the tag of partnering facilitator. Deeprose has argued that the operating methods of Project Managers and companies are very similar, which helps to explain why Project Managers are very useful in running construction programmes (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). In theoretical and practical terms, the Project Manager needs to work in partnerships whilst facilitating the means to ensure that all are programmes are carried out. One way of exploring whether the Project Manager could theoretically and practically act as a partnering facilitator would be to look into how a project to build a housing development could actually be managed. To be able to complete a housing construction programme theoretically and indeed practically involves a great deal of partnership to move from initial planning a nd designing, through to finding contractors or suppliers, gaining planning permission, then finally construction. Even after construction has been finished partnerships could still be needed to make sure that the required standards are met, and to achieve the highest quality houses. Young argues that the key to the successful completion of any construction project is for it to be well designed with all the people that need to make the decisions having access to all relevant information (Young, 1996 p. 21). The Project Manager needs to form a partnership with the architects that design the building that make up the housing construction programme, and both need to discuss the exact specifications and materials required to make the project achievable (Young, 1996 p. 45). These architects could either work for the same company as the Project Manager or be employed by a different company if not a specialised architectural consultancy. Having a sound partnership with the architect would allow the Project Manager to examine whether the designs for the proposed housing programme are practical, are what the stakeholders actually requested, and also if they meet health and safety standards (Maylor, 1996 p. 47). Close consultation between the Project Manager and the architects will facilitate discussion with regard to the quality, as well as the practical feasibility of the housing being designed. Together the Project Manager in conjunction with the architects will draw up plans as to what will b e needed in the houses to ensure that all features and facilities are installed as planned, and altered if needs be (Young, 1996 p.45). Theoretically and practically for the successful finishing of a house building project the Project Manager needs to form a relationship with the Local Planning Authority to ensure that planning could be granted to allow building work to begin. Without planning permission the proposed housing construction will not be carried out (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). A good relationship with the Local Planning Authority responsible for granting or not granting planning permission could be useful if the Project Manager needs to arrange for water, gas and electricity supplies have to be extended to the new houses after those have been finished (Young, 1996, p. 45). The Project Manager might even have to liase with the Local Planning Authority to arrange new roads or an extension of existing roads to the new houses. The Project Manger as the main facilitator between the company or the consortium they work for and the Local Planning Authority would have the task of sorting out any differences between th e tow to make sure that planning permission is granted as quickly as possible. Partnership between the Project Manager and the Local Planning Authority should help to facilitate the successful completion of the proposed building of new houses (Maylor, 1996 p. 6). Theoretically as well as practically the Project Manager would therefore need to facilitate a partnership between all the constructors, and sub-contractors, which are, actually needed to design, build and complete the new houses (Maylor, 1996 p. 47). New houses are completed through the combined efforts of contractors and sub-contractors, which have special skills and functions (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). For instance, new houses will need electricians, gas fitters, plumbers, as well as plasterers to complete the infrastructure of every house being built. The Project Manager will be responsible for hiring all the contractors and sub-contractors, as well as any general labourers needed to finish the new houses (Deeprose, 2001 p. 3). The Project Manager would have to make sure that everybody or firm hired to complete the construction is capable of doing their jobs to satisfactory standards or have work done again by alternative contractors (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1 996 pp. 10-12). Not only will the Project Manager ensure that the contracted work is done effectively, they will have to action any complaints, needs or problems that the contractors, sub-contractors, and workers have with completing the new houses (Young, 1996 p 47). Health and safety is also an issue that the Project Manager has to consider. The Project Manager has a responsibility to make sure that everybody is safe upon the construction site. Hand in hand with making sure that workers are safe, the Project Manager would also have to ensure that all the work carried out on the new houses complies with all health and safety regulations (Briner, Hastings, Geddes, 1996 pp. 10-12). Facilitating with all contractors, sub-contractors and workers not only maintain the partnership between them all, it also allows the new houses to be safe without anybody being hurt during their construction. For the Project Manager complying with health and safety standards will mean that the building p rocess runs smoothly and reduces the risk of legal action being taken against the building consortium (Deeprose, 2001 p. 18). Therefore, one way in which the function of any Project Manager as a partnering facilitator could be theoretically and practically demonstrated through the co-ordination and organisation needed to build new houses. The Project Manager could and indeed should play a pivotal role in partnering or linking all the elements needed to complete a new housing programme. The Project Manager has an essential part to play in ensuring that the parties involved in the construction of the new houses would work closely together to make sure that the building is completed successfully and to time. Without the Project Manager acting as a partnering facilitator it would arguably be more difficult to design, construct, and fully complete the new house building programme. The Project Manager co-ordinates and liases with the architects over the design as well as the features of the new houses before the plans are finalised and then submitted for planning permission. Then the Project Manager would thus us ually have to approach the appropriate Local Planning Authority to gain planning permission and then amend the building proposals if that is required. Probably the most important partnering facilitating performed by the Project Manager would be co-ordinating, as well as organising all the contractors, sub-contractors and all workers needed to build and finish the new houses once planning permission has been granted. A good working partnership actively facilitated by the Project Manager should mean that the new houses are built up to a high standard as quickly, yet effectively as possible. The Project Manager will achieve the function of partnering facilitator most effectively by involving all the relevant stakeholders that are part of the construction project. Briner W, Hastings C, Geddes M, (1996) Project Leadership – 2nd edition, Gower, Aldershot Deeprose D, (2001) Smart things to know about Managing Projects, Capstone Publishing Limited, Oxford Maylor, 1996 Young T, (1996) The Handbook of Project Management, Kogan Page, London