Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Contracts Essay

Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Contracts - Essay Example The origin of concession was from the E&P of the petroleum in the developing petroleum mining countries by the international oil companies. It dates back to the late 19th Century when most of oil producing countries were under the European power political control. The Indonesian GOE and a foreign oil company were the first to form a Production sharing company in 1966 that was under the foreign company’s people’s empathy together with the countries aiming to control the natural resources within Indonesia. In between 1958 and 1961, Service contract was introduced for the first time in Argentina by the Argentinian government. The service contract introduced was in three types that included financial exploration, drilling, and development in the aim of achieving the most advanced technology. A third type of contract that is the joint venture was for the first time introduced in the Italian GOE, Iranian GOE, and Egypt. It was meant to participate in the Managerial decision. The ownership of petroleum is granted by the concession agreement.

14 Years Old and Pregnant Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

14 Years Old and Pregnant - Article Example I know I’m young blah blah blah. Don’t criticize me!! I’m old enough to know I can take care of a baby, I’ve been a babysitter for three years. And how long should I wait to take a pregnancy test Please Help!!!! –Worried Two years later and the worried young girl chose to go through pregnancy and childbirth and is now the mother of a healthy baby boy. She’s just about to turn 17, a time when most girls are worried about graduation pictures and college campus tours. How have many other teenage girls through this life-changing event of having children at such a young age? The Guttmacher Institute in New York, NY reports that in 2001 alone there were more than 782,000 pregnancies among 15-19-year-olds in the United States. Girls age 14 and younger accounted for an additional 18,280 pregnancies. Maryland ranks 13th among all fifty states, indicating there is much work to be done to reduce the teen pregnancy rates in Maryland. The consequences of a teen choosing to keep her baby are far-ranging for both the girl and her child. Teen girls are highly likely to be unmarried when they give birth, and they experience great difficulties securing stable relationships in future years, according to Mary Bissell of the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada. Teen mothers also tend to remain disadvantaged financially, which affects the child’s health and well-being from birth to adulthood, Bissell adds. Several studies have shown that teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty and to lack health benefits than their same-age counterparts who are not mothers. The consequences of not finishing high school or not attending college affect the girl and her baby, too; the teen mother can expect lower wages throughout her life, and her child has a reduced chance of obtaining an advanced education, states Bissell.

The Mozart Effect: Concept Overview and Analysis

The Mozart Effect: Concept Overview and Analysis The Mozart Effect Beth Boardley Abstract The Mozart Effect is said to occur when individuals listen to the two piano sonata. It is hypothesized that by listening to this ensemble that individuals will remember information more easily. Two studies were conducted relating to the Mozart Effect. The first study relates to spatial skill performance and how we use the same neural pathways to process this as we do music, the second study was conducted to challenge the first study. The second study’s argument was that any music that is appreciated can cause the same memory effect. In the second study they conducted one experiment in which they exposed unborn mice to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 and then also conducted a study to see how Mozart’s piano sonata K448 affected patients who suffered from epilepsy. The conclusions were that Mozart’s piano sonata K448 did have a positive effect on both animals and humans. In this paper we will discuss the parts of the first study including the hypothesis, variable s, evidence, and explanations the researchers use. We will also examine the merit and generalizability of the second study. Music and Spatial Task Performance By conducting research and doing experiments we can gain reliable answers to the millions of questions we have. There are many different types of research that can be conducted. Researchers choose the type of research and experiments to conduct based on the hypothesis, and the resources available to them. This purpose to this paper is to examine the study of the Mozart effect in relation to two articles, â€Å"Music and Spatial Task Performance† written by Rauscher, Shaw Ky in 1993, and â€Å"The Mozart Effect† written by Jenkins in 2011, and to answer specific questions based on their research. Fundamentally the Mozart Effect is a study that examines whether or not music helps individuals complete tasks better. The first article in question is Music and Spatial Task Performance. This article was written by Rauscher, Shaw Ky in 1993. They strove to prove that there was a causal relationship between â€Å"cognition and cognitions pertaining to abstract operations such as mathematical or spatial reasoning† (Rauscher et al., 1993). They hypothesized that scans of the brain and its neural pathways would show that the intake and processing of music and our spatial ability would use the same pathways. They also hypothesized that theses paths cover large portions of the same areas of the brain. To better understand these articles it is important to understand what spatial task performance is. â€Å"Spatial ability is the capacity to understand and remember the spatial relations among objects† (Jhu.edu, n.d.). In other words it is the ability to visualize in one’s mind. This ability is not static as it develops throughout one’s life. In relation to application, spatial ability is related to a person’s ability to perform at a minimum of two tasks at the same time. An example of a spatial skill would be walking and dribbling a ball. Many occupations require prominent spatial ability such as mathematics, meteorology, natural sciences, engineering, and architecture, among many others. Many of these jobs require research. Conducting research also requires spatial ability. There are many components to conducting research. Two of the most important components are the independent and dependent variables. An independent variable is a variable that stands alone and has no changes made to it. The independent variables in this study are Mozarts sonata, the college students, and the three-year-olds (Rauscher et al., 1993). A dependent variable is a variable that depends on other factors and changes. In the Rauscher et al., study the dependent variable was the memory. Another component of a research study is the controlled variables. A controlled variable is a variable in which the researcher wants to remain constant. The controlled variables in the Rauscher et al., 1993 study consist of Mozart’s sonata, the college students, and the three-year-olds. The music was a necessary controlled variable because the study was music based. The age ranges of the participants was important to control because they wanted to find out how memory was affected in children and in adults. They wanted to see who would remember the information the longest. Rauscher et al., 2013, presented data from two studies. They proved that the college students had better short term memory as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata. They also showed that the three year olds had advancements, particularly in nonverbal cognitive ability, as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata too. The evidence from this study was empirical and valid. The researchers explained that infants have the maximum ability relating to developing nonverbal cognitive skills as well as memorization. It has been shown that as we increase in age we lose memory recall and execution skills with the decrease in brain elasticity. This also makes it harder for adults to retain new information. The evidence presented in the article justified their explanation and proved that music and spatial ability travels among the same pathways in the brain. The Mozart Effect In 2001 another researcher Jenkins analyzed the work and studies conducted by Rauscher et al., 1993 in relation to the Mozart effect. Jenkins used the concept of â€Å"enjoyment arousal† as an explanation to the Mozart effect. Jenkins believed two specific factors that affected the study was the type of music being played and the participant’s particular taste for the music. For instance if the participants were to have been of a younger age such as a teenager then they would most likely respond with more positive results to music from their generation such as Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood. In order to test the challenge hypothesis Jenkins conducted a study Jenkins conducted animal experiments. They used rats in utero and exposed them to music for 60 days. The rats were split into groups where each group were exposed to different music. The ensembles in which the rats were exposed to were â€Å"Mozarts piano sonata K448, to minimalist music by the composer Philip Glass, to white noise or to silence† (Jenkins, 2011). After the rats were born and the exposure period was ended they were tested using a maze navigation course. The results from the study were surprising. The study from the maze navigation showed that the rats who were exposed to Mozart’s sonata were the quickest and also the most accurate at completing the maze (Jenkins, 2011). This information is significant because it showed that Mozart’s sonata and the Mozart effect does exist, that it is provable, and that it has an effect on memory. An additional study conducted did not relate to spatial skills or maze navigation. This study involved persons suffering from epilepsy. For this study they used â€Å"29 patients with focal discharges or bursts of generalized spike and wave complexes† (Jenkins, 2001). While listening to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 patient’s EEG results had a visible reduction in epileptic activity. They study showed for some patients there was great improvements. For example â€Å"in one male, unconscious with status epilepticus, ictal patterns were present 62% of the time, whereas during exposure to Mozart’s music this value fell to 21%† (Jenkins, 2001). According to another study, â€Å"The long-term effect of listening to Mozart K.448 decreases epileptic form discharges in children with epilepsy†, the Mozart K448 also had effectiveness in reducing epilepsy and the frequency of epileptic episodes in children (Lin et al., 2011). This study holds merit for several reasons. One reason is that it proves that the Mozart effect does exist. Secondly it provides evidence that the Mozart effect is not based only on music appreciation per the unborn rat’s performance in the maze. It also showed that this effect is not limited to spatial ability or memory as it was also proven to have profound effects in epileptic patients. This study did not take into account individual spatial ability. For instance all the rats were apparently able to complete the maze. The researchers gave no warning that any rats were impaired leading us to assume all of the rats were healthy. The only difference encountered was the music in which the rats were exposed to, or lack thereof. The study performed with the patients suffering from epilepsy did not pertain to their spatial abilities it focused on the decrease of epileptic episodes. .In order to make this study more generalizable all they would need to try and test the spatial ability of many different types of rats. There should be normal functioning rats, mentally deficient rats, deformed rats, and rats that suffer blindness and deafness issues. Added in there could be rats that suffer from malnutrition as well as obesity. With keeping the rest of the study the same a more wide-ranging inference can be made in relation to Mozart’s sonata and the effects it has on the rat’s performance in the maze navigation. In regards to the studies with the epileptic patients other types of music should be used rather than just Mozart’s sonata. Other classical selections could be used such as selections from Bach, Chopin, or other Mozart selections. This could be helpful in order to see if the epileptic episodes are decreased with the various selections or if it is just that particular Mozart sonata. The study could break the music down farther by examining the type of instrumentation within the selection. In the studies it was stated that the Mozart sonata was a piano piece. With this we may deduce that selections using the piano may have an effect on epileptic episodes. A generalization from this is that soothing piano music with no words could have a positive effect on the epileptic episode reductions. Another possibility, just as with the rats, the type of epileptic could be factor such as the severity of the epilepsy in the patient. Conclusion The conclusion of these studies is that the Mozart effect does in fact exist, that it is provable, and that there are positive results in the participants. The first study conducted pertained to spatial skills in college students as well as three year olds. This study proved that younger individuals have the ability to remember information more easily as a result of listening to Mozart’s sonata. The college students showed that information was retained only short-term. Also proven was that the intake and processing of music and spatial abilities use the same neural pathways in the brain. It was later argued that any type of music can make people remember more as long as they appreciate they music being played. This however was disproved through the experiment that was conducted using the rats. They study showed that the rats that listened to Mozart’s piece performed better and more accurately in the maze vs. rats that listened to Philip Glass, white noise, or nothing at all. Also interesting was the discovery that listening to Mozart’s piano sonata K448 was proven to reduce epileptic episodes. The Mozart effect unquestionably warrants further study. There needs to be different types of rats to determine if disabilities such as blindness or injury has an effect on their ability to navigate the maze. More studies with epileptic patients could be conducted as well in order to test different types of music’s relation to the reduction of episodes if any, as well as more studies on individuals and children. References Jenkins, J.S. (2001). The Mozart effect. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 94, 170-172. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libproxy.edmc.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/[emailprotected]vid=1hid=116 Jhu.edu. (n.d.). What is spatial ability? Retrieved January 21, 2015, from Lin, L., Lee, W., Wu, H., Tsai, C., Wei, R., Mok, H., Weng, C., Lee, M., Yang, R., (2011). The long-term effect of listening to Mozart K.448 decreases epileptic form discharges in children with epilepsy. Epilepsy Behavior, 21(4), 420-424. Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://www.sciencedirect.com.libproxy.edmc.edu Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., Ky, K. N. (1993). Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365. 6447: 611. (October 14, 1993). (ProQuest Document ID 76004658). Retrieved January 21, 2015, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED390733.pd

Amy Tans Mother Tongue Essay -- Amy Tan Writing Chinese Essays

Amy Tan's Mother Tongue In Mother Tongue, Amy Tan talks about how language influenced her life while growing up. Through pathos she explains to her audience how her experiences with her mother and the Chinese language she came to realize who she wanted to be and how she wanted to write. The author, Tan, has written the books The Joy Luck Club, and The Kitchen God's Wife. She is Asian-American, her parents are originally from China, but moved to Oakland, California. The audience in Tan's essay is people 20-35 years old who are culturally diverse. Tan focuses on this audience in order reach out to those who are in her past situation. In her house, there were two languages spoken: English and Chinese. Tan knew how to speak both well, but her mother did not. She constantly had to be the translator for her mother, which was embarrassing for Tan. She felt the world thought her mother was inferior because she could not speak English well, though her mother was an intelligent being. The language created a barrier. Tan did not do as well in English class as she did in math and science in school. All of the tests told her the same thing. Yet Tan was determined to write. She found her style through her mother by breaking through the barrier of language. Her m essage is to always believe in yourself and embrace your heritage no matter what anyone else believes. Mother Tongue is written in order of importance. Tan introduces the audience to the fact that ...

Ethnicity in Sociology Essay

-Much greater levels of police stop and search on young black African-Caribbean males, than whites. -After attack on World Trade Center in 2001 and London Underground bombings in 2005, a new discourse has emerged regarding Muslim Youths. -The new image of them is of being dangerous- a threat to British culture. Offending -There are 3 ways on gathering statistics on ethnicity and crime: official stats, victimization studies and self-report studies. -According to Home Office statistics, about 9. 5% of people arrested were recorded as ‘Black’ and 5. 3% ‘Asian’ (similar rating to white). This means that, relative to the population as a whole, black people are 3x more likely than whites to be arrested. -However, these stats could be seen as a comment on the actions of the police. – some sociologists argue there is institutional racism in police. -Offenders are most likely to be young males aged between 14 and 25. Any ethnic group with a high proportion of this age group within it will have relatively high arrest rates. The British black pop has high rates, and so it would be expected that they’d have high arrest rates too because of this. -Stats show that Black Youth are more likely to be unemployed or in low paid jobs. Victimizing studies -Victim-based studies (British Crime Survey) are gathered by asking victims of crime for their recollection of the ethnic identity of the offender. -According to the British Crime Survey, the majority of crime is intraracial, with 88% of white victims stating that white criminals were involved, 3% claiming offenders were black, 1%Asian, 5% mixed. -About 42% of crimes against Black victims were identified as black offenders and 19% of crime against Asian were Asians. -The figure of white crimes AGAINST ethnic minorities are much higher – 50% (though 90% of pop is white). -However only 20% of survey-recorded crimes are ‘peronal’ such as theft, where the victim may actually be able to identify the offender. – Bowling and Phillips argue that victims are influenced by racial stereotypes and ‘culturally determined expectations’ as to who commits crime. Their research shows that where the offender is not known, White people are more likely to describe those of African-Caribbean background. Self-Report Studies- asked in anonymous questionnaires to see what offences people commit -Graham and Bowlings study for the Home Office of 14 to 25 year olds, found that the self-reported offending rates were more or less the same for the White, Black and Asian respondants. However, Blacks are 3. 6 x more likely to be arrested (Jones and Singer). Sentencing -After arrest, Affro-Carbs are slightly more likely to be held in custody and to be charged with more serious offences than Whites. But they are more likely to plead, and be found ‘not guilty’ -Bowling and Phillips state that these stats indicate that that both direct and indirect discrimination (types of charges laid, accsess to bail etc) against members of ethnic minorities do exist. -For example, Those of African-Caribbean backgrounds have a 17% higher chance of imprisonment than whites. Punishment -According to Jones and Singer the proportion of Black British background took 19% of total prison population. Racist Policing -Most sociologists ie Mayhew et al a rgue that most crime is committed by young males who come from a poor background. -The ‘canteen culture’ approach argues that police officers have developed distinctive working values as a result of their job. The core characteristics of this culture according to Reiner include a thirst for action, cynicism, macho values and racism becasude they often feel pressure/work long hours/face public scrutiny etc. -Studies by Smith and Gray (who himself was a policeman) showed racist views by the police force and they targeted blacks. Institutional Racism -After the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the Macpherson Report was set up to look at the circumstances of his death and handling of the situation by the police. Sir William Macpherson said ‘police had procedures, practices and a culture that tended to exclude or disadvantage non-white people’. Left-realist approach -Lea and Young accept that there are racist practices by the police but argue that despite this, the statistics do bear out a higher crime rate for street robberies and associated ‘personal crimes’ by youths of Affro-carb backgrounds. -They explain this by suggesting British society is racist and that young ethnic minorities are economically and socially marginalized (pushed out of society), with lesser chances of success than majority of population. Cultures of Resistance -Because minority groups have been discriminated against (colonialism etc) leaving them in a lower socioeconomic position compared to whites, a culture of resistance formed. -COF = organized resistance that has its origins from anticolonial struggles. Ie when young offenders commit crime they are doing it as a political art rather than a criminal act. -However Lea et al argues that this doesn’t account for the high proportion of Black on Black crime. -Fitzgerald et al = street crime is caused by deprivation, lack of community -Higher crime in lone-parent fams -Justifications among crime such as l=bad education, alienation from schools etc. Â  

The Idea Of Regulating Air Pollution

Clean Air forms one of the most important necessities for the survival all living things. Both plants and animals utilize air in many ways which are very much diversified depending on several factors. Such factors include environmental factors like temperature humidity and sunlight.In addition, other determining factors on the ability of the living things to utilize air are those which fall under the broad category of chemical compositions and biological factor: There are some optimum quantities which are required by each individual living thing on the earth.These optima are therefore enormously varied because each and every living thing occupies its own niche within diversified environmental, biological and chemical factors.  Many environmentalists have emerged in the past few decades or centuries claiming that there are many substances which are being released to the environment from the various sources.These substances are alleged to have great impact on impairing the health of plants and animals. Due to these detremendous factors of pollutants, numerous bodies have been formed with the idea of regulating air pollution.Air is a composition of gases. The various air components are used differently by plants and animals. Any unpolluted air has definite compositions of these air components.Due to the release of harmful gases and excessive useful gases forming part of the air, the air composition becomes altered and either plants or animals are affected in one way or the other. In order to maintain the optimum air composition, the idea of regulating air pollution is put in place.In the first point of view, the idea of regulating air pollution will in one way be very advantageous to the prosperity of human beings. This is because it endeavors to ensure that life is not affected through chemical substance such as sulfur compounds, which are released by many factories and automobiles to the environment.When such substances are reacted with other useful particular matter in the atmospheres, they form new substance which destroys human properties.For instance, checking of sulfur oxide compounds from the air maintains minimal amounts of this compound, and thus it is impossible to have acidic rains which damages plants and housing roofs through corrosion. Regulating air pollution thus makes countries’ and world wide annual outputs to be increased or maintained at averages.When there are no damages within a country, and there is increase in outputs, this in most cases leads to an increase in trade. Hence, the replication in trades provides opportunities to for job employment to jobless people. Individuals find their living standards be improved through the earnings from the job returns.Moreover, trade and tax are intimately connected thus one cannot live on its own. It can then be seen that regulation of air pollution will indirectly contribute to the generation of revenue for the governments through trade.It not only generates revenues b ut also it saves government revenues through the elimination and abolishment of pollutants which are health hazard in the human body. This is because when citizen are affected by disease, the ruling government spends lots money in the provision medical amenities, medicines and drugs.It should also be noted that the ideas of regulating air pollution not only achieves the limitation of gaseous substances but also limit   the particular materials which might be released from its source and be suspended in the air.The materials coagulate and react with many other chemical substances resulting into fog formation. The resultant fog is viciously dangerous to air transportations.   Thus, the regulations aimed at reducing these materials helps to save life for those air travelers.  On the other hand, the idea of air regulation may be to a certain extent affect the worlds’ economy in the adverse manner. Air pollution does not occur in spontaneous action without the involvement of human activity, which is focused in production for some product.If there is the idea of regulating air pollution, then rules and regulation must be laid down for the producers of these products to follow. In some cases, the producers are compelled to comply with the set rules, but due either financial constrains or inability to make the necessary steps to check their emissions to air, the companies are enforced to close down.This creates a lot of impacts both to the economy of the country and the individual employees’ survival means. For instance, if strictly noise pollutant which forms part of air pollution is to be controlled in most developing and underdeveloped countries, it will very highly affect most of companies.This is because most of them can only afford to purchase second hand factory machine which are so noisy that they cause air pollution. This will also affect most transportation companies which are rampantly filled with unworthy vehicles.Finally, although the idea of regulating air pollution may lead to innovation and invention, it may deter quick progressive growth of the economy and development of a developing country. This idea calls for installation of some expensive gadgets to existing machines or as regulators and analyzers of pollutants.Furthermore, people will be required to invest in new and modern machines which are costly but pollutes environment the least. So, this does not favor most people who are in the developing country. Hence, it can be concluded that the idea of regulating air pollution remain a debatable issues for proper implementation processes. (Judith, 2002)

Free Essays on The Information Superhighway

The Information Superhighway While the information super highway has had an effect on society, all is not positive and toward a goal of the growth to society. Corporations may experience a growth in profits by selling goods via Internet and increase these profits by the reduction in work force. This reduction in workforce, however, reduces the quantity of available purchasers, having a negative economic effect on society. In addition to the negative economic effect society as a whole is about to suffer immeasurable harm. Social interaction has been reduced which will have an effect on society interaction. While the speed and ease of the information age has been good for profit lines in some corporations, others have been trying to play catch up in the technology explosion, which has given society an â€Å"I need it now† mentality. Small companies who used to rely on local workforces, the teens of America, the future of society, now have been shoved aside like abandoned unwanted children in third world countries. Major corporations like Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe’s and Home Depot have monopolized the shopping experience once enjoyed by the mom and pop stores, the backbone of small town America. Where there once were thriving stores owned by families who employed friends and relatives, there are now vacant buildings and thrift stores selling used clothing and furniture. The â€Å"Super Centers† have invaded and crippled small town America and have gone further offering Internet shopping for ‘our convenience’. The reduced need to employ the younger gener ation has lead to an increase of unemployment especially in small towns. The reduction of workforce may strike back at the big corporations, though, due to the reduced amount of money able to be earned and, therefore, spent by the population as a whole. Reduction in workforce for profits alone would appear to have an effect on the spending force, and also have an effect on the wo... Free Essays on The Information Superhighway Free Essays on The Information Superhighway The Information Superhighway While the information super highway has had an effect on society, all is not positive and toward a goal of the growth to society. Corporations may experience a growth in profits by selling goods via Internet and increase these profits by the reduction in work force. This reduction in workforce, however, reduces the quantity of available purchasers, having a negative economic effect on society. In addition to the negative economic effect society as a whole is about to suffer immeasurable harm. Social interaction has been reduced which will have an effect on society interaction. While the speed and ease of the information age has been good for profit lines in some corporations, others have been trying to play catch up in the technology explosion, which has given society an â€Å"I need it now† mentality. Small companies who used to rely on local workforces, the teens of America, the future of society, now have been shoved aside like abandoned unwanted children in third world countries. Major corporations like Wal-Mart, Target, Lowe’s and Home Depot have monopolized the shopping experience once enjoyed by the mom and pop stores, the backbone of small town America. Where there once were thriving stores owned by families who employed friends and relatives, there are now vacant buildings and thrift stores selling used clothing and furniture. The â€Å"Super Centers† have invaded and crippled small town America and have gone further offering Internet shopping for ‘our convenience’. The reduced need to employ the younger gener ation has lead to an increase of unemployment especially in small towns. The reduction of workforce may strike back at the big corporations, though, due to the reduced amount of money able to be earned and, therefore, spent by the population as a whole. Reduction in workforce for profits alone would appear to have an effect on the spending force, and also have an effect on the wo...

Free Essays on Forester Critique, What I Blelieve

Every human being has personal beliefs ranging from simple to quite complex. In the first line of his essay, â€Å"What I Believe,† E. M. Forester confronts the reader with the seemingly irrational statement â€Å"I do not believe in belief.† This however is not at all true. Forester is a man with many beliefs. In his essay he expresses his opinions and beliefs on a wide range of subjects. The introductory paragraph of the essay explains what the society of human beings needs to keep itself from self destructing like a light bulb that has burned brightly for so long but unexpectedly fizzles out. According to Forester, â€Å"tolerance, good temper, and sympathy† will do nothing more for the human race than become an unattainable ideal for people to pine after. World peace is already a clichà ©, having been used by Ms. America contestants for years, and most recently President George Bush. Universal tolerance will never exist because no one who actually says they want it believes that it is possible. The advocates of world â€Å"tolerance, good temper, and sympathy† are making an attempt to manipulate the feelings of their audience, not make the world a better place to live in. They know that they won’t be blamed for not fulfilling the promise of a better world, because it does not exist and cannot be made. Forester seems oblivious to the fact that bad things bind the group. Americans take an event like those on September 11th, and unify. While the country was unified under a blanket of grief and patriotism, unfortunately it also grew intolerant and unsympathetic towards anyone with an opinion that did not coincide with those of the masses. Contrary to Forester’s belief, the human race thrives on hate and ill will. This is a world â€Å"rent by religious and racial persecution† in Forester’s eyes. This is true. These lesions under the skin of human society will never go away even though they will diminish over time with occasional fla... Free Essays on Forester Critique, What I Blelieve Free Essays on Forester Critique, What I Blelieve Every human being has personal beliefs ranging from simple to quite complex. In the first line of his essay, â€Å"What I Believe,† E. M. Forester confronts the reader with the seemingly irrational statement â€Å"I do not believe in belief.† This however is not at all true. Forester is a man with many beliefs. In his essay he expresses his opinions and beliefs on a wide range of subjects. The introductory paragraph of the essay explains what the society of human beings needs to keep itself from self destructing like a light bulb that has burned brightly for so long but unexpectedly fizzles out. According to Forester, â€Å"tolerance, good temper, and sympathy† will do nothing more for the human race than become an unattainable ideal for people to pine after. World peace is already a clichà ©, having been used by Ms. America contestants for years, and most recently President George Bush. Universal tolerance will never exist because no one who actually says they want it believes that it is possible. The advocates of world â€Å"tolerance, good temper, and sympathy† are making an attempt to manipulate the feelings of their audience, not make the world a better place to live in. They know that they won’t be blamed for not fulfilling the promise of a better world, because it does not exist and cannot be made. Forester seems oblivious to the fact that bad things bind the group. Americans take an event like those on September 11th, and unify. While the country was unified under a blanket of grief and patriotism, unfortunately it also grew intolerant and unsympathetic towards anyone with an opinion that did not coincide with those of the masses. Contrary to Forester’s belief, the human race thrives on hate and ill will. This is a world â€Å"rent by religious and racial persecution† in Forester’s eyes. This is true. These lesions under the skin of human society will never go away even though they will diminish over time with occasional fla...

Problem Solving in Mathematics

Problem Solving in Mathematics The main reason for learning about math is to become a better problem solver  in all aspects of life. Many problems are multistep and require some type of systematic approach. There are a couple of things you need to do when solving problems. Ask yourself exactly what type of information is being asked for:  Is it one of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division?  Then determine all the information that is being given to you in the question. Mathematician George Pà ³lya’s book, â€Å"How to Solve It: A New Aspect of Mathematical Method,† written in 1957, is a great guide to have on hand. The ideas below, which provide you with  general steps or strategies to solve math problems, are similar to those expressed in Pà ³lya’s book and should help you untangle even the most complicated math problem. Use Established Procedures Learning how to solve problems in mathematics is knowing what to look for. Math problems often require established procedures and knowing what procedure to apply. To create procedures, you have to be familiar with the problem situation and be able to collect the appropriate information, identify a strategy or strategies, and use the strategy appropriately. Problem-solving  requires practice. When deciding on methods or procedures to use to solve problems, the first thing you will do is look for clues, which is one of the most important skills in solving problems in mathematics. If you begin to solve problems by looking for clue words, you will find that these words often indicate an operation. Look for Clue Words Think of yourself as a math detective. The first thing to do when you encounter a math problem is to look for clue words. This is one of the most important skills you can develop. If you begin to solve problems by looking for clue words, you will find that those words often indicate an operation. Common clue words for addition  problems: SumTotalIn allPerimeter Common clue words for  subtraction  problems: DifferenceHow much moreExceed Common clue words for multiplication problems: ProductTotalAreaTimes Common clue words for division problems: ShareDistributeQuotientAverage Although clue words will vary a bit from problem to problem, youll soon learn to recognize which words mean what in order to perform the correct operation. Read the Problem Carefully This, of course, means looking for clue words as outlined in the previous section. Once you’ve identified your clue words, highlight or underline them. This will let you know what kind of problem you’re dealing with. Then do the following: Ask yourself if youve seen a problem similar to this one. If so, what is similar about it?What did you need to do in that instance?What facts are you given about this problem?What facts do you still need to find out about this problem? Develop a Plan and Review Your Work Based on what you discovered by reading the problem carefully and identifying similar problems you’ve encountered before, you can then: Define your problem-solving strategy or strategies. This might mean identifying patterns, using known formulas, using sketches, and even guessing and checking.If your strategy doesnt work, it may lead you to an ah-ha moment and to a strategy that does work. If it seems like you’ve solved the problem, ask yourself the following: Does your solution seem probable?Does it answer the initial question?Did you answer using the language in the question?Did you answer using the same units? If you feel confident that the answer is â€Å"yes† to all questions, consider your problem solved. Tips and Hints Some key questions to consider as you approach the problem may be: What are the keywords in the problem?Do I need a data visual, such as a diagram, list, table, chart, or graph?Is there a formula or equation that Ill need? If so, which one?Will I need to use a calculator? Is there a pattern I can use or follow? Read the problem carefully, and decide on a method to solve the problem. Once youve finished working the problem, check your work and ensure that your answer makes sense and that youve used the same terms and or units in your answer.

Glass beads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Glass beads - Essay Example Its unit of measuring is in gallons and it costs $7.16 per. It is mainly used for finishing and requires a dry wall that is level 5 finished. It is also meant for walls such as living rooms. It is very lasting and has fewer odors. This type of paint is not designed for roads and this is the reason why it was not chosen over Hotline dry latex traffic making paint white. Alkyd interior trim enamel, semi gloss is the third paint available in the market. It costs $8.38 per unit and is known to give the best professional quality. Some of its characteristics include mild dew resistance, and an excellent stain remover. It is very fast drying and has durable enamel which is good for protecting both the exterior and the interior walls and surfaces against abrasion that is repeated and any other chemical that might come across the walls. This type of paint is not designed for roads and this is the reason why it was not chosen over Hotline dry latex traffic making paint white. Alkyd (oil) inter ior trim enamel, gloss is also a paint that is on the price list. It is $8.54 per unit and is mainly meant for interior design of walls. It is less sticky and has less odor compared to other paints. The paint is slightly thick and come in a variety of colors. This type of paint is not designed for roads and this is the reason why it was not chosen over Hotline dry latex traffic making paint whit

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, Essay - 8

Write an annotation entry consisting of a Citation, a brief Summary, and a short paragraph Evaluation of the text below - Essay Example sident Obama acknowledged the fact that there is no need to have the Ferguson’s report to establish the truth that racial discrimination still exist in the current generation. Nia-Malika views that part of the speech as a way by which the president is making a call that people need to be cowards but focus on the past and not just the events of Ferguson to justify the existence of racial discrimination. Gwen reflects on the recent statement by the attorney general at the same event and asks if that is a responsibility or a burden to the first black president. In giving her response, Amy says that it is both a burden as well as a responsibility but admits that the speech by the president sought to offer hope and the realization not all is lost in the quest for a generation of impartial racial treatment. She admits that inequality still exist in the America society and it is closely tied to education and income. Gwen proceeds on another part of the speech in which the president directed his statements on close to 100 members of the Congress in the wake of their call to renew the voting rights Act. The president acknowledged the fact that the voting rights Act was one of the greatest achievement of American democracy which was as a result of the efforts by both the Republicans and the Democrats. The act was signed by various former presidents such as Reagan and Bush while they were in the Oval Office. Henderson argues that the statement has a lot of impact among the Republicans whom she considers to be a bit different from those of the past hence they are likely to show a different view of the Act. Amy considers the Act to be partially partisan in relation to geographical distribution of the various races in the Unites States. On the part of Hillary Clinton using her personal emails for official duties, Amy comments that she has to stand out on her own to defend herself without expecting the help of anyone. The interview by Gwen is very useful as it offers a deeper

Assignment 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 9 - Essay Example Firstly, with regards to the RIAA, it comes as this prize that this group fundamentally reject any form of copyright infringement and/work piracy. The most obvious reason and rationale behind this is with regards fact that the that the RIAA represents a massive number of entities that derive their profitability the fact that individuals legally acquire the products and services that they offer. However, instead of directly discussing the level of financial harm that this does to the RIAA and its bottom line, the website promotes an understanding of the fact that the individual who engages in copyright infringement and/work piracy is directly hurting the individual artist at the very lowest levels of their organization. This commons as somewhat of a surprise due to the fact that the major record companies generally cell a new CD for approximately $15-$16. Of this $15-$16, the individual artist is only receiving approximately $1.60 per records sold. As can be seen, this 10% is negligib le in terms of damages effected upon the artist himself/herself. This is of course not say that copyright infringement work high receipt has little to no effect upon the artist; however, it does help to underscore a level of understanding with regards to why the RIAA is so flagrantly and aggressively advocating the loss of profits that such a process entails. Comparatively, groups such as Piratbyran seek to promote a world in which a free flow of information is both possible and realized. Within groups such as Piraybyran, individuals believe that an alternative method of economics can readily exist that would help to connect the potential user directly to the artist thereby maximizing profitability for the one should be most rewarded and gutting the middleman out of the process entirely. Moreover, the rationale and logic of the particular position that such a group supports is with respect to an understanding that that in and of itself represents a situation in which a good is taken ceases to exist within the possession of the original holder. However, with regards to software piracy and copyright infringement, merely a copy is passed on to another individual with the primary good still being within control of the original holder; thereby signifying that no such that has taken place top Although both of these viewpoints represent reasonable approaches to the issue of copyright infringement in the way in which the world will continue to develop, it is the belief of this author that a middle ground necessarily exists. Seizing upon this middle ground, firms such as Apple and a litany of others have begun offering services such as iTunes which allow individual consumers to directly download content to their personal devices without being charged exorbitant fees they might be charged within a traditional brick and mortar store. In such a way, not only is the individual able to have access to electronic content with a mere click of the mouse, the artist is also able to derive a higher degree of profitability from their output as compared to traditional record releases that it defined so much of the past several decades. Finally, it must be understood that the moral high ground that the RIAA is seeking to take is something much less noble than it claims to

The Human Side of Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Human Side of Organisations - Essay Example These targets were specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound. Following the future development targets was an extensive action plan that would help in achieving these targets. 1) Evidence 1.1 Self-Analysis A critical analysis of the personality inventory test taken for the purpose of this assignment made me understand my personality type along with my strengths and weaknesses. According to test results, my personality type is ENTJ which stands for extraverted, intuitive, thinking and judging. Further consideration of these results made me understand that I am capable of looking at a broader picture underlying a situation instead of its specifics (Sharp, 1987). Furthermore, I thrive in situations that allow more cognitive application and social interaction. Research performed to understand my test results indicated that this personality type is known as extraverted thinking (Furnham, Moutafi, and Paltiel, 2005). I like to socialize in practically every situation from academics to family life and community events, intuition acts as my major strength while handling any task or situation at hand. As a result my responses are usually robust; contain holistic view of the situation. Although some of the decisions are made unconsciously however my past experiences provide me with expertise and self-awareness act as a ground for such decisions. Further analysis with the help of course literature provided during the semester about intuition indicated that my intuitive intelligence is an amalgam of creative, social and expert intuition. As a result the decisions made are based on assessment of feelings of people involved in the decisions, my own experiences and understanding along with gut feelings leading to creative ideas. 1.2 Strengths and Weaknesses In the light of the analysis performed above, I was able to identify my personal strengths and weaknesses. Being an extrovert and intuitive persona, I am able to identify other people’s emotions and also read between the lines. Where I have undertaken quite a few projects in leadership roles, these traits helped me in interacting well with my team by understanding their personal emotional needs. My second strength can be effective time management. Since I perform judgment and thorough thinking about tasks before taking them and plan them well after they are assigned to me, therefore I try to keep a track of my performance through effective time management, prioritization and utilization of resources play a key role in this area. My third strength can be strategic thinking. Before making a decision, I try to analyze the situations, possible causes behind the problem and identify most appropriate solutions that will have long term positive results rather than short term success. Along with these strengths, I have several weaknesses which sometimes hinder my efficiency and effectiveness in certain situations. My first weakness can be difficulty in keeping balance between differen t tasks. Although I like multitasking, however it gets difficult to prioritize them and give them due share of time. I plan my tasks before time and keep a track of their

Walmart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Walmart - Research Paper Example Sam had a vision, and together with his wife Helen, they used up almost all of their life savings to put up the first Walmart store. During the early part of the 70’s, Walmart was only able to expand to 15 stores because of lack of capital. So in 1972, Walmart stock was offered on the New York Stock Exchange, this gave the company the capital for expansion. By the end of the decade, the company opened 276 new stores in 11 states. The 80’s was also an eventful decade; it was in 1983 that Walmart introduced Sam’s Club members-warehouse store. Its first Supercenter however did not open until 1988 which already features a complete line of merchandise from grocery to assortments of general merchandise. The 80’s was also a decade of growth. The company continues to steadily grow with 1,402 Walmart stores in total and 123 Sam’s Club locations by 1989. Sales have skyrocketed from $1 billion in 1980 to $26 billion by the end of the decade. Currently, there a re 8,986 Walmart stores in 15 countries around the globe. They employ 2.1 people and are estimate to serve on average, 176 million customers per year. Walmart is a retail company that has not lost sight of its purpose, ad it is this purpose, this vision that have guided them towards their success.

Development of Reproductive system in Fetus; Genetic, endocrine and Research Proposal

Development of Reproductive system in Fetus; Genetic, endocrine and environmental factors - Research Proposal Example The primordial germ cells migrate to these ridges from the primitive yolk sac at this stage (Bullough and Bullough, 185). During the sixth week of gestation period the gonads begin to develop into testes in case of male fetus or transform into ovaries after waiting for some more weeks in case of female fetus (Bullough and Bullough, 185). This development of fetus reproductive system either to form testes or to form ovaries is controlled by the genetic factors established during fertilization. If the cells of the embryonic body contain the TDF gene usually carried by Y chromosome then the gonadal ridges form the seminiferous tubules and related ducts which later develop to secrete testosterone for the development of male reproductive system. In the absence of TDF genes the gonads wait until the twelfth week to begin to develop into female reproductive organs. This inherent tendency of growing into female reproductive system is known as Eve plan (Bullough and Bullough, 185). The primitive eggs present in the female fetus begin meiosis until they reach the â€Å"prophase arrest stage† and remain inactive until puberty. With the development of permanent kidneys the ovaries or testes come out of the thoracic abdominal cavity and take their final position in the pelvic cavity (Bullough and Bullough, 185). The fetal growth is a process controlled by several factors including genetic makeup of the fetus, the success of the implantation process, the availability of nutrients and oxygen to the fetus, hypoxia, cigarette smoking, infection, maternal nutrition, and a variety of growth factors, cytokines, and proteins of maternal and fetal or placental origin (Giudice, 307). Among the genetic factors IGF gene is also found to have considerable importance in fetal growth. Studies on human fetus showed that the natural deletion of exon 4 and 5 from IGF-I gene can cause huge restrictions in the physical and mental development

Walmart Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Walmart - Research Paper Example Sam had a vision, and together with his wife Helen, they used up almost all of their life savings to put up the first Walmart store. During the early part of the 70’s, Walmart was only able to expand to 15 stores because of lack of capital. So in 1972, Walmart stock was offered on the New York Stock Exchange, this gave the company the capital for expansion. By the end of the decade, the company opened 276 new stores in 11 states. The 80’s was also an eventful decade; it was in 1983 that Walmart introduced Sam’s Club members-warehouse store. Its first Supercenter however did not open until 1988 which already features a complete line of merchandise from grocery to assortments of general merchandise. The 80’s was also a decade of growth. The company continues to steadily grow with 1,402 Walmart stores in total and 123 Sam’s Club locations by 1989. Sales have skyrocketed from $1 billion in 1980 to $26 billion by the end of the decade. Currently, there a re 8,986 Walmart stores in 15 countries around the globe. They employ 2.1 people and are estimate to serve on average, 176 million customers per year. Walmart is a retail company that has not lost sight of its purpose, ad it is this purpose, this vision that have guided them towards their success.

The Glory that was Euro Disney Essay Example for Free

The Glory that was Euro Disney Essay When youve walked up the Rue la Paix at Paris, Been to the Louvre and the Tuileries, And to Versailles, although to go so far is A thing not quite consistent with your ease, Andbut the mass of objects quite a bar is To my describing what the traveller sees. You who have ever been to Paris, know; And you who have not been to Parisgo! John Ruskin, A Tour Through France Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney Co. once noted, â€Å"As Americans, the word ‘Euro’ is believed to mean glamorous or exciting. For Europeans, it turned out to be a term they associated with business, currency, and commerce. Renaming the park ‘Disneyland Paris’ was a way of identifying it with one of the most romantic and exciting cities in the world† This was maybe the reason why Walt Disney Company, a company renowned for its animated character, good films and theme parks, chose Paris for its second business venture outside the United States. In the 1980s, Eisner was able to export Walt Disney Company to Tokyo, and it was a huge success. Eisner wanted to make his Paris venture as successful as Tokyo Disneyland, however, the venture turned out to be a failure earning more debts for the company than actual profits. What has gone wrong? What were the actors which had lead to the failure of Euro Disney? These are questions which make good learning questions for management students. This paper aims to answer the following questions:: 1. Why did Disney choose Paris over the other sites in Europe that it was evaluating? 2. What were the external environmental factors that contributed to Euro-Disney’s failure in the early 1990’s and why? 3. What were the internal factors that contributed to Euro-Disney’s failure and why? The Beauty of Paris In order for us to know why Paris was the place chosen by Walt Disney for its business venture, let us first do a little background of this popular destination in the world. Paris, the capital city of France, is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe (Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer). It is one of the worlds leading business and cultural centers today; in fact, Paris \is Europes biggest city economy, and is fifth in the Worlds list of cities by GDP. It is also now known as one of the most popular tourist destinations. Paris has been a symbol for classical Romance. However, in addition to its rich cultural heritage, Paris is also a magnet for corporate France, which is composed of innovative business companies, a motivated and skilled workforce and the political will to make business happen. According to the PARIS DEVELOPPEMENT, a project of the City of Paris and the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, there are seven unique value propositions which makes it the right place to do business in, which are as follows, †¢ Paris is one of the richest urban centers in the world, equivalent to 5% of the total EU GDP. †¢ It is located at the heart of the Ile de France which ties with London for first place as a city to do business in, benefiting from market proximity, excellent infrastructure, qualified labor and security. †¢ Paris provides the nexus for several vibrant Trade Clusters – notably in the fields of design, digital and health. †¢ It is a centre for innovative companies, backed by a strong tradition and range of RD facilities. †¢ Paris is a major decision-making centre, and it serves as a host to the headquarters of international organisations (European Space Agency, OECD, UNESCO†¦), and trans-national corporations. †¢ Paris is the world capital for trade fairs, conferences and exhibitions. †¢ Paris is a beneficiary of an active local government that understands the needs of business and is putting resources to work in favor of creating, encouraging and promoting business. (Paris Developpement, 2006) Many business analysts have tried to explain the real motive in the expansion of Walt Disney Company abroad. It is believed that some of the reasons are cost cutting, in the form of cheap building material or labor. Cost cutting further leads to an increase in revenue and to better functioning with tax and labor laws. H This further leads to a success in market expansion. This was probably the reasons why Walt Disney Company chose Paris, France as the site of Euro Disneyland. The first theme park outside US in Tokyo, Japan was a huge success. Scimone in 1981 believed that the Walt Disney Executives believed they learned so much about operating a theme park in anther country, so they looked at Europe as the site of a forth park. This was because they have observed that Disney films have done better in Europe than in the United States. They believed that the public’s fascination wit Disney films could contribute to a future success of a Walt Disney Theme park in this area. Initially, there were two choices: Costa del Sol in Spain and Paris in France. Finally, the business executives of Walt Disney chose Paris because of ots larger population and its spectacular transportation network (Scimone, 1989). Paris also has a similar cold weather climate and latitude with Tokyo. Thus Paris was selected. The site for Euro Disneyland is Marne-la-Vallee, a large parcel of land, once used for agriculture. This place is an ideal geographic location, in the sense that it is located halfway between the two international airports of Orly and Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle. The mode of transportation which connects Marne-la-Vallee with the Paris metropolis is the French railway regional express, making it an accessible area. External environmental factors There were a lot of issues which had confronted Disney Euro from the start. The idea of an American company running a French staff was a subject of debate and controversy. Critics have found it as a form of cultural imperialism or neoprovincialism. There were a lot of protest groups opposing the presence of Euro Disney in Paris. In June 1992, French framers had marched to Euro Disney in protest to American farm policies. All around, Euro Disney was met with criticism and protest. A journalist in the French newspaper Le Figaro wrote, â€Å"I wish with all my heart that the rebels would set fire to Disneyland. Ariane Mnouchkine, a Parisian stage director, named the concept a â€Å"cultural Chernobyl†; which later on became a phrase synonymous with Euro Disney, in its starting years. Another target of criticism and controversy is the fact that American executives demanded English to be spoken at all meetings. Euro Disneys management has also made a set of rules for its staff, which involved the use of make up, facial hair, tattoos and jewelry for personal appearance enhancement. This was much for the traditional Frenchmen to bear. As a result, French labour unions began to stage more protests on the streets, attacking the said appearance code, which appeared to them as â€Å"an attack on individual liberty. † Indeed, this issues revolved around the fact that French culture was way too far different from American culture. Some protest parties have labeled Disney as being insensitive to French culture, individualism, and privacy. The French Law focused more on individual or collective liberties, more than the American law. It told the French citizens to exercise their rights whenever necessary. In response to these reactions, Disney emphasized the fact that these efforts are for the good image and long term success of the park. Thor Degelmann, Euro Disney’s personal Director had remarked, â€Å"For us, the appearance code has a great effect from a product identification standpoint†¦without it we couldn’t be presenting the Disney product that people would be expecting. † The Walt Disney Company had been known for the implementation of their strict rules and risk management requirements. This may be unacceptable to the Frenchmen, who wanted to preserve their rich cultural heritage and establish their own individuality. Furthermore, Americans found it hard to deal wit the legal framework derived from the Napoleonic code. Shapiro in 1989 has illustrated a good example of the blending of two different systems, in the form of the difference in insurance laws in France and the United States. The French law requires an insurance policy that covers property damage and third-party claims stemming from construction-related defects. Walt Disney Company would have preferred to purchase a three-year contract as would be allowed by American standards, but could not since they were developing in another country. Instead, the Walt Disney Company had to abide by French Laws. All of these problems are what a typical foreign company experiences when doing business abroad. Indeed, a great deal pf time, patience, understanding, education and willingness to accept and compromise are necessary in this process. An example of the clashing culture between the Americans and the French is the issue of banning alcohol in its theme parks. The French met this with protest, as their tradition is to give a glass of wine to a guest during mealtimes. After much consideration, in May 1993, the Walt Disney Company changed its policy and allowed wine and beer in the Euro Disneyland theme park. American executives of the Walt Disney Company did not also understand the European breakfast norms. Disney executives, thinking that Europeans do not eat sit-down breakfasts, have reduced the number of restaurants serving breakfasts. This resulted to a cramped restaurant space jam packed with breakfast eaters who wanted bacon and eggs, a behavior that the Americans failed to realize before.

Civil aircraft manufacturing industry

Civil aircraft manufacturing industry 1. Introduction Civil aircraft manufacturing industry is one of the largest industries in the world which Boeing and Airbus are the two large players who dominated the industry. The main former competitors have exited civil aircraft manufacturing market, for instance, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas Corp in August 1997 (Boeing, 2010a), and left Airbus and Boeing operating in a near duopoly global market. Boeing now headquartered in Chicago and employs more than 158,000 people in 70 countries with $60.9 billion revenue in 2008 which founded in 1916 (Boeing, 2010b). Airbus, by contrast, created in 1970 with 52,000 employees comes from more than 80 nationalities (Airbus, 2010) and gained à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¡Ã‚ ¬43.3 billion revenues (EADS, 2008). Apparently, it is vital important for new player to survive and prosper by examine the macro and sector environment. This report tries to seek the critical success factors and evaluate whether this is an attractive sector to compete in by research secondar y information. This report will begin with evaluate key drivers for change in order to know the external environment issues. Secondly, Porters five force analysis and industry life cycle will undertake to analysis the structure of this industry. Finally, the report is going to conclude critical success factors from the findings draw from last two steps. 2. Key Divers for change Macro-environmental influences sometimes are significant important for an organisation to survive and prosper. Therefore, there are five external key diver listed below and draw from PESTEL analysis about civil aircraft manufacturing industry. 2.1 Recession Global economic recession had impact on civil aircraft manufacturing in several aspects. On one hand, the direct influence is the two companies received fewer orders than before. For instance, the number of orders Boeing received decreased significantly in 2009 (142) compared to 2008(662) and 2007 (1,417) (Talton, 2010). On the other hand, the recession had led to downsizing in both Boeing and Airbus. For example, Boeing announced that it would cut 4,500 jobs (Weber, 2009). So the new entrants can gain access to the expertise in this industry easily. It means the new master of those staff will know not only the market but also some secret of the two main competitors. 2.2 Fuel price increased Fuel price is also an influence for aircraft manufacturing industry. According to The Times (2008), more than $100 billion of aircraft orders have cancelled or postponed resulted from high price of fuel. It indicates that if one company can produce the more environment-friendly aircraft will attract potential buyers who want to take advantage of low fuel cost. 2.3 Political influence Political influences sometimes are vital important for manufacturing industry. For example, IATA had introduced emission policy options in order to improve fuel efficiency and emissions for protecting environment (IATA, 2010). Otherwise, the companies need to pay huge fund. Therefore, some companies need to redesign the component such as engine and exhaust system. Moreover, some governments intervene international trade is another issue can not ignore, namely, recently Boeing suffered threat from Chinese government after United States arms sold to Taiwan (Lubin, 2010). 2.4 Government aid Both of Boeing and Airbus regularly accuses the other of receiving unfair state aid from their respective governments, namely, the WTO Boeing-Airbus dispute (European Commission, 2007). The reason why is aircraft manufacturing company need significant mounts of money to set up and invest in research and development. For example, Gresing and Johnsson (2007) cited pure development cost of Boeing 787 was $10 billion. 2.5 Technology Innovation Advanced technologies are one of the key factors for this industry. It helps the company not only keep the differentiation of product but also save internal resources. Boeing 787 dreamliner is a living proof to prove this, namely, 50 percent of the primary structure of Boeing 787 is made of composite materials to achieve higher strength-to-weight ratio (Hawk, 2005). In addition, Boeing announced General Electric and Rolls-Royce have developed new engines which will improve the fuel efficiency approximately 20% compared to Boeing 767 (Boeing, 2010c). The new aircraft will attract customers who want to take advantage of lower maintenance cost. 3. The Structure of the civil aircraft manufacturing industry Porters five force analysis and industry life cycle will undertake below in order to evaluate whether civil aircraft manufacturing industry is an attractive sector to compete in. 3.1 Porters five forces analysis Appendix 7.1 illustrates the Porters five forces analysis and it will describe below. 3.1.1 Threats of entrants 3.1.2 Supplier power 3.1.3 Buyer power 3.1.4 Threats of substitute 3.1.5 Competitive rivalry 3.2 Industry life cycle Appendix 7.2 shows the industry life cycle for civil aircraft industry. This report considers the stage of civil aircraft industry life cycle is in the end of shock-out and in the beginning of the maturity because of this industry still maintains some features in shake-out stage and gain new features in the fourth stage. Both shake-out and maturity stage have some similar characteristics, like the low and slow growth and high entry barrier. For example, boeing and Airbus suffered from the sharp deceasing number of order at Duhai show in 2009 (EASA, 2009). On the other aspect, Airbus and Boeing received government aid from Europe and United States respectively. It also indicates that it is difficult to survive in this industry without government support. In other words, at least the cost of threshold resource and competence are quite high. However, the situation of this industry is also fulfilling the some exclusive characteristics of the two stages, namely, in shake-out stage smaller player in this industry were forced exit or acquired with the Boeing and Airbus resulted in left a near duopoly market for the two giants. Boeing merged McDonnell Douglas Corp is one example (Boeing, 2010a). Meanwhile, the fierce competition with rivals will happen due to the strong buyer power resulted from more players compete in this industry such as China, Brazil (Goodrich, 2009). 4. References Airbus (2010) Employees from all corners of the world [Online] Retrieved from http://www.airbus.com/en/corporate/ethics/diversity / [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Boeing (2010a) The Boeing Logbook: 1997-2001 [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.boeing.com/history/chronology/chron16.html [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Boeing (2010b) Boeing in Brief [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/brief.html [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Boeing (2010c) Boeing 787 Dreamliner Will Provide New Solutions for Airlines, Passengers [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.boeing.com/commercial/787family/background.html [Assessed on 24 February, 2010] EADS (2008) Financial Statements 2008 pp.9 [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.reports.eads.com/2008/en/s/downloads/files/financial_statements_eads_ar08.pdf [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] EASA (2009) European Aviation Safety Agency News Summary 14/11/2009 20/11/2009 pp.1 [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.ucl.cz/download/pdf/News_Summary_23_11_09.pdf [Assessed on 24 February, 2010] European Commission (2007) The WTO Boeing-Airbus dispute (updated 15 June 2007) pp.1 Retrieved from: http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2007/june/tradoc_134957.pdf [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Goodrich (2009) Goodrich and Chinas XAIC Agree to From Joint Venture Companies [Online] Retrieved from: http://ir.goodrich.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=60759p=irol-newsArticleID=1319837highlight= [Assessed on 24 February, 2010] Greising, D Johnsson Julie (2007) Behind Boeings 787 delays pp.2 [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/pdf/December07/ChicagoTribPritchardBoeing.pdf [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Hawk, J (2005) The Boeing 787 Dreamliner: More Than an Airplane pp.10-11 [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.aiaa.org/events/aners/Presentations/ANERS-Hawk.pdf [Assessed on 24 February, 2010] IATA (2010) Emission Policy Options [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/environment/emissions_policy.htm [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Lubin, G (2010) China Threatens Unprecedented Sanctions Against Boeing After US Arms Sales to Taiwan [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.businessinsider.com/china-threatens-unprecedented-sanctions-against-boeing-2010-2 [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Talton, J (2010) Boeings drop in orders shows recessions effects still linger [Online] Retrieved from: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/soundeconomywithjontalton/2010729937_boeings_drop_in_orders_shows_r.html [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] The Times (2008) Threat to aircraft orders as fuel prices soar [Online] Retrieved from: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/engineering/article4327146.ece [Assessed on 23 February, 2010] Weber, J (2009) Boeing Will Cut 4,500 Jobs [Online] Retrieved from: http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/jan2009/db2009019_791015.htm [Assessed on 23 February, 2010]

S.T.C. Inc. Telecommunications :: essays research papers

S.T.C. Inc. Telecommunications Improvement and Cost Cutting Effort Outline  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction to IPT ( IP Telephony)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Trends in IP Telephony  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost Savings Model  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost Saving Description  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost Savings Chart  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cost saving Comparison  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Annual Estimated Savings  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IPT Structure and Vendor  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infrastructure  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IP Phones  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Call Manager  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Voice Applications  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graphic depiction  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Migration and coexistence  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Conclusion S.T.C. Inc. Telecommunications Improvement and Cost Cutting Effort Introduction This is the initial feasibility study for the upgrade of the S.T.C. Inc. (Small Technical Company Incorporated) network in conjunction with the office move. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the upgrade to be done on the telecommunications system recommending the most cost effective solutions on the market today. After this report a project will be started to implement the recommended solution. The deliverable for this paper will be an implement able cost effective telecommunication solution. S.T.C. Inc. will acquire the hardware necessary to support and run the new system and programming changes will be performed by outside vendors. Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSP) may use a single infrastructure for providing both, Internet access and Internet telephony. Only data-oriented switches could be deployed for switching data as well as packetized voice. Multiplexing data and voice could also result in better bandwidth utilization than in today's over-engineered voice-or-n othing links. (www.iptel.org), 2004. The business benefits of this type of infrastructure are increased productivity, grater business flexibility and reduced operational costs. (www.cisco.com),2004 Trends in IP Telephony IP telephony is the technology for transmitting voice communications over a network using IP open standards and it uses a single network for the transmission of data, voice and video. There are currently many devices which use similar technologies to accomplish this tasks. Companies in today’s economy are looking for ways to reduce the cost of doing business and IP telephony provide this opportunity. IP telephony will continue to see tremendous activity and make incredible gains in the enterprise space. Until the service providers work their way through all that excess inventory, and are once again ready to research new technology, you can rest assured that next-generation telephony will be busy gaining traction in the enterprise market.(www.tcnet.com,2004) Cost Savings Model Analog and digital based phone systems that use a different set of communication protocols but similar cables to connect to a POP (Point Of Presence) are a very familiar site. These are present not only in home setting, but also in large industrial and office application. These applications in a very large scale are very expensive not only to maintain but also for the reoccurring cost associated with the monthly usage and fees charged to the customer by the service provider.

Essay --

The fictional short story by Kurt Vonnegut entitled Harrison Bergeron takes place in a dystopian future. Vonnegut chooses to make the story a satire in order to raise questions concerning how desirable social equality is within this world and how far society will go to achieve it. Like many dystopian, bleak, futuristic worlds, Vonnegut presents very clear aspects of how society is influenced by propaganda and the extent to how powerful a tool propaganda can be. After reading and analyzing this story, I will attempt to explain how Kurt Vonnegut’s life could have influenced his position on propaganda found within this short story. Furthermore, these elements will be matched to those common propaganda strategies discussed in this class and relate how this may impact any modern society. Vonnegut's experience as a soldier and prisoner of war had a defiant influence on his work. He served as a private and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was chosen as a leader of the POWs captured because he spoke a little German. After telling the German guards "what [he] was going to do to them when the Russians came,† he was beaten and had his position as leader taken away. Vonnegut was one of the lucky ones to survive an attack in a meat locker used by the Germans as a detention facility. Vonnegut said that the aftermath of the attack was "utter destruction" and "carnage unfathomable." This experience was the inspiration and central theme for many of his other books including Harrison Bergeron. The Germans put the surviving POWs to work, breaking into basements and bomb shelters to gather bodies for mass burial, while German civilians cursed and threw rocks at them. Harrison Bergeron is what seems to be a negative po... ...y to show just how absurd a life living with handicaps can be. The handicap system is a metaphor that tries to bash the ideas of communism that he undoubtedly incorporated from history using Hitler’s Germany and Cold War Russia as examples of how this system is flawed. The satire is further enforced by the elements of propaganda that he uses in the story. The television is the medium in which all people in society use to get their information. It is a powerful tool and Vonnegut has the entire story’s setting be only around the television to show just how much people rely on it. He also shows how propaganda has conditioned people to follow what the State wants them to do by appealing to the people’s logic that no one person should be than another. A good idea in principle, but in action, it causes a lot of harm and only benefits the State or the people in control. Essay -- The fictional short story by Kurt Vonnegut entitled Harrison Bergeron takes place in a dystopian future. Vonnegut chooses to make the story a satire in order to raise questions concerning how desirable social equality is within this world and how far society will go to achieve it. Like many dystopian, bleak, futuristic worlds, Vonnegut presents very clear aspects of how society is influenced by propaganda and the extent to how powerful a tool propaganda can be. After reading and analyzing this story, I will attempt to explain how Kurt Vonnegut’s life could have influenced his position on propaganda found within this short story. Furthermore, these elements will be matched to those common propaganda strategies discussed in this class and relate how this may impact any modern society. Vonnegut's experience as a soldier and prisoner of war had a defiant influence on his work. He served as a private and was captured during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He was chosen as a leader of the POWs captured because he spoke a little German. After telling the German guards "what [he] was going to do to them when the Russians came,† he was beaten and had his position as leader taken away. Vonnegut was one of the lucky ones to survive an attack in a meat locker used by the Germans as a detention facility. Vonnegut said that the aftermath of the attack was "utter destruction" and "carnage unfathomable." This experience was the inspiration and central theme for many of his other books including Harrison Bergeron. The Germans put the surviving POWs to work, breaking into basements and bomb shelters to gather bodies for mass burial, while German civilians cursed and threw rocks at them. Harrison Bergeron is what seems to be a negative po... ...y to show just how absurd a life living with handicaps can be. The handicap system is a metaphor that tries to bash the ideas of communism that he undoubtedly incorporated from history using Hitler’s Germany and Cold War Russia as examples of how this system is flawed. The satire is further enforced by the elements of propaganda that he uses in the story. The television is the medium in which all people in society use to get their information. It is a powerful tool and Vonnegut has the entire story’s setting be only around the television to show just how much people rely on it. He also shows how propaganda has conditioned people to follow what the State wants them to do by appealing to the people’s logic that no one person should be than another. A good idea in principle, but in action, it causes a lot of harm and only benefits the State or the people in control.

Value Management in Construction and Property

BRE 533 Value Management in Construction and Property Final Report Propose Development of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Phase 8 Development 30 April 2010 Content Executive Summary| | Introduction| Background to the value management study| Function of the value management workshop| Project objectives| Value management workshop objectives| | Information Phase| Overview of presentations| Q&A of the presentation| | Function Analysis Phase| List of functions of FCLU| Functional matrix| FAST diagram| | Creativity Phase| List of brainstormed ideas to satisfy selected functions of FCLU| |Evaluation Phase| Criteria for evaluation of brainstormed ideas| List of P1, P2, P3 ideas| Weighted evaluation technique| | Development Phase| Action Plan| | Presentation Phase| | Summary and Conclusion| | Reflective journals| | Appendices| Appendix A| List of roles of participants| Appendix B| Workshop agenda| Appendix C| Photo of VM Workshop| Executive Summary As Phase 8 development of Polytechnic U niversity is proceeding actively. To ensure all stakeholders’ needs were accounted for, a one day value management workshop was held at Polytechnic University Room W610 to discuss the use of campus, at no. 5 Wylie Path. Representative of various interested groups, government departments and stakeholders were present. The representatives were carefully selected by due process as the success of the value management workshop is dependent upon the input of participants. The workshop followed the Lawrence Miles approach which was widely accepted in international standards and all groups, departments and stakeholders thus gone through all major stages: 1. Pre-workshop Phase namely information phase, 2. Workshop Phase – function analysis phase, creativity phase, evaluation phase and 3.Post workshop Phase – reporting/development phase to input new ideas and rule out any unnecessary functions These three phases were worked by the team members in order to achieve better v alue for money for FCLU. The information stage of the workshop comprised, in addition to the presentations by participants, a structured question and answer session and a functional analysis section, which identified forty areas or objectives to be idea generated in relation to option 5; the first ranked option.The idea generation produced which ultimately were converted into a series of working lists. This included seven design notations which represented stakeholders’ needs and were, by consensus, to be included as part of the preliminary concept design. A preliminary assessment of risk associated with the project was undertaken following the value management process. This will form an introduction to a full risk assessment which will be done when a preferred proposal is announced.The participants were well familiar with the issues surrounding the project and this step has provided preliminary information for that later During the workshops, all participants have expressed their ideas and all information are recorded through the interactive value management software. To enhance sustainable development concept of whole project scheme, evaluation criteria were identified, defined and rated. These evaluation criteria were applied to each agreed alternatives and were rated on the scale of 1 -10.The idea generation stage of the job plan produced ideas for the refinement of sustainable design and were developed into action plans which are found in the body of the report. Introduction 1. 1 Background to the value management study The Phase 8 development is formerly design to be located at â€Å"former Livestock Depot†, northwest of the existing campus. The anticipated move in date is at the end of 2012. Upon completion, the development will provide approximately 25,600m2 net floor area for implementation of the new academic system and other academic development.However, upon completion of the design of Phase 8, the government would like to donate the lot no. 15 Wylie Path to the PolyU for expansion of the campus. To minimize the occurrence of abortive design, it is intended to relocate the Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to ensure fully utilized of the land piece. The Associate Dean of FCLU, requested to conduct a VM workshop for the briefing process of this new project scheme to gain wider public consultation. 1. 2 Function of the value management workshopThe workshop provides the vehicle for bringing together the groups, departments and key stakeholders in a forum which: * Maximizes their contribution; * Draws on the combined knowledge of people from a variety of disciplines; * Takes advantage of group dynamics, rather than relying on input from individuals in isolation; and * Helps to bring into perspective the project as a whole, rather than as a collection of independent elements. Therefore, the number of participants should be actively managed so as to not become unwieldy, while maintain ing a wide representative.The list of role of participant is attached in Appendix A. While the workshop should be properly managed due to time constraint, an agenda is required and is enclosed in Appendix B. 1. 3 Project objectives The objectives of the project are: * Expansion of new campus to cope with the new â€Å"3+3+4† academic system. * Avoid abortive design due to relocation of Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to make full use of the piece of land. * Facilitate green building design. * Enhance the concept of sustainable development. Improve the image/reputation of the university. * Minimize impact to the public and adjoining community. 1. 4 Value management workshop objectives The value management workshop objectives are: * To provide a forum to discuss the use of the land no. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainability and value for money. * To discuss the functions of FLCU in order to make adjustment to the former design of Phase 8 for locating at no. 15 Wylie Path. * To determine the additional facilities to be located in no. 15 Wylie Path apart from Phase 8 development. . 5 Workshop strategy The Workshop followed began in the five-stage Job Plan identified in Value Management Literature. Information stage The development project workshop began in the room W610 at the PolyU campus where presentations and keynotes speeches provided information on various aspects of development. Analysis stage The rationale behind a Value Management study is that the functions under study are analyzed to determine whether they can be carried out more efficiently and cheaply without reducing either quality or performance.With the large number of participants, analysis was not as rigorous as to determine the functions Over lunch in the staff canteen in the PolyU of the day of the workshop, we were set a task of identifying key areas of importance, which were then combined into a workshop-wide list. The necessary functions were deter mined through asking the participants what was important to them. This was carried out in a rolling approach. First, each participant was asked to think of the important aspect, then discuss them amongst their team and finally promote them to the whole workshop.Later, a mixture of functions and evaluation markers resulted in the whiteboard. The result was then used to direct the creative thinking and evaluation sessions. Creative stage The number and diversity of creative ideas that emerged from the workshop were satisfying, as to be expected from the value management process. Majority of the creative thinking process have run smoothly. Evaluation stage At the end of the creative thinking session, teams were asked to present their ideas. This allowed a certain amount of evaluation to take place before the presentation as teams only presented their best ideas.The further evaluation and development of ideas took place with all the participants in the workshop together. Development sta ge The workshop ended with an action plan which set out tasks that were required for the ideas raised in the workshop to be taken forward. This action plan is seen as an important step to change the workshop from a talking shop to one with a definable outcome. Information Phase Overview of presentations Presentations were carried out in the order of the following functions: * Project design teams – including architect, building services engineers, landscape architects, etc. o present their roles, the available preliminary design, concept of their design and how their design can meet with the sustainable development goal and the new academic system. * Government departments – including Buildings Department, Highways Department, Architectural Services Department, etc. to present their roles, the current and necessary statutory requirements imposed on the project and the views in terms of government. * End users or related interested groups – including different fa culties, student union, planning office, etc. o present their roles, their concerns of the project, their needs and expectations from the project in view of the new academic system. * Potential contractors – including main contractor and subcontractors to present their roles, the anticipated planning of works and their expectations in terms of design, waste management and contractual arrangement. Some participants make use of the computer facilities to deliver their ideas/expectations through Microsoft Powerpoint slides while the majorities are presented via general speech and causal discussion.The content of the presentations is based on the context of the background papers prepared by all participants. After the general introduction by the facilitator, speakers gave several presentations on the major issues surrounding the project. They were as follows: Speaker| Topic| President| Aim to meet the need for providing the use of the land No. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainabil ity and value for money. | Consultant Architect| Review of permissible land use, deliver of preliminaries project design and type of contract procurement. | Campus Planning Officer| Introduce the preliminaries planned requirement. Associate Dean of FCLU| Role of Associate Dean of FCLU| Facility Management| The importance of Facility Management| Head of BSE| Sustainability development| Head of CSE| Role of Head of CSE| Student Union| Role of Student Union| Landscape Architect Project Manager| Review of statutory requirement, deliver of preliminaries landscape design concept. | Consultant Landscape Architect| Review of statutory requirement, deliver of preliminaries landscape design concept. | Building Services Consultant| Self promotion| Fire Safety Engineer| The importance of Fire installation| Quantity Surveyor| Role of QS in the project|Lands Department| Land Use of Site| Architectural Services Department| Role of ASD on Public Building Projects| Environmental Protection Departmen t| Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures| Electrical & Mechanical Services Department| Monitoring the Quality and Workmanship of Lifts and Escalators and Administrate Registers of Registered Electrical Workers (REW) and Contractors (REC)| Buildings Department| Statutory Standards of Buildings| Contractor| Time, Cost and Quality Construction| Building Sub-contractor| Sustainable Development and Value for Money| Overview of PresentationsThe key points of the presentation listed in the table above are found as follows: President President of PolyU presented the aim of this VM workshop and such approach is to meet the need for providing the use of the land No. 15 Wylie Path to achieve sustainability and value for money. The development phase describes how to relocate the Phase 8 development to no. 15 Wylie Path with additional facilities to make full use of the piece of land was briefly conducted. Also, background information about the project had been clearly presente d during the VM workshop. â€Å"The Phase 8 development is proceeding actively.It is originally design to be located at â€Å"former Livestock Depot†, which is in the northwest of the existing campus. The anticipated move in date is at the end of 2012. However, upon completion of the design of Phase 8, the government would like to donate the lot no. 15 Wylie Path to the PolyU for expansion of the campus. So, intent to avoid abortive design, the Associate Dean of FCLU (Faculty of construction and land use) suggested conducting VM workshop for the briefing process of this new project to gain wider public consultation. † Consultant Architect Consultant Architect clarified the current land use of the land denoted from overnment and the mechanism of the land use change under current statutory requirement. He also presented his preliminaries design of the project including the project scope and nature in accordance with the statutory outline zoning plan. Typical design consi derations were also reviewed by him and he also further adopts various forms of energy efficient features:- (a) Water-cooled chillers and evaporative cooling towers; (b) Rotary heat wheel for primary air-handling units; (c) Demand control of fresh air supply with carbon dioxide sensor; (d) Occupancy and daylight sensors for lighting control; e) Light-emitting diode (LED) type exit signs; and (f) Automatic lighting and ventilation control for lifts. Finally, the contract procurement by means of design and build contract was introduced. Campus Planning Officer Campus Planning Officer reviewed the necessaries of shuttle buses between the old and new campus and introduced the overall project development time frame. They also planned that the development shall provide approximately 25,600m2 GFA for general teaching facilities including lecture theatres and classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, conference facilities, office accommodation and amenities facilities.Associate Dean o f FCLU * Associate Dean of the Faculty is responsible for the promotion of whole-person development of undergraduates in the Faculty and is responsible for matters in relation to the development of undergraduate curriculum, including general education, transition to the 4-year normative degree, and outcome-based teaching and learning. * * As the president of HKIVM who initials the use of VM workshop in facilitating with over years experiences of being facilitator in VM workshop.Being a Certified Value Analysts (CVA) recognized by the UK IVM and also the certified facilitator (List A) in HKIVM, Associate Dean of the Faculty is used to be secretary, editor and vice president of HKIVM. Facility Management Facility Management is the process by which an organization integrates its people, work process and physical assets to serve its strategic objectives. As a discipline, facility management is the science and art of managing this integrative process from operational to strategic levels for promoting the competitiveness of organizations.The HKIFM hence recognises Facility Management as both a process and a discipline. It also affirms the integrative approach adopted in Facility Management world-wide and promotes the synergy of effective people and building/ asset management that can enhance a corporation’s competitiveness. In addition, HKIFM accords Facility Management to the highest professional level whereby facility managers are instrumental in the strategic decision making of an organization. * * Head of BSE As the head of BSE, they would introduce sustainability development.Sustainable development is a pattern of using resource that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only at the present, but also for future generations. Engineering plays a crucial role to the success of this new technologies and applications. The various aspects of sustainable design have to be considered which consists of enhanc ed of the physical environment, energy conservation, visual and noise impacts, indoor environmental quality, water management, solid waste management, operation and maintenance.Energy conservation- There should be integration of architectural design to enhance energy efficiency. Building orientation and building envelope design, including sunshades and glazing should be considered to adopt the overall thermal transfer value and the overall energy approach. Energy consumption display panel can be used as educational facilities to promote awareness of building occupants. Visual and noise impacts- The cultural and heritage values of a building should be well considered in order to reduce the visual impact.The noise impact can also be reduced through building envelope design, provision of noise barriers and introduction of noise prevention measure, etc. Indoor environment quality- Natural ventilation is recommended to use and the indoor air quality can be maintained by specifying materi als and products with low volatile organic compound emission as well as by air treatment and filtration. The use of daylight should be maximized while visual privacy from exterior is maintained. Both glare and light pollution should also be minimized. Water management- Reduce, reuse and recycle can be applied.The use of low-flow spray taps with sensor operation can reduce water consumption while being more hygienic. Development of biotechnology enables maximizing the recycle of grey water by using micro-organisms. Recycled grey water can be reused for toilet flushing and irrigation of plants. Solid waste management- During the design stage, space should be allocated for the disposal of domestic waste from building occupants and allowed for sorting and storage. The use of prefabricated building construction system and the adoption of re-usable metal or fibreglass formwork are good to use.Operation and maintenance- As the design and construction stages of a building is shorter than op eration and maintenance stage, sustainable design can save a lot of wasteful alterations and excessive consumption of energy during the life span of a building. A good example can be adequate metering for measurements and performance monitoring of the building. Head of CSE As the Head of Department of Civil Services Engineering, they need to prepare a proposal to employ some best academic professions and other supporting staffs, budget, and others auxiliary facilities to our senior management for approval.And the important role is to implement PolyU Strategic Plan to proceed. * Head of Student Union The Students' Union organizes a wide range of activities every year for its members. These include sports, recreational, academic and cultural functions, ranging from aquatic and athletic meets, students' festivals, orientations to Open Days for the public. Union representatives serve as members on a number of University committees, thus maintaining an effective link between the Universi ty Management and the student body. Consultant Landscape Architect / Project ManagerConsultant Landscape Architect clarified the procedure about the preparing of master landscape plan compliance with statutory requirements. Typical landscape design considerations were also review by him and he also further adopts various forms of landscape design concept for D&B contractor to follow:- 1. Communal sky garden; 2. Communal podium garden; 3. Green Planting at all floor balconies 4. Water feature fountain at the main entrance 5. Trees planting along the Boundary/Fence wall 6. Lawn at non-accessible public areaBuilding Service Consultant BSE Asia  is in a position to offer the benefits of a strong local base with a staff compliment of around 390 within the region together with the ability to support any major development in  Asia with both specialist engineering expertise and technology from an international forum through our group companies. Currently BSE Asia is actively  involved in various large scale  projects located in Hong Kong, Mainland China, Philippines, Vietnam and the Middle East. We have extensive experience in most Asian countries.Our experts and engineers have been responsible for large number of landmark infrastructure and building projects throughout Asia. Our clients have been able to take full advantage of our comprehensive regional presence in the knowledge that this can be further supplemented by world class resources from our other world-wide offices. Our range of work sectors covers the whole field of the building environment for the design of large retail scheme, office building, private housing, factories and  leisure facilities to the civil engineering of roads, railways, bridges, ports or communication systems.Our range of skills covers the whole industry of building and construction  from structural and building services design to the civil engineering and the design of environmental management programme ranging from contamin ated sites to noise and vibration control. * BSE Asia is confident  to successfully deliver engineering design and implementation of the project due to our extensive experience and knowledge and deep understanding of the local culture in Asia. * Fire Safety Engineer The reliable fire protection system is very important to safety of the properties and the occupants in a building.The fire services installations, including the fire detection; fire alarm and fire-fighting systems shall be designed to comply with the regulations of the Fire Services Department as a minimum. A sensitive but reliable early fire warning system and effective fire suppression system is very important to make sure that the fire is detected when it is still in its smoldering stage, to put out or retard the development and spread of the fire and smoke when the fire is still its early stage.On the other hand, the fire detection and alarm system shall be accurate as not to result in high volume of false alarms t hus causing undue panic and serious disturbance to the tenants. The fire alarm system shall be fully interfaced with other building services installations, including electrical, mechanical ventilation and smoke control, emergency announcement, and lift installations, etc. such that the entire services installations will operate as an integrated system in response to the emergency situation.The fire services installation equipment including fire detection, fire alarm and fire fighting system shall be designed to comply with the regulations according to Fire Services Department requirement. Quantity Surveyor Quantity Surveyor introduced their roles in the project and the important of cost planning for project development. Lands Department Lands Department (LD) presented the administrative procedures and relevant regulations on land use. LD reminds the VM workshop members that the requirements of planning application under Section 16 of the Town Planning Ordinance.LD expressed that she would give corresponding feedback from their enquiry about the issue of land use. They would carry out detail assessment on review, consideration and approval for lease modification. If necessary, LD will incorporate other departments such as Buildings Department and Architectural Services Department for solving relevant technical issues Environmental Protection Department Environmental Protection Department (EPD) presented their role on preparing plans, programmes and legislation for environmental protection and overseeing the conduct of studies, investigation and surveys.They liaison with other government departments, educational and professional institutes, public organizations (such as District Councils) and other private sectors on environmental protection task. EPD concerns the construction site environmental and sustainability issue of the Project. Their concern as stated follows: 1. Noise Impact & management 2. Air quality impact 3. Waste management 4. Green and Sustainable Buildings 5. Green Procurement and Supply Chain Environmental Management 6. Avoid & Reduce Waste in construction site Electrical and Mechanical Services DepartmentRegarding to the PolyU Phase 8 Development, Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) would monitor the quality and workmanship of the lifts and escalators to be installed in the project, by certification system of Lift and Escalator Engineers and worker, providing advisor services of life safety and approving the use of lifts and escalators. EMSD administrate registers of registered electrical workers (REW) and contractors (REC) and monitor their performance. They remind the Contractor shall employ REW and REC to carry out any electrical works in the Project.EMSD reminds all VM workshop members that all the fixed electrical installation shall be in accordance with the Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulation, published by our department. The electrical system shall be registered in the departme nt by form WR1 signed by REW. They would also carry out spot check to these registered electrical systems. During the operation stage, EMSD would perform checking and endorsement of Periodic Test Certificate and inspecting fixed electrical installations in the building.Buildings Department Buildings Department (BD) presented their responsibilities in the workshop is to provide expertise to ensure all proposals for the expansion of Phase 8 Development will meet with all statutory standards, safety and other requirements. In case of any breach of statutory provisions and missing of relevant documents are identified, suggestions will be provided for the project team and other stakeholders allowing revision of design in the initial stage.On the other side, BD expressed the progress of the project. The original layout and design of Phase 8 development is upon completion, all plans are ready to submit for approval by Buildings Department. They are then to advise the project team any fores eeable objections will be raised by other Government Departments regarding the original design and suggest how to re-layout or revise the design not to breach any statutory requirements and in full compliance of Building Ordinance for the expansion development proposal.BD expects that their advice can probably help the project team to minimize the time spending on checking with the compliance of Building Regulations so as to speed up the whole project not only in initial stage but also the construction stage as well as the whole process. Contractor One of the potential contractors, Hong Kong First Class Contractor Limited (HKFC), presented their staff arrangement, time, cost, quality, safety and environment management and site layout planning in this phase.HKFC will allocate sufficient competent personnel at head office and site for maintaining the standard of works on site and co-ordination with project stakeholders including clients, consultants and sub-contractors. HKFC provided a proposed master schedule of the project. They shall begin the project commencing from the date for procession in April 2009 and complete the project by March 2012. Based on the tender documents provided by the consultant quantity surveyor, HKFC estimated the tender price is HKD 1,128 million for this projectHKFC expressed that they would adopt ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 international management systems for this project to achieve client requirements and statutory standards. HKFC presented their safety plan for this project specifying that two potential safety risks are identified – deep excavation and finishing works at external walls. They have taken positive actions to reduce the impacts of those risks including provision of temporary scaffolding and monitoring system. For site layout planning, HKFC pointed out that the site area is sufficient large to locate all facilities.Building Sub-contractor The building sub-contractor, A & G Building Construction Ltd. (A&G), attended t his VM workshop and expressed views on this project in respect of waste reduction, buildability enhancement, project procurement system improvement and construction innovation. A&G recommends several solutions on above issues. For waste reduction, they suggested to solve the problems in three aspects: design, site management and procurement method. For buildability enhancement, they recommended to improve the design and site operations.Questions Raised as a Consequence of the information Phase Following the presentation, the VM workshop participants, had the opportunity to ask the relevant questions through a structured process. As the presentations of all participants were able to express the concern and important issues of the project, there were no questions raised on the presentations. There was only one debate when end users group presented their ideas on drainage system, the secretary of the workshop had posed a query on the feasible of such idea.The question was satisfactoril y solved through the facilitator stimulation and discussion between parties. Function Analysis Phase During the workshop, we learned the concept of function analysis and its use at the strategic briefing stage of a project to derive the project’s mission through function diagramming. One of the objectives of the use of function analysis at the strategic briefing stage is to lay the foundation for the â€Å"best value for money† solutions to the project problems.The function analysis technique relies upon the discovery of all relevant information through the issue analysis and the structuring of that information in a way that leads to the recognition of the primary objective of the project. There are three steps to the construction of a function diagram: 1) GENERATION OF FUNCTIONS A function is the specific purpose or intended use for a product, it is the characteristic that makes it work, sell, generate revenue, or meet requirements (Dell’Isola,1982).The generat ion of functions starts with the facilitator leading the teams to creatively explore the functions required by the project. These functions may be high order executive functions or relatively low order ‘wants’. All functions are explored as an active verb plus a descriptive noun, and are recorded on sticky notes and scattered randomly across the wall mounted white board.. The facilitator was continually prompt the teams to generate functions by referring back to the information from the issue analysis, timeline and REDReSS. A typical list of creatively explored functions is shown in Table A ) SORTING OF FUNCTIONS / CONSTRUCTING PROJECT FUNCTION —-PRIORITY MATRIX After the completion of the brainstorming session, the teams are invited to sort the notes into the more organized form by putting the highest order ’needs’ into the top right – hand corner of the white board and the lower order ‘’wants’ into the bottom left â€⠀œ hand corner. ‘Needs’ are the fundamental requirements that the project must possess to serve the client’s basic intentions and ‘wants’ are the embellishments which it would be nice to have but are not necessarily needed.The project function priority matrix is constructed from responses gleaned from each â€Å"sticky notes† function as to whether that function is technical or strategic and whether it constitutes a need or a want. The note is transferred to the appropriate box in the matrix where its position is ordered relative to the other function in the box (Table B). The higher priorities are listed at the top of the respective boxes. It should be emphasised to the team that this procedure is an iterative process and one of our team member was entitled to move a previously ordered sticky note.Although this activity sounds confrontational but there was disagreement to occur and the correct ordering of all the functions were achieved. TABL E A: TYPICAL LIST OF CREATIVELY EXPLORED FUNCTIONS FOR THE PHASE 8 DEVELOPMENT 3) CONSTRUCTION OF FUNCTION DIAGRAM A strategic or customer oriented FAST diagram is constructed by focusing on the strategic needs and wants The highest order needs tend to form the mission of the project with supporting functions being positioned to the right. The strategic wants tend to be positioned below the centerline of the mission statement.The mission statement will require to be word crafted to make it read as a flowing statement. It is important to have unanimous team agreement that the statement truly reflects the mission of the project, the mission at this stage does not necessarily imply a building. TABLE B: A PROJECT FUNCTION PRIORITY MATRIX Describe the Function Analysis and how to use this technique? Function analysis as used here is the process of analyzing the functional, rather than the physical, characteristics of a system. A function may be stated in the form {verb,noun}.It is an act ion upon something. Eat food, go to work, and cash paycheck are very important functions in the life of most of us. Akiyama (1991) notes that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. The aim of function analysis is to reveal each of these actions and thus identify the nature of the products and services to which they belong. All products and services are endowed by their creators with certain purposes. Function analysis reveals the intentions or purposes behind the creation of a product or service and thereby identifies the nature of that product or service.Although products and services exist as physical objects or systems, they are not created out of nothing. They are preceded by an idea – a concept – which is the basis of their creation. Function analysis identifies the nature of products and services by revealing these concepts. Having determined the nature of an object, one can then conceptualize many physical realizations which serve the purpose and choose the realization with the best value. In this manner breakthroughs are designed.Functional decomposition is the process of asking â€Å"how† for each higher level function to derive lower level functions. Functional composition is the process of asking â€Å"why† for each lower level function to derive higher level functions. The result is a tree or systematic diagram of functions which fall under some ultimate top level function. Function analysis is also a primary tool for quality function deployment, requirements engineering, and value engineering. Function Analysis System Technique Function Analysis System Technique is an evolution of the value analysis process.FAST permits people with different technical backgrounds to effectively communicate and resolve issues that require multi-disciplined considerations. FAST builds upon Value Analysis by linking the simply expressed, verb-noun functions to describe complex systems. FAST is not an end product or result, but rather a beginning. It describes t he item or system under study and causes the team to think through the functions that the item or system performs, forming the basis for a wide variety of subsequent approaches and analysis techniques.FAST contributes significantly to perhaps the most important phase of value engineering: function analysis. FAST is a creative stimulus to explore innovative avenues for performing functions. The FAST diagram is an excellent communications vehicle. Using the verb-noun rules in function analysis creates a common language, crossing all disciplines and technologies. It allows multidiscipline team members to contribute equally and communicate with one another while addressing the problem objectively without bias or preconceived conclusions.With FAST, there are no right or wrong diagrams or result. The problem should be structured until the product development team members are satisfied that the real problem is identified. After agreeing on the problem statement, the single most important o utput of the multi-disciplined team engaged in developing a FAST diagram is consensus. Since the team has been charged with the responsibility of resolving the assigned problem, it is their interpretation of the FAST diagram that reflects the problem statement that's important.The team members must discuss and reconfigure the FAST diagram until consensus is reached and all participating team members are satisfied that their concerns are expressed in the diagram. Once consensus has been achieved, the FAST diagram is complete and the team can move on to the next creative phase. The importance of the FAST approach is that it graphically displays function dependencies and creates a process to study function links while exploring options to develop improved systems. Value analysis and its more robust cousin, Function Analysis System Technique, are important analysis tools.These methodologies lead to improved product designs and lower costs by: †¢ Providing a method of communication within a product development team and achieving team consensus †¢ Facilitating flexibility in thinking and exploring multiple concepts †¢ Focusing on essential functions to fulfill product requirements †¢ Identifying high cost functions to explore improvements The strategic fast diagram for development of POLYU phase 8 development Creativity Phase The purpose of the Creative Phase is to develop a large number of ideas for alternative ways to perform each function selected for further study.The two approaches to solving a problem are analytical and creative. In the analytical approach, the problem is stated exactly and a direct, step-by-step approach to the solution is taken. An analytical problem is one that frequently has only one solution that will work. The creative approach is an idea-producing process specifically intended to generate a number of solutions, each of which solves the problem at hand. All solutions could work, but one is better than the others; it i s the optimum solution among those available.Once a list of potential solutions is generated, determining the best value solution is an analytical process. Creative problem-solving techniques are an indispensable ingredient of effective VE. By using the expertise and experience of the study team members, some new ideas will be developed. The synergistic effect of combining the expertise and experience of all team members will lead to a far greater number of possibilities. The subsections that follow describe the activities in the Creative Phase. Once the value study determines the frame, creativity process begins.When a team is present, high-performing team processes are in full affect by now. We usually use at least four creativity techniques. Two brief ones actually occur during the information phase. Two very extensive ones occur during this phase. In the creative phase the value management team put forward suggestions to answer the functions which have been selected for study. T here are a number of creative techniques, for example: brainstorming, the Gordon technique, the synaptic technique and many more. The main features as below: * ? Purpose and need * ? Managing divergent thinking * ?Brainstorming techniques * ? Unrestricted idea generation * ? Large quantity of ideas is the goal * ? Suspending judgment until the The team develops a broad array of ideas that provide a wide variety of possible alternative ways to perform the function(s) to improve the value of the project. After the FAST diagram and/or cost models have been completed, the VE Team should begin to generate ideas for each of the poor value basic functions. The objective of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas as possible that could conceivably be developed into alternatives to the original concept.The typical brainstorming session consists of the VE Team spontaneously producing ideas related to the performance of the required function. The Facilitator’s role during brainstormi ng is to encourage creative, divergent thinking by the team members. This may be especially critical when the team members, who have been selected for specialized technical expertise, have difficulty considering innovative or unique technical applications. The team leader must enforce the need to defer judgment on ideas until as many as possible are generated. Every idea must be recorded for future evaluation, even those which initially seem absurd.Generate Alternative Ideas In this phase of the study, it is important to generate a free flow of thoughts and ideas for alternative ways to perform the functions selected for study, not how to design a product or service. While creativity tools are available for problem-solving situations, no specific combination of techniques is prescribed for all VE efforts, nor is the degree to which they should be used predetermined. The selection of specific techniques and the depth to which they are used is primarily a matter of judgment and varies according to the complexity of the subject under study.The following describes some idea-generation techniques commonly used in the VE context: a) Brainstorming. Brainstorming is a free-association technique groups use to solve specific problems by recording ideas individuals in the group spontaneously contribute. Brainstorming is primarily based on the premise that one idea suggests others, and these suggest others, and so on. Brainstorming could be done by an individual, but experience has shown that a group can generate more ideas collectively than the same number of persons thinking individually.Spelling has suggested combining group and individual brainstorming. He found that after the group brainstorming process was complete, individual brainstorming can generate additional ideas of comparable quality. There are various rules which apply to the management of a brainstorming session of which the two most important are: firstly, no criticism of any suggestion by word, tone of v oice, shrug of shoulders or any other method of indicating rejection is allowed. Secondly, the exercise is one of generating as many suggestions as possible. The good suggestions will be randomly scattered amongst all suggestions. In workshop has indicated that in any sample, the number of good suggestions remains fairly constant as proportion of wild suggestions, so the more suggestions that there are, the more good suggestions will be obtained. ) All suggestions are recorded and none are rejected on the grounds of apparent irrelevance. b) Gordon Technique. The Gordon technique is closely related to brainstorming. The principal difference is that no one except the group leader knows the exact nature of the problem under consideration. This difference helps avoid premature ending of the session or egocentric involvement.A participant may cease to produce additional ideas or devote energy only to defending an idea if convinced that one of the already proposed ideas is the best soluti on to the problem. It is more difficult to select a topic for such a session than for a brainstorming session. The subject must be closely related to the problem at hand, but its exact nature must not be revealed until the discussion is concluded. c) Checklist. This technique generates ideas by comparing a logical list of categories with the problem or subject under consideration. Checklists range in type from the specialized to the extremely generalized. ) Morphological Analysis. Morphological analysis is a structured, comprehensive system for methodically relating problem elements to develop new solutions. In this approach, the problem is defined in terms of its dimensions or parameters, and a model is developed to visualize every possible solution. Problems with too many parameters rapidly become intractable. e) Attribute Listing. This approach lists all the various characteristics of a subject first and then measures the impact of changes. By so doing, new combinations of charac teristics (attributes) that will better fulfill some existing need may be determined. ) Input-Output Technique. The input-output technique (1) establishes output, (2) establishes input as the starting point, and (3) varies combinations of input/output until an optimum mix is achieved. In the creative thinking stage, the workshop participants are divided into groups, each of which is asked to resolve issues identified in the information stage. The spokespersons of each group are then asked to present the findings from their group to all study participants so that further ideas can be created from the other participants.All ideas are welcome, as even those which are seemingly unsuitable, may spark the creative thinking process. Using focused creative lateral thinking process, list, for the select functions, the numerous alternative ideas or options for performing existing or proposed functions. A large quantity of ideas should be generated and recorded at this stage, without ant stopp ages for judgment or criticism. Brainstorming is a creativity technique extensively used in value management and much can be found written about it in value management literature.Essentially a brainstorming session is a short-term intensive group exercise, where a team of individuals will generate as many ideas as possible for risk events that may adversely affect the project. In a sense, this may be termed â€Å"negative brainstorming† as the team of individuals is trying to determine all the things that may go wrong with the project i. e. the downside risks, as compared with more conventional value management brainstorming where the team is trying to generate ideas for fulfilling functions.Evalution phase The main tasks in this phase inculdie setting up criteria, evaluating and selecting alternatives generated during the creativity phase. Various models and techniquees, such as, cost models, energy models, LCC models and weighted evaluation technique may used during this ph ase. n this phase, the question â€Å"what does each alternative cost and how does it perform? Will be answered. Evalution of Ideas Generated Screening Ideas into Categories: -Realistically possble (P1) -Remolely possible (P2) -Fantasy (P3)Weighted Evaluation Technique is relevant in Value Mznagement, and particularly value management exercises in situations where a decision needs to be made in selecting an option from a number of competing options where the best option is not immediately identifiable. The first stage in the weighting and scoring methodology is to determine the criteria by which the options are to be judged. In selecting criteria it is important not to select criteria which are highly correlated, for example, when judging between floor finishes , we should not includ criteria such as ease of cleaning with cost of cleaning since the two are highly correlated.For example, when considering internal partitions setiing upbetween the different spaces, a number of options are suggested. In determining the criteria for judging the optons the following are agreed. * The ability of demountable. * Good noise attenuation. * Attractive finish. * Ability to conceal services. * Ability to support fittings and fixturees. * Cost. * Reliability of supply over a period of years. A paiired comparison exercise is then held to determine the weighting to be given to each attribute as shown in the Figure A. The weights are carried forward to the scoring matrix and entered under their respective attributes Figure B.The scoring exercise then determines how well option meets the attributes based on a scale of 1 to 5. These score are entered in the top left triangle in each cell of the matrix. The score is multiplied by the weight in each cell and the amount entered in the bottom right triangle. all amouts are summed for each option and the total entered. Based upon the decisions taken by the team a traditional stud and plastered blockwork a close scond. the proprietary partitins did not score well in the exercise and this may require a second look.Indeed a sensitivity analysis should take place by changeing some of weights and some of scores to see the impact. In the exercise below the team gave a high weight to sound attenuation against which some of the proprietary partitions scored poorly. In the evaluation process,the weighted evaluation technique is used to more formally organize the process. Weighted evaluation ensures optimm decisions. good decisions are made by placing the proper emphasis on all criteria. During evaluation, it is impotant to discuss and weigh the following areas: * Needs Vs desires Important Vs Unimportant * Design tradeoffs Vs requireed function. On the other hand, the Value of the weighted evaluation technique are: * Information / Knowledge sharing * Consensus building * Number of criteria and options Limitatons of the weighted evaluation technique are: * May be very time – consuming * Consistency in the process * Use of other methods such as Analytical Herarchy Process (AHP) may be the possible ways of mitigating the limitations. Since the optimum time to conduct a value review is after the preliminary submittal stage and before working drawng are started.The principal reasons for reistance to changes recommended by VM studies are lack of understanding of VM. On the contrary, VM is designed to be an additional technique for economy and for promoting greater cost effectiveness, but there always generally lack of knowledge of the priniciples and application of VM in the construction area. To overcome the limitations, initially, it was recognized that the preferred place to do VM was during the design phase. Next, all the available information, including cost data, was gathered. Finally, a VM study team wass assembled.The team checked the cost estimate, and then conducted the information and speculative phases of the job plan. The obective was to verify cost and to develop a list of ideas of probable savings without expending too much time and money. Development Phase When completed the above four stages (Information, Financial analysis, Creativity and Evaluation phases ) then we will reach a critical phase is Development phase. Because the main task of this phase is included investigate selected alternatives in depth, developing them into written recommendation for mplementation and establishing an action plan with action to be taken and present responsible. This stage is not only to let our client to know all technical and economical evaluation. We should also consideration of the probability and operability of successful implementation, such as availability of labour and materials, capability of building contractor and his sub-contractors. During this stage, we should only tight monitoring the job progress and also periodically review the progress to make the project can reach the optimal result and include client’s requirement and expectation.Action Plan Upon completion of VM shop, ideas and suggestions have been sought from the VM team members regarding to the development of this Phase 8 – Land No. 15 Wylie Path Project. To facilitate the fore coming preliminary design of the projects, an action plan has worked out. We believe this action plan can be utilized as a guideline for the members to carry out follow-up action and also presented as a clear list for subsequent counter-parts to undertake the detail design and even giving indications and advices for future construction works. Item| Action Description| | Environment Issue| | Liaise with BEAM and seek their advice for the building design| 2| Investigate the feasibility of planting more trees around the development| 3| Consult from the designer about the natural night design| 4| Investigate the feasibility of using recycle construction materials| 5| Encourage the use of modular building designs and precasting of building components| 6| Encourage the use of lean construction à ¢â‚¬â€œ the use of lean construction design such as using thinner walls| 7| Prompt good handling of raw materials during construction| 8| Advise the designer to use of automatic-switching system for air-conditioning and lighting devices. 9| Consult from environmental specialist to minimize the noise during construction| 10| Undertake tree survey to preserve the existing trees as many as possible. Avoid tree felling. | | General Recommendation| 11| Assess Traffic impact to the public during construction| 12| Encourage better cater service to the new development| 13| Incorporate more amenities area to the campus | 14| Improve the accessibility of the location. Liaise with relevant public transport company. 15| Investigate whether hair cutting service to be established inside campus| 16| Equip with better wi-fi service| 17| Investigate the feasibility of school bus service| 18| Incorporate with wide diversify cater service| 19| Plan for more hall bed | 20| Encourage with more activitie s rooms| 21| Consider planning for better IT equipment in the campus| 22| Investigate the possibility of introducing beauty workshop for the girl student| 23| Consider planning for an equipped fitness centre| 24| Encourage students to participant more extracurricular activities in this campus|Presentation Phase During our presentation phase on 10 April 2010, Dr. Fan – Technical Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Value Management had been invited as our group facilitator and he had also given some critical idea. During the presentation phase, we have divided into four small groups and each person should also show their name and party involved, such as Client’s representative, construction team members, professional consultant, user’s departments and relevant government departments etc.During the presentation phase, each parties had been introduce their contribution on the VM workshop and some members also raise-up some questions when they have queries, and th e concerned members will explain his/her opinion and we want to solve all queries on the workshop or change proposal usually include a statement of the follow-up procedure which are necessary to ensure the implementation We found that be a competent value management specialist is not easy but it is valuable to find a VM specialist to hold a meeting, especially in some large construction project.During the presentation phase, we had learnt that the subject aims to all student that he/she should be able to use some value management methods more efficiently to hold the meeting, such as: 1. To understand the value management methodology; 2. To use value management tools/techniques such as functional analysis in workshop; 3. To organize and manage value management workshop in different phase of a project life cycle; 4. To exercise practical creativity skills and work with a team of stakeholder to arrive at innovative solution; 5.To ensure value for money for project by applying value man agement in business and/or technical situations; 6. To implement the value management methodology and technique in real-life projects. If we can follow all steps and apply suitable technique and lead the value management workshop then I believe that we can reach client requirements. Besides, Hong Kong government also support value management methodology apply in some large public project and this instruction also written on the technical circular 16/98 by Works Bureau in 1988 and technical circular 35/2002 by environment transportation and works bureau in 2002.Finally, if we want the value management workshop more effectively that a value management specialist must be a smart, full of tactic and fully understand the whole construction procedure then he/she can ensure to achieve value for money methodology and also fulfilled client’s requirement. Summary and Conclusion With the help of Mr. Shen in the morning and Jacky in the afternoon, acting as the facilitator, the VM worksh op was completed successfully in early of April.With a brief introduction, we had a clear idea of objectives for the project as well as the VM workshop. Different phases such as information phase and function analysis phase were carried out during the workshop, some key features were learned from each phase. In the Information phase, a short brief was carried out by core team members (i. e. chairman, contractors, consultant, government bodies, etc. ). As such, team members could know more about the projects as well as different roles acted by team members.The main tasks in this phase including collection of historical cost data; identifying client’s needs, wants and requirements; clarifying project givens and assumptions; obtaining design standards as well as specifications; having a thorough understanding of the project. In the functional analysis phase, the main tasks in this phase are to identify and classify functions and select elements for detailed studies. Techniques s uch as Function Analysis, FAST Diagram, Function Hierarchy, Priority Matrix may be used during this phase. In our workshop, FAST Diagram and functional matrix were used to determine the function of the Phase 8 Development.Team members understood the use of FAST Diagram and selected suitable functions for further analysis. In the creativity phase, the main task in this phase is to generate a large number of alternative solutions for accomplishing basic functions required by the clients. This task is normally supported by creativity stimulating techniques, such as Brainstorming, Golden Technique, Synectics, Lateral Thinking. Alternative solutions to the selected functions were proposed in our workshop. Selections of score from 1 to 5 were elected through team members’ choices.In the evaluation phase, the main tasks in this phase include setting up criteria and evaluating and selecting alternatives generated during the creativity phase. Various models and techniques, such as, co st models, energy models, LCC models, and weighted evaluation technique may be used during this phase. In our workshop, WET is used for evaluation and 3 functions were chosen In the development phase, the main tasks include investigating selected alternatives in depth, developing them into written recommendations for implementation, and establishing an action plan with actions to be taken and persons responsible.This involves not only detailed technical and economic evaluation but also consideration of the probability and operability of successful implementation. Through the VM workshop, we can understand and be able to select appropriate projects for VM studies. Besides, we learn to manage critical success factors to ensure successful execution of VM studies. Furthermore, we can understand project under-performance and how VM can address this issue. The last but not the lease, we can know the benefits of VM applications in property and construction.The following are some benefits a nd advantages that could accrue to a development if VM is utilized: – It provides a forum for stakeholders – Generally the team spirit is enhanced – It provides an overall review of the project which many stakeholders previously may not have had access to – It identifies constraints, issues and problems which might not otherwise be obvious or have been considered – It provides an optimum value for money project with improved functionality – It identifies any deficiencies, omissions or superfluous items and any unnecessary costs – Assists in crystallizing a client’s brief Creates a large return for a minimal investment in the VM study. VM generally pays for itself Apart from the academic view points, many team members express their opinions during the last session in which a numbers of good ideas are inspired. Most of the team members agreed that many techniques for VM have been learnt in the VM workshop, and such outcomes are u seful in the construction industries and also daily life. Some special opinions are also raised in this session such as ‘keeping silence is equal to agree, voice out is more proactive in selecting score for functions’.Besides, some members pointed out that in selecting the functions, there is no specific guideline or judgment in evaluating the score, making the score is not subjective. Reflective journals Fong, P. S. W. and Shen, Q. (2000), â€Å"Is the Hong Kong construction industry ready for value management? † International Journal of Project Management, 18, pp. 317-326. Grosvenor, R. (1997), â€Å"Introduction to Value Management. † Value Manager, 3(4), pp. 4-6. Hill and Bowen (1997), â€Å"Sustainable construction: principle and a framework for attainment. † Construction Management and Economics, 15(3), pp. 223-239.SAVE International, Value Methodology Standard, â€Å"The Value Society†, 1998. http://www. value-eng. org/pdf_focs/monogra phs/vmstd. pdf Shen, Q. P. and Liu, G. W. (2004), â€Å"Applications of value management in the construction industry in China. † Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 11(1), pp. 9-19. The website of The Hong Kong Institute of Value Management http://www. hkivm. com. hk/ Ann T. W. Yu, Geoffrey Q. P. Shen, John Kelly and Kirsty Hunter. A How-To-Guide to Value Briefing. The Hong Kong Polytechnis University and Glasgow Caledonian University 2006 VM in Hong Kong: Research and Development Geoffery QP ShenBoddy, D. (2002) Managing Projects – Building and Leading the team, Pearson Education, UK. BSI (2000) Value Management, BS EN 12973:2000 Dell’ Isola A. J. (1982) Value Engineering in the Construction industry, 3rd edition, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New Work Construction Industry Board (1997) Brief the team, Thomas Telford Publishing , London Gallupe, R. B. and Cooper, W. H. (1993) Brainstorming Electronically, Sloan Management Review, Fall pp. 27-36 General Condition of Contract for Building Work 2005 http://www. hkbeam. org. hk/fileLibrary/_BEAM%20Plus%20NB. pdf SAVE International (1998) Function: Definition and AnalysisShen, Q. O. (1993) A knowledge-based structure for Implementing Value Management in the Design of office Building Thiry, M. (1997) Value Management Practice, PMI Publications, Philadelphia Appendix A – List of roles of participants NO. | Student Name| Student No. | Party| 1| CHAN Chun Ming| 08585004g| EMSD| 2| CHAN Ho Man| 08534329g| SU| 3| CHAN Wai Hung| 08569551g| Bldg sub-contractor| 4| CHAN Wa