Development in the novel Essay Example for Free

Development in the novel Essay Great Expectations has been described as the story of a snobs progress. In the light of this comment, describe Pips development in the novel. Refer to the changes in the way he behaves and talks, the reactions of other characters in the novel and the reasons why he normally retains the readers sympathy.  In Great Expectations, Pips character goes through many changes. His morals and outlook on life are both greatly affected by his lifestyle, and his view of other characters is changed by his experiences and surroundings. At the beginning of Great Expectations, we see Pip as a very young child, living in fear of his sister, Mrs Joe Gargery. Joe is described in much the same way, which shows how he is childish at heart. We are told that Pip also sees this in chapter 2, when he tells us I always treated him as a larger species of child. Pip and Joe both live in fear of Mrs Joes regular Ram-pages, and her wax coated cane, Tickler. Although Pip and Joe obviously fear Tickler, Pip never really speaks of his fear in the book. It is seen more as a part of his life than a painful experience. For example, when Pip arrives home late after his encounter with Magwitch and learns of Mrs Joes Ram-page, he is told by Joe that Which is worse, shes got Tickler with her. Instead of showing fear, we are simply told that At this dismal intelligence, I twisted the only button on my waistcoat round and round, and looked in great depression at the fire Mrs Joes treatment of Pip is mimicked by Uncle Pumblechook, who seems to be fully supportive of her complaints against Pip mainly that he exists and that she has to look after him. At the start of the book, Pumblechook is very nasty to Pip, and is also fully supported by the Hubbles (at Christmas dinner) and Mr Wopsle. The main topic of conversation (apart from pork) is how ungrateful Pip is. This is brought up first by Pumblechook, who says be grateful, boy, to them which brought you up by hand.. This is then backed by Mrs Hubble, who adds Why is it that the young are never grateful?. This conversation continues for some time, which cause Pip to remain silent and sink into his chair. These two examples show that in the first section of the book, Pip is afraid of his surroundings. He keeps quiet and tries to stay away from company (except Joe) to avoid punishment. Joe is Pips only friend, and makes up for the absence of other children in his life. Pip is happy talking to Joe, unlike Mrs Joe and her circle of friends.  Pip meets two other main characters in the first part of the book, and they are Miss Havisham and Estella. These are two of the most important characters in Great Expectations, and Dickens develops their characters a lot. Upon Pips first meeting with Miss Havisham, he is afraid of her, but it is not the same kind of fear as he has for Mrs Joe. He fears Mrs Joe as he fears Tickler, and does not want to be punished. However, he is afraid of Miss Havisham because she is strange and twisted. Pip does not understand her, and does not know what she is capable of, or what she could do to him. He speaks of her as a ghost, and sees many disturbing sights inside Satis House, such as the infested wedding feast and the stopped clocks. Pip tells us of his terror at his first sight of Miss Havisham. She can see his fear, and asks him You are not afraid of a woman who has never seen the sun since you were born?. We are then told that I regret to state that I was not afraid of telling the enormous lie comprehended in the answer No. As the book progresses, Pip comes to realise that there is nothing to be afraid of in Miss Havisham. By the end of the book he is happy to confront, criticise and even insult her. Pip also misinterprets Estellas character. He falls in love with her the first time he sees her, even though he is only seven years old. This is obviously what Miss Havisham was trying to achieve, as she is continually quizzing Pip on his thoughts about Estella, and one of the first things she asks him is What do you think of her?. Pip, after some hesitation, replies that he thinks she is proud and rude but also pretty. Pip says little to Estella herself, but once he has left Satis House he is totally obsessed by Estella. This leads us onto a sudden change in Pips character.

Background to HRM at General Motors Corporation Essay Example for Free

Background to HRM at General Motors Corporation Essay General Motors Corporation (NYE: GM) is the leading American automaker in the world with its operations spanning in 157 countries. The car manufacturer was established in 1908 in Michigan and today it is headquartered in Detroit, the United States of America. Besides the domestic industry of the United States of America, General Motors manufactures cars and trucks in other 30 countries around the world. Among its brand products are Cadillac, Buick, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Hummer, Holden, Opel, Saab, Pontiac, Vauxhall, and Saturn. Besides these brands that are owned by the automaker, GMC also operates joint ventures in China and Japan. That is, Shanghai GM and SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile respectively. From its Website, General Motors Corporation is among the leading American employer with 204 000 employees distributed throughout its global markets. The employees include production engineers, financial auditors, marketers, and researchers among others. Before restructuring and retrenching that took place in 2008 following a harsh global financial crisis that resulted into a loss of $37.3billion by the automaker, General motors corporation was the leading American employer with 284 000 employees (GMC, 2008). Because of its large network of global presence in 31 countries, General Motors human resource management practices entail international practices that are designed in accordance to the international operation requirements and the organizational culture designed to reduce operational costs. Majority employees of the corporation’s subsidiaries in the 31 countries are drawn from the domestic pool of local labour markets and only a few expatriates are drawn from USA as back office managers due to their wide knowledge of its organization culture (Cappelli, 1999). The Board of directors which draws from the organization’s international market presence is charged with the responsibilities of making major decisions critical to the company’s operation. According to Gustin (2008), General Motors Corporation spent up to $103 million in settling healthcare insurance benefits of its retired employees in 2007. From this information, it is evident that the American automaker provides life insurance covers for its employees upon retirement. However, following restructurung, these benefits  were stripped off and only a few employees still enjoy them today. From January 1, 2010, pension scheme of retired hourly employees of General Motors Corporation was transferred to United Autoworkers; a third party insurance firms and all permanent employees who were hired after january 1, 1993 nolonger receive health care insirance benefit upon retirement(GMC,2008). The entry salary of the global automaker is dictated by the labour laws of each market of operation and thus varied with the United States of America being the highest irrespective by job categories ( Main et al., 2007). The organization has invested in a Human Resource Management system that allows close interraction of its global employees through technology such as e-mailing and enterprise resource Management (Azrul, 2010). Marketing strategy entails presentations by field marketers to the organization’s large distributors and online follow ups. Reccommended HRM practices for GMC From the above background analysis of General Motors corporation, it is clear that the organization requires international Human Resource Management practices that will integrate the cultural diversity of its employees.The catastrophic impact of the 2008 financial ciris that resulted into massive restructuring and retrenching of its human resources also underscores the organization’s poor human resource planning. The following recommendations are prescribed for the automaker on the basis of figure 1 below. The first recommendation, is Re-designing the business strategy to target the bottom line of the market. According to Azrul (2010), one of the main reasons for the $37.4 billion loss incured by the American automaker is external market forces from competitors like Honda and Hyundai that were producing far cheaper vehicles with high efficient engines and low fuel consumption rates as compared to Genereal Motors’ brands. In the heat of global financial crisis, the market shifted to consumption of cheaper and less fuel consumers produced by the competitors resulting in huge losses by the General Motors Corporation. The new business strategy should entail  designing cars and trucks with high eficent engines and electric cars that can survive an upsurge in oil prices. This will involve an investment in manufacturing technologies that ensures high quality at reduced costs such as electric engines that uses bateries.This will give the Amecan leading automaker a competitve advantage against the stiffening market competition. The second recommendation is outsourcing of labour from China and Japan. Many Corporations prefer to manufacture their products from China because of the availability of a relatively cheaper labour force when compared to western counterparts. General Motors corporation can either outsource its human resoure from China or undertake most of its production from its Japanese and Chinese Subsidiaries. The labour laws in the two countries are relatively flexible and firendly than in the United States of America. This will help the American Automator reduce huge operational costs incured in meeting the big payroll of over 200, 000 employees. The third recommendation is integration of employees’ training in high involvement work practices. According to Konrad (2006), engaging employees of an organization in job specific training improves their productivity by increasing their job-related skills, reducing propensity of committing costly errors, and increasing their job confidence. Training of General Motors’ employees on their job specifications will improve their productivity. Ofshore trainings in China and Japan are recommended. This will allow the corporation’s manufacturing engineers to learn new efficient production technologies of Japan and China in making cheaper and highly effiecient cars. Motivational incentives such as team building sessions, delegation of duties, self-managed leadership styles, and monetary rewards will boost their commitment to the organization. The combined effect of training and motivation will necesitate restructuring of a pay roll while leveraging on improved productivity of highly productive employees. The fourth recommendation is embracing technology in Human Resource Management system to enhance global cordination of its business. According to Dreher and Dougherty ( 2002), the use of technology such as centralised Enterprise Resource Management system to co-ordinate human resource  activities of General Motors will enhance quick sharing of ideas and consultation among the global employees of the company without barriers. This will allow the organization to carry out its marketing strategies efficiently and effectively without limitation by geographical distances. Effective Human Resource Management through streamlined sofware-based systems enhances fast communication and online training which gives an organization a higher competitive advantage. The fifth recommendation is integration of social benefits such as pension and health care schemes in the reward system. From the backround information above, it is evident that General Motors Corporation with-held social benefits for employees who were hired after January 1, 1993 and transferred the remaining ones to third pary insirance firms. The American automaker also stripped healthcare benefits for retired employees beyond 65 years. Acording to Konrad (2006), social rewards like health care insurance schemes make employees feel more valued by their organizations than monetary rewards in terms of bonuses and salary increments. Also pension schemes improve employees’ commitment to their employer because of future guarantees. This reduces employees’ turnover which is essential in retaining critical human resources for continuity of operation of General Motors. High staff retention improves an organization’s competitive advantage in a complex market of operati onal rivalry. The sixth recommendation is the implementation of employee productivity management and monitoring systems such as Balanced Score Card (BSC) and High Performance Work System (HPWS) (Rouse, 2000). The latter system refers collectively to open systems, autonomouas teams and teamworks, and performance-based pay (Azrul, 2010). The implementation of the two Human Resource Management systems will improve organizational performance by providing real time employees’ information storage database from which future managerial decisions, and rewards will be based. According to Konrad ( 2006), employees of an organization are more productive when they are aware that their performance is recorded for review in determining their future rewards. Effective implementation of the Human Resource Management systems will help General Motors Corporation in categorising employees  according to their productivity rates. This information is important in determining the relevance of job training and objective restructuring in the event of a crisis like that which befell it in 2008. In this case, only high productive employees will be retained. The seventh recommendation is the implementation of an integrative pay/ reward system to inculde performance-contingency pay scheme, skill-based pay, and seniority-based pay scheme. According to performance-contingency pay scheme, the employees’ reward will be based on the performance of their working teams. This will help the automaker in creating effective self-managed and motivated teams. Skill-based pay will ensure that employees’ pay schemes are based on their job skills. For instance, production engineers will be given high pay than marketers because of their technical skills required by the organization. Seniority-based pay scheme demands that those employees who have stayed longer in the organization will get a higher pay than new comers because of their cumulative salary increements along their carrier path. Seniority-based pay scheme promotes staff retention even when the entry salary is relatively lower than the market rates because employees know that there is a room for growth. In general, General Motors Corporation should ensure total compliance with the labour markets and legal environments of their respective countries of operations before implementation of the proposed recommendations. For instance, the employment laws regarding hourly wages, minimum wage policy, employment opportunities, labour regulations, and safety rules in China are different from those of the United States of America. Therefore it is imperative that the American automaker consider their implications in setting the minimum entry wage in each country of operation. Conclusion. In conclusion, General Motors Corporation can sustain its competitive strategy as a leading automaker by embracing the above prescribed Human Resource Mangement system that integrates staff training on job related skills, outsourcing, social reward scheme, technology, and  performance-contingency pay scheme among others as strategic competiencies in its operation. The implementation of Balanced Score Card and HPWS is critical in improving the productivity of the organization’s employees. The proposed system will enhance high staff retention, high staff productivity, and objective contingency planning in times of global crises like the 2008 global financial crisis that lead to massive retrenchment by the automaker. References Azrul, A. (2010). Human Resource Management General Motors. Monash University Publication, p.1-13.From: http://www.scribd.com/doc/14812855/Human-Resource-Management-General-Motors Main, B.G.,Jackson, C., Pymm, J., Wright, V. (2007). GMC:The Remuneration Committee and Strategic Human Resource Management. University of Edinburgh publications, p.1-49. Cappelli, P. (1999). Employment Practices and Business Strategy. Oxfford, ew York : Oxford University Press. General Motors Corporation. (2008). Restructuring Plan for Long-Term Viability: Submitted to Senate Banking Committee House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. Detroit: General Motors Corporation. Rouse ,D. (2000). Manufacturing Sdvantage:Why High Performance Work Systems Pay off. Journal of Team Performance Management, vol 96(5) , p.1420. Dreher, G., Dougherty,T. (2002). Human resource strategy: A behavioral perspective for the general manager. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Gustin, L. R. (2008). Billy Durant: Creator of General Motors. Ann Arbor. Michigan: University of Michigan Press. Konrad, A. M. (2006). Engaging Employees Through High-Involvement Work Practices. IVEY Business Journal , n.p.From:

Diversity and Structure of the Construction Industry

Diversity and Structure of the Construction Industry 1.1 Introduction: This chapter illustrates how unique, huge, diverse and enormously complex is the construction industry. This industry generally constitutes of enterprises and professionals whose primary objective is to build communities, roads, schools, homes, business, hospitals and including its maintenance. The construction process consists of many activities, right from the onset of the project design and right through its implementation, maintenance, refurbishment, and goes up to the eventual disposal of its buildings or in other words, the whole life cycle of the project. This industry therefore require a wide range of suppliers, contractors and including manufacturers of materials and components to carry out its activities. The industry had changed a lot in its complexity over time, but the objective of the industry remains basically the same as it was 100 years ago. However, the construction industry has a unique structure; with very few large establishments that dominate the infrastructure by carrying out works, that produces the majority of the turnover of this industry on a whole. Sears et al. 2008, p.2 state that contractors who vary widely in size and speciality accomplish the construction works. Some contractors choose to concentrate on a particular task or aspect of the construction project and are therefore referred to as specialty contractors. Others assume broader responsibility for a comprehensive work package and are referred to as main contractor. Due to the diversity present in the industry, the industry is fragmented which is a reality, the reason might be due to the adversarial short-term relationships which causes dissatisfaction within the industry and is therefore a project focused relationship. Moreover, lack of effective communication and implementation may also contribute to the fragmentation of the industry as it leads to significant negative impacts, low productivity, cost and time overruns and finally end up in conflicts and disputes. The industry also now faces new levels of complexity as it moves forward trying to keep pace with the increasing energy, material and labour costs which are to a great extend mitigated by the other industries by adopting the new technologies especially communication and information technology and also advanced management strategies. 1.2 Overview: The industry is considered to be one of the major economic sectors, which contributes a lot to the gross domestic product of the nation in respect to other industries. Cooke, and Williams, 2009, on p.3 states that the annual output of the UK construction industry is approximately  £114 billion, which represents almost 9% of gross domestic product. This industry also underpins the remaining sectors of the economy by providing the essential infrastructure and facilities on which all sectors of the economy depend. According to Potts, 2008, on p.3, this construction sector with 11.8 million operatives directly employed makes it Europes largest industrial employer accounting for 7% of total employment and 28% of industrial employment in the EU. There was also a report of the government policies, which was published by BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills business group sector document), stating that the UK construction industry consists of over 250,000 firms employing 2.1 million people in a multitude of roles. The sector is defined as one which embraces the construction materials and products; suppliers and producers; building services manufacturers, providers and installers; contractors, sub-contractors, professionals, advisors and construction clients and those organisations that are relevant to the design, build, operation and refurbishment of buildings. However, construction industry is very different from other manufacturing industries and therefore difficult to achieve similar performance, mainly due to its degree of uniqueness in its use, in the size, its location and complexity due to the varied non-uniform working conditions from one project to another. Therefore, it appears to be underperforming when compared to many other industries. Jones, Saad, 2003, on p.12 state that, the diversity of the construction and the variability in the production process has to be reorganised with each new construction project. For each project, a series of decisions has to be taken which take into account the clients specific requirements and the context in which the tasks are to be executed. This can make project outcomes difficult to predict and can result in short and often adversarial relationships. Cox, Townsend, 1998, on p.21 states that the productivity, value for money, and overall client satisfaction in the construction industry are fairly low compared to other industrial sectors. The factors being: low and discontinuous demand; frequent changes in specification; inappropriate (contractor and client) selection criteria; inappropriate allocation of risk; poor quality; inefficient methods of construction; poor management; inadequate investment; an adversarial culture; and a fragmented industry structure. In order to improve the performance of this industry, government had taken initiatives and had produced many reports but had not made any impact. 1.3 Reports and recommendations: The publication of major notable reports namely Lathams Report Constructing the Team (1994) and two Egan Reports Rethinking Construction (1998) and Accelerating Change (2002) produced a considerable impact in UKs construction industry and started changing its working culture. Constructing the Team by Sir Michael Latham was published in July 1994, the key issues as summarised by Holroyd, 2003, on p.39 are as follows: Clients have a role in promoting good design which provides value for money Clients should select the most appropriate procurement route on the basis of the type of project Effective design is crucial A modern contract should include: A specific duty for all parties to deal with each other Firm duties of teamwork so all can share in success A clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of all parties Easily understood language with guidance notes A choice of risk allocation Avoid variations if it is required, price it in advance Ensure fair, prompt and secure payment to all parties Avoid conflict on site and disputes if any to be resolved speedily When selecting suppliers or tenderers, consideration should be given to: Quality as well as price A lead manager Sensible tender lists No burdensome qualification procedures Value for money Cost in use Factors which determine performance include: Adequacy of safety consideration Ability of operatives Improved training Relevant professional education Adequate RD, which is properly funded Teamwork on site depends on fair treatment for all parties The liability for defects post-completion should be properly addressed Rethinking Construction by Sir John Egan delivered the report in July 1998 for the success of the construction industry. He opined that while UK construction at its best is excellent, substantial improvements can be made, and it is vital that they are made. The key issues of this report as summarised by Holroyd, 2003, on p.40 are as follows: The UK construction industry needs to improve there should be: Less fragmentation Increased profitability More capital investment More investment in RD More and better training Differentiation between price and cost Set targets for improvement and give commitment to the needs of the customer, to quality, and to people the team and the process should be integrated around the product, and management should be committed to improvement throughout the organisation The construction process should be improved by: More process repetition on projects Integrating all team members to use their skills to deliver value to the client Focus on the end product how best to achieve the desired result Continuous product improvement Implement projects correctly, suiting the site and the customer Partnering through the supply chain Once improvement starts, maintain it Improvement could be accomplished by developing a better culture in the industry: Providing decent working conditions More and better training Produce designs which considers the projects end use Standardise components where possible Improve regulatory controls Implement long term relationships The National audit office report (2001) Modernising Construction as stated by Cooke, Williams, 2009, on p.11 that a major contributory factor to the poor performance of this industry was the adversarial relationships that existed between the construction firms, consultants and clients and between contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. The report also identified that government departments and agencies to ensure collaboration, integration and value for monies in the procurement of construction services. Further, it also suggested that the entire supply chain be integrated and that risk and value must be managed in order to reduce accidents, drive out waste and improve buildability. McGeorge and Palmer 2002 on p.54 cite CIRIAs definition of buildability as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the extent to which the design of the building facilitates ease of construction, subject to the overall requirements for the completed building. These reports produced during the various periods had contributed a lot to the growth of the construction industry. Since these reports were published, a changed performance could be clearly noticed in the activities of this industry. The findings of the report had tried to build up a challenge in the construction industry to procure projects that could achieve best value and also help in understanding the balance between quality and whole-life cost of the project. Many more studies on the performance of the construction industry were also conducted subsequently, which had identified the areas of strength and weakness of the construction industry. According to Jones, Saad, 2003, on p.2, the strength of the industry includes its flexibility and adaptability and its persistent weakness include its fragmented structure and project processes and its adversarial relationships. Furthermore, deficiencies in its performance in relation to customer focus, learning and leadership were revealed when benchmarked against other industries. 1.4 Material use: The construction industry is considered one of the major consumers of natural resources mainly the virgin materials from its surrounding environment. This will give rise to many environmental issues, which are unsustainable such as depleting natural resources, diminishing the earths biodiversity, and even cause extinction of habitat if we continue the present rate of consumption. As stated by Kelley et al. on p.298 that materials used in buildings account for some 40% of natural resource use, 30% of CO2 emissions and 40% of waste. However, the environmental issues would certainly create a vital impact on the society and hence this industry should take earnest attempt to develop a strategy to provide low carbon solutions by way of minimising its carbon footprint. In addition, the projects Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that voluntarily decides to contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment and along with its procurement policy, could contribute to the environmental success. Built environment: The paper presented by Natural Building Technologies, have quoted One Planet Living material of BioRegional and the World Wide Fund for Nature; have shown that if everyone in the world-consumed resources at the same rate that of UK, it would take the equivalent of three planets now to sustain this consumption. Hence, UK and the other western nations urgently need to take radical measures in order to reduce this present rate of consumption of resources. As we are aware that this planet has only a finite quantity of resources and therefore we in the construction industry should have a moral responsibility to ensure that industry is resourced using sustainable techniques. More over the construction industry should also insist on an environmental management system (EMS) accreditation for every project, which could help in continually, improving its environmental performance. An internal EMS audit if periodically conducted would help in checking the effectiveness and delivery capability o f the management system. The strategy paper of the UK Government, Building a Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for more Sustainable Construction by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (2000 b) as summarised by Kelly et al. 2002 on p.296 recognises the importance of sustainable construction and had challenged the construction industry to provide built assets which: Cause minimum damage to natural and social environments Minimise the use of resources Enhance the quality of life Will be acceptable to future generations 1.6 Needs: The working pattern of the society is changing quite fast and construction industry is known for adapting to change at a faster pace than other industries. Nowadays many people tend to work from home since jobs functions can be remotely performed and is quite feasible. The benefit from working at home helps in the reduction of transport movements, thereby considerably reducing pollution and traffic congestion especially during the peak hours. It is an eco-friendly option and is to be encouraged. Hence, this working culture would require housing to provide a higher quality of life and greater flexibility of adaptable living and space requirements. Therefore, in majority of existing homes, a need for up gradation would be necessary and a lot more of new homes constructed to accommodate this new culture in the coming years; for which a huge quantity of materials are required by the industry. This results in a heavy material flow. In addition, while designing a sustainable project, selec tion of materials should be made based on locally and easily available material, in order to reduce the embedded energy cost of transportation. This option would also decrease the carbon footprint of the project. 1.7 Regulations: A government publication by energy saving trust on the Code for Sustainable Homes New build housing (Relevant to: England and Wales), states that the government intends that all new build homes should be zero carbon by the year 2016. Code level 3 is proposed to become the new standards for Building Regulations in England in 2010 and by 2050; the nations entire housing stock will be virtually zero carbon. Clients, who desire to increase value of their project, could insist on the use of sustainable materials in order to acquire higher sustainability rating as mentioned in the BREEAMs code for sustainable homes. These regulations create a lot of pressure on the project management team if a proper supply chain management technique is not available.. As mentioned in the Code for Sustainable Homes (Annex B Category 3, Materials on p.37), the supply chain management and material stewardship are essential elements of responsible sourcing. Hence, the supply chain manager is to consider the consequence and impacts of using materials by analysing its life cycle (right from the point it was mined or harvested,through manufacture and processing of the material, including its use, reuse and disposed off as waste with no further value), before the material is actually used in the project. However, all timber used in the project should be 100% legally sourced and 80% for all other assessed materials. 1.8 Sustainable sourcing code: For the London 2012 games, London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) had prepared a Sustainable Sourcing Code in consultation with industry leaders, sponsors and non-governmental organisations. It had been reviewing how its sponsorship and procurement activity could achieve the highest possible standards to ensure that the goods and services it procures comply with this code in meeting the sustainability objectives for the 2012 games. This code could be used as a benchmark in the preparation of a similar code of practice by the construction industry. The four core principles of the LOGOs Sustainable Sourcing Code and supporting guidelines on packaging and carbon emissions of products and services originally published in November 2007 and updated in December 2009 are as shown below: Responsible sourcing: Labour practices Health and Safety Diversity and inclusion Animal welfare and Testing Animal and plant products Timber and timber products Use of secondary products materials: Reducing waste Recycled content Packaging Waste electrical and electronic equipment Minimising embodied impacts: Environmental management Supply of products Transport Low carbon Games Healthy materials: Restricted substances and materials Heavy metals and brominated fire retardants 1.9 Controlling material resources: A material at site is money and is to be prudently handled. The cost of materials constitutes a major portion of the project cost. March 2009, p.139 states that the value of the materials incorporated into a building represent anything from 40 to 60 per cent of the final cost. Therefore, control of materials at site is a crucial element. Materials are not be wasted or lost. For proper control an effective communication between all involved for the project success namely the planning department, purchasing department, the site and the supplier is important. Responsibilities are to be clearly defined especially in buying of materials within the estimated amount since efficient buying results in savings, which in turn contributes to the profitability of the contract. Similarly hoarding of materials at site should be discouraged by initiating just in time delivery, but care is to be taken in the selection of material supplier so that the availability of bulk materials is ensured. Therefo re, materials management in construction projects is essential for its success. As Cooke and Williams 2009 on p.401 states that an essential component of materials management begins with site layout and planning. Designated areas must be allowed for material storage in order to reduce waste and damage to materials. Excessive stock of materials is a problem need to be controlled. March 2009, p.139 enumerates the reasons as to why excessive stock is to be controlled; Excessive stocks take up capital which could be better used Takes up space and absorb further capital for protection against weather Likely to be damaged resulting in unnecessary expenditure and possible delay incurred in replacement May be necessary to double handle stock to elsewhere on the site and missing the opportunity to have just in time delivery Site efficiency can be increased by effective material handling and result in costly waste reduced. Every project worth more than  £250 000 effective from April 2008 should have a Site waste management plan (SWMP), without which it would be a serious criminal offence as mentioned by Cooke and Williams 2009 on p.403 quoting The Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 (Section 54 of Part 5). 1.10 Whole-life thinking: In addition, the construction industry need to consider the aspect of whole life costing during the procurement as the project not only consumes sustainable resources, but also generates waste in construction and demolition activities. The procurement of materials for the industry is strongly affected by environmental issues. Greater use of modern methods of construction and off-site prefabrication could be a solution in reducing the total amount of waste generated at site. Hence, the construction industry should strive to develop and implement the new paradigm of the triple bottom line namely environmental, social and economic sustainability. Green building is an innovative technology and is good to be adopted by construction industry. This approach creates a positive environmental, social and economical impact over the entire life cycle of the project. It is a holistic approach of design and considers its impact on the wider environment and community around it. This technology procures homes, which are durable, save energy, reduce waste and pollution, and promote health and well-being. 1.11 Procurement methods: One of the main problems in this industry says Cooke Williams, 2009, on p.4, is that it separates design from production far greater than other industries and is still common despite the deficiencies of traditional procurement and the benefits offered by the newer and more flexible approaches. In traditional method of procurement, the design stage is separated from production by a tendering period. McGeorge and Palmer, 2002 on p.54, also support this view and quote by comparison with other industries the separation of the process of design and construction is unique to the construction industry. Construction industry provides successful projects, the outcome of which is increased efficiency, greater borrowing capacity and payback long-term worth. The business objectives should always drive the selection of an appropriate procurement strategy, so as to procure a project to the complete satisfaction of the client. The procurement strategy so selected would depend on many factors; namely the client, the risk profile of the client, the cost certainty needed, accountability, flexibility, the type of project, time, funding, market condition, the industries capacity and capability. 1.11.1 Projects priorities: Moreover the factors that are to be considered while analysing a business objectives requirements and their relative priorities as pointed out by Kelly et al., 2002 on p.178 are as listed below: Factors outside the control of the project team Client resources Project characteristics Ability to make changes Risk management Cost issues Timing Quality and performance The choice of the strategy should ensure that control is maintained over those factors that are important to the clients perspective of the project. 1.11.2 Procurement strategy: The authors also state that the choice of the strategy should ensure that control is maintained over those factors that are of most importance to the client. After a selection is made, a strategic brief will need to be produced defining the clients project and the parameters within which the project must be realised to take the project to a success. Often less importance is imparted to the projects objectives as compared to the primary criteria of time, quality and cost. These three primary parameters form the key criteria in the selection mechanism and are interdependent of each other. Therefore, procurement strategies adopted for the project would not be able to deliver all of them as high priority. For example, fast-track solutions for a project deliver speed and time certainty, whereas the other criteria such as cost certainty and quality may be less achievable. Similarly, in projects where quality or costs are considered to be of top priority, then the other criteria are affected. Hence, if a high priority is imparted in defining the project and especially linking of the prioritisation of objectives to the business case, greater then are the chances of a successful procurement of the project to the entire satisfaction of the client. However, from the clients perspective of a project, time, quality, cost and functionality are important criteria for the success of a project. The client generally prefers the highest quality at the lowest cost and the project being completed in the shortest possible time. As earlier mentioned it is not possible to attain all these parameters together for a given project. Depending upon the clients business objectives, a suitable selection of the procurement strategy should be chosen. 1.11.3 Procurement option: If according to the client, a signature building is required for the project, then a traditional or design-bid-build strategy is an appropriate option for the project. For this project, quality would be very essential but this procurement technique adopts a sequential nature of activities, and therefore has no parallel working activity, which means that, construction could actually begin only after the design is completed as fully as possible. Hence is not suitable option for any fast track projects. However, this option fairly provides with cost certainty and time predicted. The delay experienced in completion of the project might be because considerable time is allowed for the design to take a full shape and thereafter in the preparation of detailed brief and also in the tendering procedures required to be completed before the start of the work. Therefore, an early start of the project would not be possible until the letter of intend is issued, which in turn have a knock on effect on the overall cost of the project (price escalation, inflation etc.). Sometimes the client might go in for a functional building where cost implication is to be the lowest and had to be completed before a fixed date. Here in order to meet the business objectives, a design-build procurement technique is quite appropriate, since early certainty of the overall contract price could be obtained. Moreover, as this strategy facilitates overlapping of design and construction, a faster start on site is possible resulting in shorter project duration with greater certainty of meeting the targeted date. Hence, this option is quite suitable for fast track projects but is not suitable for any complex infrastructural projects and also in projects wherein the clients brief is uncertain or inadequate. Alternatively, the client would require procuring a huge and complex infrastructural project with an emphasis on the targeted date of completion. Considering the clients business objective, the appropriate procurement route would be construction management, which is best-suited option for fast track and complex construction projects. In this procurement route, the construction work is divided into several packages, which are tendered separately to different experienced and qualified contractors. Hence, in this procurement method design, tendering and construction over lap thereby reducing the overall time of the project whereas there could be price uncertainty until the last package of the work had been awarded to a contractor. Due to the speed in completion, quality of the work would probably be effected and therefore a total quality management team would be required to ensure the quality of work during its progress. Therefore, this procurement route is not suitable for inexperience d clients and for those clients trying to transfer risk to the contractor. Therefore, the procurement strategy developed should strike a balance between risks that could cause an impact on the clients business and the projects objectives. Some projects could adopt more than one procurement option for the successful completion of the project as per the clients perspective. Traditional approach may be used in the construction of the shell and core, whereas construction management would be used for the final works. The choices made might differ between clients of various projects depending upon their knowledge and experience of the industry. The scale and diversity of those involved in this industry is too enormous and hence this contributes to enormous pressures on the project teams, to ensure that the project completion is on time, budget and quality. 1.12 Risk: The diversity of those involved in the industry namely design engineers, architects, consultants, main and subcontractors, suppliers and constructional managers is huge. However, all those who are involved in this industry throughout the world strive together to establish a strategic framework to meet the budgetary and scheduling goals of the project. Time is one of the critical factors in construction industry, which has significant legal consequences. The client sets up rigid start and finishes dates for the project and if the contractor must comply with this period, barring any delay caused due to natural calamities, or lose money by paying the liquidated damages as laid down in the contract document. During the construction process delay in receiving of materials, equipments and services may erode profits. For a successful completion of a project, lot depends on the quality of the subcontractors and suppliers. Therefore, construction organisations should ensure that an appropriate subcontractor is selected. The subcontractors selection process involves many important factors including the evaluation of their capacity and also in performing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. The risk faced in construction industry is different from that of other industries. This is quite evident while analysing the difference between manufacturing risks and construction risks as indicated by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.2 as shown below: Risk versus reward for the manufacturing sector Risk versus reward for the construction sector In construction industry, the potential for committing mistakes is high and facing problems is magnified by the poor interrelationship that exists between all the entities involved namely, the client, architect, consultant, project manager, contractors and suppliers. The risks, if not mitigated in time, would prove disastrous and hence, recommended to be avoided at an early stage. Construction risks as mentioned by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.3 are as narrated below: Internal financial problems Working capital problems Slow payment from the client Inferior plans and specifications Inadequate technical capabilities Insufficient information technology Lack of communication between the entities Productivity inefficiencies Work quality problems Work method problems Delivery reliability problems Bulk materials quality problems Another notable difference between the manufacturing and construction industry is the probability of failure while considering the labour element. This can be clearly understood if an improvement curve technique is performed as explained by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.4 and p.5 for both industries, the figures of which are as shown below: Probability of failure for the manufacturing industry Probability of failure for the construction industry The improvement curve is exponential and depicts a constant-percentage reduction of labour, which means that, the workers learn how to do their job better as they produce more and more units at a lower production cost. This advantage is accomplished due to the impact of cumulative learning by experience, which is possible in the manufacturing industry. Now considering the construction industry, which is constantly changing its complexity over time, we can observ

Self-Interest on the International Stage Essay -- International Relati

Self-Interest on the International Stage A nation’s actions on the world stage can be played in many ways. Whether the role being played is unwanted meddler in other nations’ affairs, supplier of money and aid to countries in despair, or just an ordinary nation trying to keep all of its proverbial ducks in a row, the motivation that drives the plot of international relations is self-interest. Whether the setting is these United States or across the world in the People’s Republic of China, in the theocratic republic of Iran or the military controlled Central African Republic, is doesn’t pay to give something for nothing. Self-interest should not be confused with selfishness, as the two terms are neither interchangeable nor synonymous. Self-interest is â€Å"concern for one’s own advantage and well-being,† and selfishness is extreme self-interest coupled with a disregard for others (Merriam-Webster). It comes in several forms, like economic and political, and is specialized according to each nation and its individual wants and needs. In fact, it is not only possible but actually c...

Health :: science

Health Twenty-five years ago, the great Athenian doctor Hippocrates believed that balance is health and that imbalance is the cause of all illness and pain. For more than three hundred years, this concept has been in disfavour. Now, clinical experiences with Phen/Fen suggest that Hippocrates was right. While both phentermine and fenfluramine have been available since the mid-seventies, patients were generally reluctant to use them because of the always present fear of addiction. During many instances when people did try either one of these new drugs, they could not tolerate the side effects. The pills in fact do work, because they trick the brain into thinking that the stomach is full. But they also seem to affect the brain in other, less desirable ways. The thought process behind creating a ‘superdrug’ such as Phen/Fen, was that by combining the two medications, one could take advantage of their different pharmacologic actions getting, in essence, better effectiveness while hopefully minimizing the "mild" side effects (Michael D. Myers. 1997). Despite the side effects that are still present, drug companies are making lots of money off of Phen/Fen. It is the second fastest growing drug in the country. In 1996, it earned about $191 million for its maker, Wyath-Ayerst (CNN. 1997). Obesity, poor nutrition, and inactivity are estimated to contribute to about 300,000 deaths a year (National Institution of Health. 1996), thus there is an increased demand for such pills as Phen/Fen. In this paper, I will discuss the two drugs that make up Phen/Fen, Fenfulramine and Phentermine, and discuss the side effects for each of the pills. I will introduce Serotonin and Dopamine, two of the brain’s neurotransmitters and the effect of Phen/Fen on them. I will also discuss who should and who shouldn’t use this potentially dangerous diet. Finally, I will look at a case study from Michael D. Myers which makes some very important conclusions about the diet. Fenfluramine Fenfluramine was discovered at approximately the same time as it’s cousin, Phentermine. Fenfluramine has always been strongly associated with many side effects. The most prominent of it’s side effects is Primary Pulmonary Hypertension which is a life threatening complication (Michael D. Myers. 1997). An estimated 1 in 17,000 patients that are treated for longer than 3 months will develop this condition (New England Journal of Medicine. 1996). The symptoms may be vague chest discomfort of development of an insidious feeling of shortness of breath (Abenhaim, L.

Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter to The Speckled Band Essay -- English

Comparing Lamb to the Slaughter to The Speckled Band 'Lamb to the Slaughter' and 'The Speckled Band' are both murder mysteries. Like most murder mysteries each of the stories have a murderer, a victim and characters acting in a suspicious or unusual way. 'Lamb to the Slaughter' is a 20th century story about a woman called Mary who kills her husband, Patrick Maloney, using a leg of lamb. This seems quite surprising at first as she seems quite loving and devoted to him- 'she loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man.' However a lot of Mary Maloney's behaviour in the first scene does seem quite worrying and peculiar. It seems that she is almost obsessed with her husband and this is shown by the way she is constantly trying to please him. Although the murder is a crime of passion Mrs Maloney manages to deal with it quite well. She is very calculating when realising quite what she has done and providing herself with a convincing alibi. When the detectives arrive to investigate the murder they seem to be taking it very seriously, however they don't really seem to consider Mrs Maloney as a real suspect. There is one point in the story where one of the detectives says 'acted quite normal very cheerful impossible that she' but this is an idea which is soon discarded. After a while the attitude of the detectives becomes more relaxed and not so professional. Mrs Maloney takes advantage of this by asking the detectives to stay for dinner. She then goes on to feed them the leg of lamb thus destroying the evidence. There is a moment of irony towards the end because when talking about the murder weapon one of the detectives says 'Probably right under our very nose' just as they are eating the leg of lamb. ... ...and' and 'Lamb to the Slaughter' are very diverse. In 'Lamb to the Slaughter' Mr and Mrs Maloney both lived in a 'warm and clean' home. The atmosphere is of a happy and content household. In 'The Speckled Band' the murder takes place in an old, grey, stone house. The setting seems colder and emptier. The fact that Roylott keeps animals such as cheetahs and baboons adds a darker adds a more sinister feel to the story. This is more typical of a murder mystery but it may not have seemed so unusual when it was first written in the 19th century. I think the author of ' Lamb to the Slaughter' wants the reader to see Mrs Maloney as quite cunning and deceitful. He does this by showing that Mrs Maloney can use the fact that she was married to Mr Maloney and that she is six months pregnant to her advantage. Holmes would probably not have fallen into this same trap.

ICD-10-CM Essay

The Changes between ICD-9 and ICD-10 code sets. Differences between ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS code sets. How ICD-10 coding could affect patient encounters. How the transition will affect departments. Regulatory requirements. Quality Improvement. Clinical Documentation Improvement. The challenges and barriers of ICD-10-CM/PCS coding transitions. Create a checklist for the staff. The font or typeface I will use or script-like fonts around 14, in bold those typically work better as heading fonts rather than body text and 12 for the body. I use of visuals communication would help me effectively deliver my message on the important issues with documentation and with the pictures and graphs, showing gains and loss of loss revenue would help them understand what is required for compliance and increase revenue. I will also show the standard required to be in compliances with The Joint Commission rule and regulations. The reason for my choice for training materials because is easiest way too explained and train the staff with all the new changes. These training sessions will be workshops and departmental in-services with custom design to fit each service needs. My training or transition would start with and introduction to explained in detail the new system of ICD-10 The ICD-10 Transition The ICD-9 code sets used to report medical diagnoses and inpatient Procedures will be replaced by ICD-10 code sets. This fact sheet provides background on the ICD-10 transition, general guidance on how to prepare for it, and resources for more information. About ICD-10 ICD-10-CM/PCS International Classifications of Diseases, 10th Edition, and Clinical Modification Procedure Coding System consist of two parts. 1. ICD-10-CM for diagnosis coding outpatient 2. ICD-10-PCS for inpatient procedure coding. ICD-10-CM for use in all U.S. health care settings. Diagnosis Coding under ICD-10-CM uses 3 to 7 digits instead of the 3 to 5 digits used with ICD-9-CM, but the format of the code sets is similar. ICD-10-PCS is for use in U.S. inpatient hospital settings only. ICD-10Â ¬ PCS uses 7 alphanumeric digits instead of the 3 or 4 numeric digits used under ICD-9-CM procedure coding. Coding under ICD-10-PCS is much more specific and substantially different from ICD-9-CM procedures coding. The transition to ICD-10 is occurring because ICD-9 produces limited data about patients’ medical conditions and hospital inpatient procedures. ICD-9 is 30 years old, has outdated terms, and is inconsistent with current medical practice. Also, the structure of ICD-9 limits the number of new codes that can be created, and many ICD-9 categories are full. This New Patient Summary table demonstrates the required levels of the 3 key components for E&M code selection: History, Exam, and Medical Decision Making; elements must be met in all 3. This New Patient Summary table demonstrates the required levels of the 3 key components for E&M code selection: History, Exam, and Medical Decision Making; elements must be met in all 3. Next I would add a example of E&M codes with procedure and continue through the most common outpatient services and I would start with the inpatient process. I hope with the review and and example and other training aids the medical staff would understand that it more important than ever with the documentation and explained in different scenario how it could affect you and patient legally and medically, when treatment is not documented. Using visual most times it help, just not just having a boring training where you know no ones is paying attention. I will use other visual aids and charts on a few different power points. Since it so much information to take in I will do a basis summary of the changes. In Addition I will complete on training aids using what the Department of Veterans Affairs adding some of my material making it more customize for our Medical Center breaking it up so the staff wouldn’t get overwhelm. Iexplain and show them that structurally, ICD-9-CM is running out of room to add new codes. New diagnosis codes are submitted by medical societies, quality monitoring organizations and others annually. ICD-10-CM will allow not only for more codes but also for greater specificity and thus better epidemiological tracking, analysis of disease patterns and treatment outcomes, supports quality measurement efforts, and leads to accurate reimbursement and supports waste, fraud and abuse initiatives. Health Information Management(HIM) my department will have assessment each of coding staff they will be the first to complete the training along with the doctors. The doctors training will be more on documentation. The doctors will need to document to the level of ICD-10 allows for very specific code assignment when provider done. The coders will train more on how to select the correct codes. My finial decision will be the following steps 1.ICD-10 Training ICD 2.ICD-10-CM Anatomy and Pathophysiology 3.ICD-10 Proficiency Assessment 4.ICD-10 Documentation Training for Physicians (detailed) 5.Implementation ICD-10-CM My Duties As The Medical Records Administration Management ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, recognize and adapt to changing priorities; and Knowledge of the interrelationships and interdependencies among various medical and administrative services and programs. Teaching or instructing in an adult education program, secondary school, college, military installation, or industrial establishment in the appropriate field(s). Supervising or administering a training program. Development or review of training/course materials, aids, devices, etc., and evaluation of training results. Work in the occupation or subject matter field of the position to be filled that required training or instructing others on a regular basis. Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. Planning, developing, and directing a medical records program for a health care facility that meets both institutional goals and standards of accrediting agencies. Evaluating and analyzing the organization and operation of medical records services, including medical records and indexes, and recommending and/or implementing appropriate revisions and modifications. Assisting medical and administrative staff in evaluating the quality and appropriateness of patient and health care services. Designing information systems to collect, analyze, monitor, report, and maintain privacy and confidentiality of patient and institutional data for health care related programs, and evaluating and implementing changes to assure the reliability of data. Developing and implementing policies and procedures for processing legal medical documents and insurance and correspondence requests in accordance with Federal, State, and local statu Refernce Search Ask Pictures http://www.search.ask.com/pictures?q=new&o=APN10092&lang=english&tpr=3&gct=bar Search Ask celabration http://www.search.ask.com/pictures?q=balloons+celabration&o=APN10092&lang=english&tpr=2&gct=bar Department of Veterans Affairs http://vaww.vhaco.va.gov/him/