Alcohol intoxication and edgar allan poe’s ‘the haunted palace’

It is unfair to immediately conclude something of a poem because as is normal with poetry, such is given to various interpretations.   While common interpretations of Poe’s ‘The Haunted Palace’ seem to assert confirmedly that the poem describes somebody dying with tuberculosis, this particular interpretation seems to be very faulty in many aspects because it is an interpretation that concretizes the already concrete images in the poem.In poetry, emotions and abstractions are concretized using tangible images, in which case, the interpretation of any piece of poetry should be dependent on the emotions that these concrete images convey and not on the additional concrete images that can be gleaned for the existing imagery in the poem, otherwise, this would cause ambiguity in the reading.   This is what happened with the ‘tuberculosis’ interpretation – another concrete image was read into the already concrete imagery in the poem.   It would b e wise to offer another reading of the poem, in this case, it has to be argued that instead of the tuberculosis interpretation a more accurate reading of the poem would be to consider alcohol intoxication, after all, other than just the images in the poem, the author, Poe was also given to alcoholism after the various tragedies in his life.To start this argument, it would first be best to consider why the previous interpretation of death by tuberculosis is faulty.   The reason for this faultiness is that an initial general reading of the poem was applied, and some of the finer details were disregarded in favor of the general reading.   To illustrate these further, take for instance the passage, â€Å"Through which came flowing/†¦A troop of echoes,/ whose sweet duty was but to sing† (27-30) – most readers interpret this as blood spit, however, there is nothing in these lines that present an image of one coughing out blood; these lines are more accurately alludi ng to someone who is talking gibberish, hence, the follow-up lines, â€Å"In voices of surpassing beauty,/the wit and wisdom of their king† (31-32)Most readers interpret this as being someone who is coughing up blood, but if read again carefully, the lines actually speak of someone who is incomprehensible, talking without ‘wit and wisdom’. (32)Another instance in the poem where a faulty reading is made is with the fifth stanza, this stanza is actually where the ‘haunting’ begins in the poem because this stanza talks about how the ‘monarch’ (34) dies.   There are readings of the poem that interpret this as the plague that killed the ‘monarch’ (34), however, if the lines are perused slowly, no such plague can be read into the poem.Others would argue that, â€Å"But evil things, in robes of sorrow† (33) personify the sickness of the king, but if this line is dissected it has to be noticed that what is being referred to here are ‘things’ (33), perhaps to mock the integrity of those whom this line is intended; and these ‘things’ (33) are in ‘robes of sorrow’ (33); the only ones who wore robes during the era of chivalry were knights and other nobility.These lines show how faultily the poem was interpreted by those who interpreted it as being the description of a head or someone dying with tuberculosis.Moving on, the next step would be to fortify the argument that, indeed, the poem is about drunkenness.   There are many details in the poem that point this particular subject matter out.Initially, let us consider the general theme of the poem – reading through it, it may be interpreted to be about someone who was initially a man of the people, and eventually, after succumbing to alcoholism, becomes introvert, depressed, and isolated from society.   The ‘death’ in the poem may be interpreted not as physical death but the death of a particula r aspect of a human person, such as his social affiliations, his sanity, or his soul.   This is validated in the end of the poem as will be explained in detail shortly.To begin the discussion of the poem and alcoholism, let us first consider the narrative of the poem which is shown in the first three stanzas.   In these stanzas, which are mostly descriptions of the palace, various allusions are noticed.For instance, in the second stanza, â€Å"Banners yellow, glorious, golden/on its roof did float and flow† (9-10); as opposed to the common interpretation of this being representative of the blond hair of the king in the poem, a more accurate interpretation would come from the Puritan tradition.Yellow ribbons have their origins in the English Civil War when members of the Puritan Army of English Parliament wore yellow ribbons.   This is also the origin of the ‘yellow-ribbon-tied-around-a-tree’ tradition which represents waiting for someone.Therefore, these pa ssages may just simply allude to the Puritan background of the poem, or perhaps, to the fact that the occupant of the palace is waiting for someone’s return.The parenthesized lines, â€Å"(This-all this-was in the olden/Time long ago,)† (11-12)   So, with these lines, it is easily concluded that the occupant of the palace has been waiting for someone for a very long time, which perhaps could be the reason for the development of melancholy, â€Å"Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,/A winged odor went away.†(15-16) The ‘spirits’ (14) in the third stanza do not refer to the ‘ghost’ that we might suppose them to be, but to actual persons – just as it might be used in the idiomatic expression ‘there was not a single soul in sight†.It is clear from the three stanzas of the narrative of the poem that there is nothing that talks about ‘tuberculosis’ or ‘death’.   These first three stanzas simpl y set the tone for a paradox as the poem progresses.   The poem is a mini story and as such, it has all the elements of a piece of prose, only rendered in poetry.   The images are very vivid and it is quite surprising that anyone would interpret it as something else more than just what it is actually saying.

Shoeless Joe Jackson and His Tragedy

In the short story â€Å"Shoeless Joe Jackson comes to Iowa†, Kinsella provides insight about a man who loves Iowa, his wife (Annie), his daughter (Karin), and lastly baseball. The setting of the story takes place on a rural farm in Iowa where Ray made a baseball field because he was told by a voice of a baseball announcer â€Å"If you build it, they will come†. (Pickering pg 740) Ray and Annie had bought this farm, years ago, to plant and cultivate corn and to raise their daughter in a safe environment. Ray, who was a baseball enthusiast, was told to build this field for â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson and his teammates to play baseball.He had no idea on how or why he might even begin to build this great field. So he started small with the field, he built a magnificent left field first for Joe. All the townspeople had heard what Ray was building and they thought he must have been crazy. Because he was taking a big section of his corn field and was turning it into a baseball diamond, he was going to be losing a huge profit in the harvest season for years to come. His remarkable wife went along with these plans and said,†Oh love, if it makes you happy, you should do it. †(Pickering pg 741) So Ray began on this project which took him several months just to build the eft field for Mr. Jackson, whom he had never even met. So when Ray hears the baseball announcers voice â€Å"If you build it they will come†,(Pickering pg. 740) he ,of course, was Shoeless Joe Jackson. Joe was born in Brandon Mills, South Carolina in July of 1887 and died in Greenville, South Carolina in December of 1951. Joe Jackson was the best left fielder that Ty Cobb had ever seen. Joe’s glove is the â€Å"place where triples go to die. †(Pickering pg. 741) Shoeless Joe Jackson was an American baseball player who played Major League Baseball in the early 20th century. He will always be remembered by his performance on the field and for is associat ion with the Black Sox Scandal, in which members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox participated in a conspiracy to fix the World Series. The Black Sox Scandal took place during the 1919 World Series. The conspiracy was the result of the White Sox first baseman Arnold â€Å"Chick† Gandil, whose long lasting ties to the underworld, persuaded a friend who was a gambler that a fix could be pulled off. A New York gangster, Arnold Rothstein, provided the money for the fix. Gandil enlisted several of his teammates, motivated by the dislike of the clubs owner Charles Comisky, whom they perceived as a tightwad, to implement the fix.The owner of the Sox had a reputation for underpaying his players for years. Since some of the guys on the team had ties to the mob, it was easy for them to start to resent other players who were straight-laced and followed the rules. There were a total of 8 players involved in the fix of the World Series. Starting pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Claude â€Å"Lefty † Williams, outfielder Oscar â€Å"Happy† Felsch and shortstop Charles â€Å"Swede† Risberg were all principally involved with Gandil. Although he hardly played in the series, utility infielder Fred McMillan got word of the fix and he threatened that he would go public unless e was in the payoff. â€Å"Sleepy† Bill Burns and â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson, both played for the Los Angeles Angels after the fix of the series, were mentioned in the fix though their involvement has been disputed. I think he was not involved at all but got caught up in some nasty mob dealings. In the infamous World Series, â€Å"Shoeless† Joe Jackson had 12 hits (a World Series record) and a . 375 batting average to lead both teams in the individual statistics. He, also, committed no errors and threw out a base runner at home plate. â€Å"Ultimately, eight Chicago players and various small-time gamblers were indicated in the candal. At a 1921 criminal trial, a strong case was presented to establish that some â€Å"Black Sox† players-as they became known- had in fact thrown games, but all the defendants were found not guilty when prosecutors failed to prove that they had violated any criminal statutes in doing so. †(Morrow pg 1) I, also, found out that there is significant evidence that owner of the Chicago White Sox, Charles Comisky, may have known about the fix and tried to cover it up in order to avoid a scandal. No formal charges have ever been brought up against him or any other officials. In the ook â€Å"Shoeless The Life and Times of Joe Jackson,† there were several letters written back and forth between Jackson and Comisky. Joe Jackson was asking for the loser’s share of the 1919 World Series which amounted to $3,154. 27 per man. Comisky had asked Jackson to return to Chicago to receive the payment but Jackson had prior obligations in Savannah, Ga. These letters continued for several months but to no avail. Ja ckson, also, wanted a new contract worth $10,000 per year. Comisky was only willing to pay him $7,000 per year but had already signed Eddie Collins and Buck Weaver to ontracts that was well above his asking price. Mr. Jackson had started his own business in Ga. which was a Billiard business. He explained, in his letters, that the contract that Comisky had offered was not up to par with the other great players of his era. He explained in one of those letters to Comisky that after taxes and having to live in the city where he played, there would not be enough money to keep the Billiard business on its feet. In the letter, Jackson explains that he has played for less money than any other player of his caliber. He, also, writes that if he cannot pay his asking price thatComisky needs to trade or sell him to another team that would pay him his asking price. Comisky shopped his name around to other organizations and teams but none of them wanted to sign him. In the last letters that they wrote to each other, Comisky explained that he did not receive any other offer from any other team to sign him. Jackson went on to write him back explaining that he would play for anything less than $10,000 per year but he, also, explained that he had heard that Comisky had given a raise of $2,300 to â€Å"Happy† Flesch who had only hit . 192 in the World Series. Finally,Comisky took matters into his own hands and sent Harry Grabiner to Savannah to obtain Jackson’s signature for the new contract. Mr. Grabiner informed Jackson that his new contract with the team would be increased by $2,000 per year and he was pleased with that contract. â€Å"This is where the stories diverge. Grabiner later insisted that Jackson knew that the ten day clause was included in the contract and that Jackson signed it in the house in Katie’s (Jackson’s wife) presence. Jackson claimed that his wife was not home at the time and that he signed it on the hood of the car only afte r Grabiner ssured him that the ten-day clause was not included. That evening, Harry Grabiner, headed back to Chicago with Jackson’s signed contract. The ten day clause appeared in Article 10 on the third of the contracts four pages. †(Fleitz pg 205) In summary Ray was building this field for these 8 players who were banned for life to come play and finish out their careers with nothing hanging over their heads. This field, on Ray’s land, would be famous and all the townspeople could come and watch some of the greatest baseball players to ever play the game. Works Cited Fleitz, David L.Shoeless The Life and Times of Joe Jackson. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &Co. Inc. 2001 Morrow, David. Black Sox Scandal. In Campbell, Ballard C. , PH. D. , gen. ed. 2008 Pickering, James H. Fiction 100. Pearson Education. Inc. 2012 Shoeless Joe Jackson and his Tragedy Jason Ebeling English Composition 2 Professor Moeller Nov. 15 2012

Brave New World: Correlation between the Dangers of a World State Society

Written in 1931 by English author Aldous Huxley, Brave New World is a novel still highly revered in today’s literary world. The novel sets itself in London, England, in the year 632 AF (After Ford). The world is a strikingly different place in Huxley’s futuristic World State than it is today – society’s technological advancements have come nowhere near the incredible developments in fertilization and population and control that the World State has. Yet despite this, the novel is still heavily referred to, both in instances within the literary world and outside.Thought written decades ago, Brave New World does not appear outdated in any way. The revelations and realizations of the characters within the novel could very well be the realizations of any 21st century man or woman. The novel Brave New World is still relevant in today’s modern world because its themes of government control, happiness conflicting with reality, and consumerism, are all prese nt in today’s society. Government control is a very large part of the society that Aldous Huxley has created in his novel. In the World State, not many people have the ability to achieve unbiased or preconditioned thought.The book starts at the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where the Director of the Hatchery is giving a number of students a tour around. He is explaining their methods of population control and fertilization, known as the Bokanovskification Process (pg. 6, Huxley). The process in which a Bokanovskified egg will divide into 96 buds that grow into full embryos is the first step in the process of conditioning. The Bokanovskified eggs are conditioned with hormones and chemicals as needed to get them into the state that the Director wants them in.Huxley hints at the objective of this conditioning when a young worker at the Hatchery, Mr. Foster, says, â€Å" â€Å"We decant our babies as socialized human beings, as Alphas or Epsilons, as future s ewage workers or future†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ He was going to say ‘future World Controllers,’ but correcting himself, said ‘future Directors of Hatcheries’ instead† (pg. 13, Huxley). This shows that government figures in the book are responsible for the achievements and successes of all the humans they hatch, because they are the ones who essentially craft their personalities and character traits.When they are conditioning the eggs by rejecting defects and enhancing positive features such as physical perfection, they inherently choose the path in life that the embryo will follow. This is much like the new ability that expecting parents have today to choose certain genetic aspects of their future child’s body. Parents have the ability to choose hair colour, eye colour, skin colour, and with our expanding technology, more child customization seems possible.Another method of government control is sleep conditioning, more formally known as hypnopaedic con ditioning. The sleeping newborns and fertilized embryos all go through a process in which workers at the Hatchery put bits of information through a loudspeaker on repeat while they sleep. This brainwashing of the fertilized eggs is similar to the programming and propaganda that many oppressive governments have tried to use on their people to prevent free thought, such as Hitler’s intense use of propaganda speeches and posters to fuel Anti-Semitic thought.Lastly, the advancements in World State technology have allowed for the drug soma to be created. Its self-induced feelings of happiness and contentment to distract from society’s flaws are in a way very similar to North America’s prescription drug addiction. Anti-depressant pills to distract from life’s hardships are used both within the novel and society today. The controlling government in Brave New World can be seen as a metaphor for modern society and the dangers that technology and too much governmen t create.Happiness and a grasp on reality are two ideals that do not coincide within the novel. John, the son of the Director and his wife Linda, is the Savage within the novel. He is an outcast amongst the members of his father’s society. John was an intelligent boy who was taught to read by his mother at an early age, demonstrated by a passage in the novel that says, â€Å"Soon he could read all the words quite well. Even the longest. But what did they mean? He asked Linda; but even when she could answer it didn’t seem to make it very clear† (pg. 130, Huxley).This is a reflection on the fact that his society is constantly trying to prevent him from learning – when John is taken back to the civilized world, he realizes that in order to be accepted into the World State and finally achieve happiness, he must give up learning and reading about the true nature of the world. He cannot make this sacrifice, which leads to his eventual suicide. This is similar t o free thinkers in the past and present that have gone against the norms of society, who have either stopped rebelling against society and decided to conform, or continue their research for truth at their own expense.Many early scientists were forced to conform to outdated forms of research due to religious or cultural beliefs within their society. Another example of how happiness and reality are incompatible is the use of the drug soma within society. The character of Lenina, a vaccination nurse at the Hatchery, is a heavy soma user. Every occasion that she finds strange or unusual is another opportunity for her friends and colleagues to encourage her use of soma, which makes her feel relaxed and without worry. An example of this is after she felt quite rejected by John after their date:Drying her eyes, Lenina walked across the roof to the lift. On her way down to the twenty seventh floor, she pulled out her soma bottle. One gram would not be enough, but two would make her late for work the next morning†¦She compromised and, into her cupped left palm, she took out three half-gram tablets. (pg. 171, Huxley) Her dependence on mind and mood altering drugs is similar to anti-depressants and their role in modern civilization. When somebody has a different mental process than the norm, they are encouraged to take medication even if their mental state is not harming anyone, thus repressing these thoughts from occurring.Lastly, Brave New World shows another representation of choosing between happiness and reality with society’s promiscuous nature. People are highly discouraged to develop feelings for a single human, and encouraged to take on multiple sexual partners. When Lenina starts to develop feelings for a man, her colleagues are quick to dissuade her from pursuing those feelings any further, all to conform to the harsh reality of the World State’s lack of personal relationships. This is an example of characters being forced to choose truth in stead of happiness.Drug dependence, persecution of creative minds, and oppression of the family are all ways that Brave New World demonstrates that happiness and truth cannot coincide. The theme of consumerism is very important to the understanding of how society works in the World State. Consumerism is a major aspect of their society because it is the driving force that allows the government to control the people of the World State without resorting to tyrannical or violent rule. During hypnopaedic conditioning sessions, the embryos will be taught that â€Å"Ending is better than mending† (pg. 23, Huxley).This is meant to show their society’s encouragement when it comes to buying new things. The quote is in reference to purchasing new clothes, and how it is favored to attempting to fix old clothes. They are taught at a young age that this is the best option, which reflects on the world’s current driven consumer society. All over the globe today, it can be seen that what truly makes a country successful is not its politics, but rather its economy. Commercials, politicians, and public messages of any kind are constantly trying to insert their message into society’s mind – purchasing new items will help society and the economy.Buying things will somehow add to personal happiness. Even fixing broken or lower class products by oneself is discouraged as there exist paid services that allow others to do the fixing instead. A second important point worth nothing in Brave New World is the attitude towards things as simple as children’s toys. When a product breaks (for example, a child’s toy), instead of the same toy being bought once more, increasingly complicated toys are created instead. This is similar to today’s consumerist society where advertisers and consumers are always searching for something â€Å"better†.Though the search for better products may improve technology, it also puts emphasis on unnec essary materialistic items. The last and most important aspect of consumerism is its religious like status. The founder of the World State, a man called Ford, is named in reference to Henry Ford, the famous automobile maker. When talking to one another, members of the World State often make a capital-T with their hands. This is a reference to Ford’s famous T-model car, as well as the Christian symbol of the cross.These gestures heavily imply that Ford, a famous capitalist, is seen as a Christ-like figure, and consumerism has replaces religious belief. The manipulation of World State Citizens into thinking that they must spend money at a constant rate, idea that something â€Å"better† must all exist, and the religious-type undertones of society all show how consumerism is a major aspect of the novel. Brave New World is a novel that directly reflects modern society through its depictions of government, truth’s incompatibility with happiness, and consumerism. Unli ke many dystopian novels that depict futuristic governments s oppressive and dictatorial beings, Brave New World is a story that does not portray the people in command as a repressive, brutish force. Just as in our society today, the community within the World State are each given choices – there are no sections of the government that require people to take soma, yet they do. There are no sections of the government that require people to partake in sexual activities, yet they do. Aldous Huxley’s depiction of the World State is relevant to ours because it is a direct reflection upon what humans today have done to society.People are given an endless amount of choices as to whether or not they want to conform, but as presented through the characters in the novel and people in the 21st century, the society that people live in will inevitably modify those choices. Brave New World is a story that masterfully shows the correlation between the dangers of a World State society and the dangers of the modern world. Works Cited Huxley, Aldous. Brave New World. New York HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. 1931

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Two reading reports Wawasan2020and The Case for conta mination Essay

Two reading reports Wawasan2020and The Case for conta mination - Essay Example Malaysia is a country that competes with other countries like the Philippines and Singapore in terms of grabbing more foreign semiconductor projects. For the Malaysia to be able to win semiconductors contracts, Malaysian government is challenged not only to improve the technical know-how of the Malays in terms of manufacturing high-quality semiconductors but also provide the foreign investors with special government protection that could make the business and political environment attractive to foreign investors (Greider, p. 162). Since Malaysia needs to increase technology transfer, Malaysia government protects and makes the export of semi-conductors attractive by offering the semiconductor industry with lengthy holidays from paying taxes, strictly prohibits the formation of independent unions, and maintaining low employee wages (Greider, pp. 164 – 165). This strategy will encourage technology transfer by inviting more foreign investors with more sophisticated technologies to invest in Malaysia. I strongly agree that the use of good government intervention could enable each country to remain competitive in the global markets. By attracting more foreign investors, the socio-economic problems such as the high unemployment rate in developed and developing countries can be easily solved. â€Å"The Case for Contamination† is an article that focused on discussing the potential impact of globalization over the culture and beliefs of the Ghanaians. Because of globalization and improvements in communication technology, it is so much easier for a person to travel to other countries and adapt the culture of another nation. In line with this, the president of Ghana has travelled to different places including Oxford University in the United States and London in the United Kingdom where he became one of the Inns of Court (Appaih a). Promoting the importance of cultural diversity between developed and

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Final - Essay Example This is of Italian origin and speaks about the intricacies that surround the human condition (Petsko 2). These works of the Italians tell something about their culture. They value relations between the human and the society with them. Together with it, there is an association of different cultures all packed in to the Divine comedy; something to be regarded as a hybrid that becomes a new level of critical analysis for the society (Papastergiadis 40). Cultures are diverse and they are very colourful since it speaks about identity of every individual. However, one thing to consider in modern world now, especially in America is that arts start to become a burden and its relevance is deteriorating in the context of the modern American society since universities now starts to do cost cutting on the arts and humanities (Petsko 1). This is now a sad situation that I really abhor. The world now becomes a business place and through globalization, America starts to be so hegemonic and homogene ous (Steger 82). This made art a commodity only for entertainment and art as an education becomes a burden (Petsko 1). America now starts to be so insensitive about the importance of arts and humanities for the development of an individual. ... Different priorities happen. Welfare over profit becomes the mode of most societies nowadays (Petsko 1). Cost cutting occurs and the irrelevant ones affected especially the arts. However, the American society now, due to globalization, has become so unappreciative of the arts and undermining its value (Nussbaum 8). Curriculums are changed to be so responsive to the profit driven world that constantly robs the people of the society their right to a decent living (Petsko 1 and Steger 75). Given this case, why did the Americans start to shun out other cultures and view them as not that relevant to the conditions of America now? Globalization is the answer. Globalization starts to exert a hegemonic in all forms especially culture especially in terms of the popular (Steger 81). Even if we say that culture is something intrinsic and relevant to one particular group or society, they have been undermines by these hegemonies. Hybrid then becomes a form of resistance (Papastergiadis 49). This becomes a strong that can at least sustain the field of arts and humanities in other countries present in the world though I always put into consideration that even if this resistance is indeed plausible, it still cannot exert a very strong condition for it to prevent the diminishing value that the arts and humanities, ultimately culture in its totality, cannot be regarded as strong enough. In the present wave of occurrence, I somehow detest the political moves of the America in the global arena since they are regarded to be one of the strongest forces that uphold globalization. This something that I do not really like at all because globalization then becomes a tool for America to be undemocratic and inconsiderate of other cultures which could be a reflection of

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 15

Research paper - Essay Example Therefore, this could not have come at the right time. Jack caught the shoplifter and asked her to accompany him to the security area for the necessary interrogations. Interestingly, as Jack escorted the female shoplifter to the security area, her male counterpart yelled and swore that the women did not deserve such treatment. On their way to the security office, Jack instructed the man who was in the company of the shoplifter to remain outside the security office as his presence in the interrogations was of secondary importance. Oblivious of the implications, the partner forced himself into the security room while at the same time yelling, swearing, and pointing accusing fingers at Jack’s face. He also referred to Jack as a â€Å"Nigga† meaning a black man. In a reactionary mood, Jack responded to the situation by hitting the customer in his stomach. This commotion forced Chris to alert the police, and both customers were apprehended. However, pursuant to the Grocery policies, employee code of conduct prohibits aggression and violence within the premises. Moreover, the policy forbids fights and any forms of physical confrontations at the workplace. Taking these policy provisions into consideration, Jack had gone through an elaborate training exposing him to get a proper grip of the company policy on workplace violence. This comprehensive training given to Jack offers the impression that he was liable to any action that violates the company policy provisions. In light of this stance, Jack was fired due to abuse of the nonviolence policy. Furthermore, he had a moral obligation to shape the errant customer in the spirit of the company policy stipulations. Apart from the dismissal, Jack was sued for the unfair portrayal of his nationality. This paper is an expository analysis of three case laws including; Ali vs. Roggers, Zeinali vs. Raytheon Co., and Rashidan vs. Geissberger . According to the

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Self Values and Listening Habits - Essay Example It gave me huge opportunity to reflect on my non verbal communication that significantly impact on relationship building. Eye contact shows that person would be honest in his communication and upright posture would indicate that one is confident that one would be given leverage to give his or point of view of the situation. Listening intently would reassure speaker that I understand viewpoint. Hence rather than looking at pictures and elsewhere, I must make eye contact with people and nod occasionally. A feedback at the end would help to convey my proactive participation in the interaction. I believe that improving non verbal communication would significantly promote relationship building. As a manager, it helped me communicate effectively with the workforce and inculcate an environment of trust and mutual respect. It has given me huge opportunity to improve both as an individual as well as a manager. I am more confident and am better able to exploit the potential of my workers. (246 ) Self values We are all driven by the long term goals and larger mission in our life. It generally comprises of achieving socio-economic security for oneself and one’s family, happiness, a comfortable life and sense of achievement. Our value system helps us in meeting our personal and professional goals and objectives. The three most important values for me are: accountability of action; commitment to people and work; and lastly positive attitude. The self values are critical elements that play vital role in my interaction with the people in the work place. These values have been greatly influenced by my family and highlight integrity, power and authority tempered with empowerment of individuals. I have imbibed them through my association with my family and peers and know that commitment towards other people not only promotes trust but is also key to happiness. Happiness is important as it greatly contributes towards improved productivity. My priorities in life are to become financial secure, have a large family and use my authority for the wider welfare of the people. I try to fulfill the priorities by correlating my values within the broader framework of my professional life as a manager. As a manager, I have achieved financial security for myself. Though I have not yet my own family (meaning children), I believe that as a manager, I have judiciously used my power and authority. Indeed, commitment to organizational goals and welfare of people, have been intrinsic parts of my managerial leadership initiatives. I have developed effective communication skills and positive attitude that helps to motivate workers to be creative and highly productive. Time management has been other key factor which had adversely impacted my performance. I realized that there were three major aspects of work which must be addressed. Minor tasks were ignored, I lacked motivation at the beginning of the work and lastly I used to forget important assignments or meetings. These were very crucial issues which were hindering not only my professional development but also undermining my authority and power as an effective manager. Hence, the thing that I did was to keep a diary where I could jot down all the work that needed to be done. It was a great help because it helped me to streamline my work and significantly reduced mental tension and worry. The diary also helped me to plan my work and schedule work so that I could address all the work/ projects and workplace

Transpower Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Transpower - Assignment Example This analysis comes in the wake of an announcement from the New Zealand government, for instance, that there had been an allocation in the amount of $4.6 billion for the upgrading of the national power grid over the course of the next ten years, beginning in 2012, with the key purpose of the investments being the modernization of the grid and the setting up of infrastructure to ready the country for future increases in power consumption and demand. This fund is also earmarked to likewise improve reliability of power supply to consumers, both industrial and residential. On the other hand, the investment plan also takes a shot at the current state of generation and transmission in New Zealand, where generation facilities are centralized, and necessitate the kind of transmission infrastructure investments that could be limited and reduced by investing more in distributed generation moving forward. The idea is that transmission investments are not etched in stone as necessary, if generat ion is distributed, and if such facilities are located close to the demand. Where this becomes a reality, then there is a reduced need to build large generation facilities and the necessary transmission infrastructure needed to pipe the power to the consumers (Sustainable Energy Association, 2012). II. Transmission Upgrade Projects Are On-going and Massive The investment in additional grid infrastructure, in particular new transmission lines capabilities/capacities on top of the existing infrastructure, or as an addition to that, has been on-going, with the total capital outlay for those projects slated at $5 billion over the next ten years, as estimated by Transpower itself, and broken down into a number of key infrastructure projects, some on-going, and with varying completion dates. The key projects are said to be one, the upgrading of the transmission grid in the North Island, which is intended to erect a new link for transmitting power between Auckland and Whakamaru; two, upgra ding of the transmission link between Northland and North Auckland, which entails putting up a 220 kV infrastructure link as well as two substations; three, the replacement of the pole used to link different islands in New Zealand via HVDC, specifically Pole 1; and four, the erection of a new transmission infrastructure between Whakamaru and Wairakei, that will be double-circuited (Transpower, 2012). The upgrading of the whole grid in the North Island is said to be among the largest of the current crop of on-going projects, with project completion slated in 2012, and

The Heart of Darkness Essay Example for Free

The Heart of Darkness Essay The Heart of Darkness is a novella written by Joseph Conrad. In this book the main character, Marlow, ventures up the Nile River to find a man named Kurtz. As he continues his journey up river he experiences a vast range of emotions and situations that are putting him to the test to see if he can keep his sanity. One of the situations he encounters are the natives of the Congo. At first they are seen as the primitive savage-like people that live in the darkness of Congo. Their way of life seems so out of the norm that there is no way that Marlow could ever understand or feel equal with them. As his journey continues to find Kurtz, he starts to understand their way of life and figure out the meanings of darkness. In the heart of darkness, Joseph Conrad uses the narrator, Marlow, to portray the evolution of mind on how the idea of darkness is a misconception, and by the end of the novella, the once â€Å"primitive savages† are in reality Marlow’s equals. In the beginning of the voyage up the river Marlow’s mindset on the natives is more of, they live an uncivilized life, killing their own people. Marlow thinks his way of life is more civilized. Eating with forks, wearing shoes. But what Marlow doesn’t see is the point of view of the natives. He doesn’t take into consideration of their definition of norm, their definition of civilized. Marlow thinks that his way is the only right way. The natives are civilized in their own way. The way they were brought up and the way they live. Later on in the journey Marlow’s traditional views of imperialists starts to fade, the people that don’t see the conquered natives as humans. â€Å"It was unearthly, and the men were-No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it-this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled, and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity-like yours- the  thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you-you so remote from the night of fist ages-could comprehend† He starts to develop a tiny kinship with the natives. He starts to understand their screams. Marlow develops a place in his mind that understan ds where they are coming from and that everyone has some barbarian inside them. Its natural and it is normal. At the end of the journey Marlow doesn’t consider the natives his equal. He views them more as animals or pets. That you can teach them but and they can learn the meaning but not the significance. Essentially it’s like a parent trying to get their kid to stay in bed by telling them there is a monster under it. They will learn commands but they will not reach the full level of sophistication that he has.

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations | Analysis

Construction (Design and Management) Regulations | Analysis CDM 2007 – An Analysis Abstract This paper discusses the CDM 2007 regulations promulgated by the UK government that came into effect in April 2007. The new regulations made several changes to the CDM regulations of 1994, however it can still be debated if these will be able to bring about a radical change to the health and safety condition in the UK construction industry, and this is specifically the question under discussion in this paper. Keywords: Construction, CDM, UK 1.  Introduction The construction industry in United Kingdom employs about 7% of the country’s total workforce, but accounts for over 25% of fatal injuries and 16% of the major accidents (Bennett and Gilbertson, 2007). This makes improvements in health and safety conditions at the work place a priority for the government and the industry both. Health and safety requirements at construction sites are specified by the Council Directive 1992/57/EEC. Its management requirements were enforced in the UK through the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 (CDM 94) and its practical health, safety and welfare measures mainly by the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996 (CHSW). Despite the enforcement of CDM 1994, there have been concerns that the regulations were only promoting wasteful bureaucracy and red-tape that put unnecessary burden on businesses and were actually failing to deliver on ensuring effective health and safety management. Several non-legislative rem edies such as informal guidance from the Chief Inspector of Construction (through Nattrass Letter, 1995) and revision of CDM 94’s supporting approved code of practice in 2001 by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) were used to rectify the situation but did not proved very useful (Anderson, 2007). In 2002, the industry’s attitude to the health and safety regime was gauged through a major consultative exercise. The feedback from the industry showed support for the principles of CDM 94 but revealed wide-spread dissatisfaction with their implementation procedures in the regulations which were perceived as difficult to understand and inflexible (Mann, 2007). The consultation identified the need of making the duties of clients more proportionate to their level of influence and argued that the role of Planning Supervisor has been ineffective in ensuring health and safety at the construction sites. It was acknowledged that the health and safety record of the industry was nei ther morally acceptable nor economically viable. The consultation stressed on taking the ownership and providing leadership along with setting ambitious targets from improvement. HSE promised to play its role by re-examining the legislation and its approach towards enforcing regulation to make sure that they reflected the objectives (Murphy, 2007). The following conclusions were drawn from the industry’s response on these issues: Earlier initiatives had not achieved the desired change in the industry’s approach; The CDM principles were generally supported, but the paperwork burden needed to be reduced as a lot of compliance effort was being wasted; and There was a desire for a set of clear, simple, unambiguous and practical legislation (and supporting guidance) for the industry, which should remain focused on the underlying objective of saving life, avoiding injuries and maintaining health (Bennett and Gilbertson, 2007). In the light of these findings, proposals were developed to improve the CDM 94 regulations over a period of 3 years by HSE and an industry-working group established under the Health and Safety Commission’s (HSC) Construction Industry Advisory Committee (CONIAC). Widespread consultations were made and over 300 responses were taken into consideration to the formal discussion document issues in 2002 along with the HSE’s experience with the existing Regulations. 400 responses were also considered during the public consultation that occurred over 4 months during summer 2005 (Murphy, 2007). Following public consultation, the revised proposals were finally approved by CONIAC and by the HSC. These bodies represent all stakeholders including employer, employee and other interests (Anderson, 2007). Relevant Government Departments for example Prime Minister’s Panel on Regulatory Accountability were also consulted throughout and their agreement to the proposals was obtained by early 2005. New CDM regulations were therefore drafted together with the supporting Approved Code of Practice (ACoP), developed in line with Better Regulation principles. These aim to reduce construction accidents and ill health by: Being flexible and accommodating the wide range of contractual arrangements to be found in the construction industry; Emphasising the need to plan and manage work rather than the bureaucracy associated with it; Emphasising the communication and co-ordination advantages of duty holders working in integrated teams; and Simplifying the way duty holders assess competence (Murphy, 2007). The new CDM regulations, known as CDM 2007 were enforced on April 6, 2007. The following section discusses they changes they brought to the CDM 94. It will be followed by the evaluation of their costs and benefits while the last section will conclude the paper. 2.  CDM 2007 In April 2007, the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (also known as the CDM Regulations 2007) replaced CDM Regulation 1994. The new regulations were applied to all construction and property contracts/projects held after 6th April 2007 and started impacting the major health and safety issues and rules in construction (Manion, 2007). Some of the major insinuations for companies in property and construction business include: For ongoing projects few transitional provisions will be introduced. All the construction clients will be required to do such arrangements which insure health and safety. For all projects starting after 6th April 2007 clients’ agent will not be allowed. Clients will make a declaration the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) of how long contractors will be given to plan and prepare for construction work; â€Å"CDM co-ordinators will replace planning supervisors The Client will be known as the principal contractor or CDM co-ordinator for time in which appointments have not been made of another person. Clients and duty holders will have more responsibilities (Manion, 2007). Here we discuss the key constituents of the CDM 2007 regulations and the changes these have brought to the Health and Safety and the role and responsibilities it assigns to different stakeholders. 2.1  Notifiable or non-Notifiable projects The differentiation between â€Å"notifiable and non- notifiable construction projects still exist in CDM Regulations 2007. For all Notifiable projects HSE should receive a notice of the project. In new regulation there is slight change in criteria for notification of a project.According to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 a modifiable project is one which is involve more than 30 days and 500 person days of construction work. The current change is applicable on projects that will involve this amount of work however more marginal/smaller construction projects are subject to the full range of duties (Bennett and Gilbertson, 2007). Another important point is that if a construction project has already been notified to HSE under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, there is no need to give another notice under 2007 Regulations. The 2007 CDM Regulations also list the duties that apply to all projects, and additional duties that only apply to Notifiable projects. 2.2  Duty holders In the new CDM 2007 Regulations the duty holders will remain the same. The stakeholders will be: Contractors or sub-contractors for construction projects. Clients, this includes commercial purchasers of constriction, people involved in engineering works and other construction services. Designers, the people who prepare and modify the construction designs. Principal Contractors, normally the main contractors of construction project. CDM co-ordinators, previously known as planning supervisors (formerly planning supervisors) (Manion, 2007). In some construction and building projects, it is possible that one duty holder performs more than one role e.g. design and build contractor can be the principal contractor, or a designer, or a CDM co-ordinator, or a commercial purchases. 2.3  General Duties Each stakeholder in a construction project require to follow a specific duty however the core duty of every party is to co-operate and co-ordinate with each other. Generally in relation to health and safety issues, every person involved in a particular project will co-operate with other duty holders involved in construction work on same or adjacent sites. In 2007 CDM Regulations the requirements of co-operating with duty holders working on adjoining sites are new and some time can be difficult to achieve. However the results expected are very good, therefore these should be follow (Anderson, 2007). According to CDM 2007 each duty holder involved in a construction project is required to co-ordinate their activates from a health and safety perspective. At all duty sites, duty holders will be required to take into consideration the general principal of prevention. These principles include evaluating and battling risks at source, avoiding risks, adapting technical progress and giving collective protective measures priority over individual measures (Manion, 2007). The general duties of each duty holder at construction site are: 2.3.1  The Clients Duties New CDM Regulation 2007 has increased the emphasis on the client to ensure health and safety compliance. In many construction projects clients will use experience professional to help them perform their duties. Under the CDM Regulations 1994, clients were allowed to hand over their duties to an agent, however they will not be able to use the services any such agents for all new projects after 6th April 2007. However if there is a construction site where a client is using agent to perform these services, under the transitional provisions/period, agents will still be allowed to continue in that role for existing projects until 5 April 2012 if the agent agrees to assume the duties of a client under the CDM Regulations 2007.However it is important that clients check all arrangements with their agents (Anderson, 2007). Many developers have many subsidiary companies or do joint ventures with their partners or funders. In such cases there can be more than one duty holder fitting the description of client. According to new CDM 2007 Regulations one client should be nominated to fulfil the client duties and the nominee must meet the new requirements. These duties include: In-place the project management arrangements for health and safety. Check that for workers enough welfare facilities are in-place. Ensure that adequate time is given to the principal contractor to plan and prepare for work. Provide all the information related to health and safety in its possession. Ensure that the health and safety files and any information that should be kept under the asbestos regulation are revised regularly. To ensure that before the work starts the CDM Regulations complies with principal contractor construction phase plan. This replaces the health and safety plan (Topping, 2007). According to new CDM 2007 regulations, whenever a building is sold client must provide health and safety file to the purchaser and ensure that purchases knows the nature of the purpose of the file. The health and safety files can relate to more than one project, site or structure, and is subject to the condition that the information relevant to each part project, site or structure can be easily identified (Manion, 2007). 2.3.2  The Client Appointments As soon as client knows sufficient about project to select a suitable person, and a feasible initial design or other preparation work has been commenced, the key responsibility of Client now is to appoint a CDM co-ordinator. This appointment should be in-writing and until the time these appointments are made the client is believed to fulfil this role. At many construction sites the planning supervisors are appointed much earlier than CDM co-ordinators. Clients also have responsibility to take reasonable steps to ensure that parties they appoint are competent enough to comply with the relevant duties (HOL, 2007). There are detailed guidance in ACOP for assessing competence. No party it ought to accept an appointment unless it is competent to handle it. In existing construction projects the planning supervisor will automatically become the CDM co-ordinator and the principal contractor remain in place unless different appointments are made. To comply with Construction (Design and Manage ment) Regulations 2007 clients got time till 5th April 2008 to check the capability of CDM co-ordinator and principal contractor and CDM co-ordinators and principal contractors also got the same time to ensure and improve their own competence in this field (Topping, 2007). 2.3.3  The CDM co-ordinator The CDM 2007 places the CDM Co-ordinator at the heart of the project to help to ensure co-operation and co-ordination and that all duty holders share the information required by the CDM Regulations. It is also responsible to advice and assist the client to discharge the clients duties (e.g. advice on assessing competence and on the project management arrangements to be put in place). The CDM co-ordinator is responsible for preparing (if not done), reviewing and updating the health and safety file and submitting notices of the project to the HSE. It will be interesting to watch the interactions between the project manager and the CDM co-ordinator in terms of how each role is carried out in practice as the role of CDM co-ordinator is introduced only recently in the CDM 2007 regulations (Webb, 2008). 2.3.4  Designers The CDM 2007 does not radically change the scope of duties of the designers but expresses them in clearer terms.The role of designers is emphasised by HSE because they are involved in the project from early to final stages and their initial decision affect the health and safety during the construction phase and for end use of the structure. The main duty assigned to designer is to ensure avoidance of foreseeable risks to health and safety of any person carrying out construction work or using the structure/building post completion. If designers appointed on a British project are foreign residents, the person commissioning the design is responsible for ensuring compliance with designers duties. Careful consideration should be given as to how to manage this risk when appointing a foreign designer or off-shoring design work (Dunne, 2007). 2.3. 5 Principal contractors and contractors As far as the contractors are concerned, the feedback obtained at the consultation sessions suggested that the principal contractor and contractor provisions worked well under the CDM regulations 1994, therefore HSE did not seek to radically depart from them.The regulations make principal contractor responsible for the health and safety during the construction phase of the project.This requires the principal contractor to co-operate and co-ordinate with others, provide welfare facilities, direct its contractors and to check that suitable site inductions, information and training is given to workers. The principal contractor is also obliged to inform its contractors of the minimum time which will be given for planning and preparation for construction work. The contractors duties largely complement those of the principal contractor so that health and safety requirements are observed throughout the contractual chain. The provisions requiring worker engagement in relation to health and s afety matters are also increased in scope (Coulter, 2007). The changes in the roles and responsibilities of all concerned have been discussed above, however the main focus in the CDM 2007 is to make those with the greatest control and influence over a project, namely the project team and the client, responsible for health and safety. The regulations also introduce a new role of co-ordinator in place of the planning supervisor who will be appointed by the client. The co-ordinator will be required to identify and extract all information required to secure the health and safety of anyone engaged in construction work. The other big change is that ultimate responsibility and consequently, liability for health and safety rests with the client for all construction projects. While the client can delegate the duties under the regulations, for example to the co-ordinator, it nonetheless retains liability for complying with the regulations (Anderson, 2008). 3. Discussion The costs and benefits of enforcing new regulations need to be seen in the context of their social and economic effect on the society. In a Regulatory Impact Assessment done by HAS, the costs and benefits of CDM 2007 were discussed by examining the previous 10 years of accident data. The accident records of the industry are the basic unit used to benchmark the cost and benefits (Topping, 2007). Table 1: Number of fatal injuries to workers and members of the public 1996/97 to 2004/05 (Topping, 2007) Table 2: Number of major injuries to workers and non-fatal injuries to members of the  public 1996/97 to 2004/05 (Topping, 2007) The construction industry in UK is highly fragmented, has no entry threshold, itinerant and casualised. As mentioned before, the industry employs 7% of the working population and accounts for 8% of UK GDP, but accounts for 25% of fatal injuries and 16% of the major accidents. Construction work is inherently hazardous and the risks associated with these hazards are difficult to manage due to the constantly changing nature of the working environment. Tables 1 and 2 provide the number of fatal and non-fatal but major injuries in the industry from 1996 to 2005. The data is broken up by employees, self-employed and members of public affected by the incidents. The total present value cost of injuries and ill-health, including minor and non-injury accidents in the construction sector is estimated at  £13.8 billion to  £17.7 billion over the 10 year appraisal period (Topping, 2007). This means that any reduction in the number of incidents has direct impact on not only human but also on e conomic cost. Strict economic cost benefit analysis would however consider the savings gained through implementing CDM 2007 (by reducing the accidents) minus the costs incurred on enforcing/implementing CDM 2007 regulations. Here we therefore look into the costs associated with implementing CDM 2007 and the overall savings due to reduction in accidents (Webb, 2008). The compliance with changed duties essentially requires two sets of costs to be incurred. Firstly, there will be a cost associated with familiarisation with the changed duties. Secondly, there will be costs associated with the carrying out of the changed duties (Thame, 2007). There are four main groups that will be required to familiarise themselves with the proposed Regulations: contractors, designers, co-ordinators and clients. However the whole exercise is intended to reduce the chances for accidents. The data gathered from various pilot projects where CDM 2007 was implemented demonstrated the pilot projects were: More predictable in terms of cost and time; More productive than the industry average; Safer; Had less impact on the environment; and Achieved higher customer satisfaction (Dunne, 2007). If the whole construction industry (including non-notifiable projects) achieves the same results as the pilot projects then project costs could potentially fall by 6%. Improved client leadership, respect for people, measurement and monitoring of performance and greater supply chain integration are all key themes of the revised CDM 2007 package, and it is therefore likely that some of the productivity gains shown on the demonstration projects would be expected to accrue from the proposed changes in the Regulations. There is not an exact match between the changes in the Regulations and those trialled at the demonstration projects, and therefore it is not appropriate to assume that the full 6% productivity gains would flow from the changes. If it is assumed that implementation of the proposed Regulations leads to a 3% reduction in project costs for projects where there is currently insufficient attention by clients, designers and contractors to planning, managing and monitoring then th e present value cost saving from reduced project costs for all projects over the 10 year appraisal period is between  £1.0 billion and  £2.9 billion over the 10 year appraisal period. It is therefore quite clear that even by the measure of strict economic parameters, the benefits of CDM 2007 far out weigh its costs (Topping, 2007). Therefore the CDM 2007 regulations have been well received by most stakeholders. The industry professional bodies, employees unions, employers, concerned government departments and general public (Brindley, 2007). Industry experts see it as a major change in health and safety regulations since 1994, as John Malins, associate at law firm Davies Arnold Cooper puts it: †¦ (They are) the most radical change to construction health and safety legislation since 1994, the year when the existing CDM regulations came into effect, he further adds: Contractors, employers and designers would be wise to review their obligations now, warns Malins. Any projects straddling the April 2007 effective date will be subject to the new regulations, which apply to all construction projects lasting more than 30 days or involving more than 500 person days of construction work. Another expert in construction law, Ken Salmon of Mace Jones also suggests that new regulations have radically changed the way Health and Safety Executive decides who is responsible for the safe procurement and management of building projects and for accidents. The new regulations thus aim to reduce the number of accidents on building sites from around 4,700 currently per year. The biggest impact of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2007 is on companies or individuals (the clients) who commission new buildings, even if they have no direct role in the work. Before CDM 2007, if an accident happened, such as a crane toppling over on a building site, it was considered contractors, designers or managers responsibility, however with the new regulations, those who pay for the building works will also be in the frame (Anderson, 2008). Many companies may mistakenly believe there is not much new in these revised regulations but they would be wrong. Everything is different the definition of construction, for instance, will change to include demolition and dismantling†¦. and most importantly, a client will not be able to hide behind its agent if something goes wrong. If he knows or should have known of deficiencies in the procurement, design, management or construction process, he will have a duty to do something about it and be at risk if he fails. Failing to comply or breaches of Health Safety Welfare law is punishable following a conviction in the Crown Court with unlimited fine and up to two years imprisonment (Brindley, 2007). Deansgate Law firm Pannone’s partner in the construction team, Sean McCay highlighted the costs of complying with CDM 2007, however he also believes that new regulations make it much more dangerous for the project team to start work without ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations and it therefore is a welcome change from the situation in the past: Such enhanced regulation, and presumably scrutiny, is highly likely to come at a price leading to increased project costs as a consequence of, for example, the necessary legal and other professional support required to ensure the correct application and implementation of the Regulations. Under the new regulations the end-user client has many more responsibilities which cannot be delegated, and the practice of starting work prior to full planning, resourcing and documentation could become legally as well as physically dangerous for all concerned. (Dunne, 2007) However, despite its intended benefits, there has been some criticism on CDM 2007 as well as the whole approach of the government and society towards the health and safety at construction sites. It is argued that despite providing very comprehensive health and safety systems and referring to good codes of practice, CDM regulations have â€Å"sucked† the feeling of responsibility away from individuals. The responsibility for ensuring health and safety should not be something imposed by the government, rather it should be something that all members of the society support and share as they all want to be able to about all aspects of their lives safely and productively. It therefore should even be important when no body is around to monitor. The Health and Safety Executive therefore should work more on creating awareness among the stakeholders and in general public and try to change the culture rather than producing plethora of documents on the issue. This point of view therefore emphasises on the change in culture where health and safety is not only seen as complying a code of conduct but is actually taken as a personal responsibility and of great human benefit (Coulter, 2007). Another criticism is that the new regulations with enhanced responsibilities on client may take the focus away from the contractors. According to this argument the safety in construction begins and ends on site, and it is entirely the responsibility of the contractors’ management, therefore the designers should not be restrained by petty regulations.The kind of issues involved in safety on site such as falls from heights, adequate means of access, safe working platforms, tidiness, traffic and machine management, falling objects and so on, need not to be compromised by another impenetrable layer of bureaucracy and mountain of paper. The site safety adviser should spend 95% of his or her time on site, not form filling (Brindley, 2007; Coulter, 2007). There are also some question marks on the actual implementation of regulations. The effective enforcement of the legislation on construction health and safety issues is as important as the law itself. It is perfectly obvious that it is of little worth having laws that no one knows about and that no one enforces. It might be a little less obvious that if the law is too complex, difficult to understand or even incomprehensible in layman’s terms then it might be, in effect, ignored. In occupational health and safety terms the one and only objective of any health and safety legislation is the prevention of accidents and cases of ill health within the work environment, and to that end there has to be good law backed up with effective, sensible and accountable enforcement (Anderson, 2008). The critics therefore suggest that despite changes in the law itself and to the process of its implementation, no changes have been made in the way it will be enforced and therefore some attention must also be given on ensuring that it is enforced across the board literally and in spirit. 4.  Conclusion The paper reviewed the changes to the CDM regulations with specific focus on changes to the Health and Safety regulations. It can be learnt from the above discussion that the changes in the policy include: simplified trigger for formal appointments and preparation of plans; clarification of designer duties; Remittances for Developing Countries | Research Proposal Remittances for Developing Countries | Research Proposal Background Remittance is a major source of external funding for developing nations. It has been an important source of migrant workers in countries suffering from labour shortage, and it also helps these countries in building up their foreign exchange reserve that help them to meet the balance of payments and help stabilize the value of the local currency against the US dollar. It is almost inflow from developed to developing countries have received great attention among academician and policymakers, because that transfers in form of remittances undertaken by migrant workers to their countries of origin increased substantially in the last decades. The data had reported by World Bank in 2012, remittances flows to developing countries have more than quadrupled since 2000. Global remittances, including those to high-income countries, are estimated to have reached $529 billion in 2012, compared to $132 billion in 2000. Developing countries is the largest share of remittances receiving. In year 2012 , developing countries to receive it over 400 billion US dollar, an increase of 5.3% over the previous year and are expected to increase at an annual average rate of 8.8 percent in the next three years. They are also forecast to reach $468 billion in 2014 and $515 billion in 2015 of all flow to developing countries. Remittances generally reduce the level and severity of poverty, typically leading to: higher human capital accumulation; greater health and education expenditures; better access to information and communication technologies; improved access to formal financial sector services; enhanced  small business  investment; more entrepreneurship; better preparedness for adverse shocks such as droughts, flooding, earthquakes and cyclones; and essentially reduced child labor. International labor organization had estimated that remittances sent home by migrants to developing countries are equivalent to more than three times the size of official development assistance and can have profound implications for development and human welfare. Remittances can contribute to lowering poverty and building human and financial capital for the poor. However the enormous amount of matter, amount of money that migrant workers sent home is only 13% of the income of such workers receive. This means that the in come of the remaining 87% of migrant workers to remain in the host country. It is approximately 1 trillion, so that migrant workers have greatly helped boost the economy of the destination country. Asian countries is the most important source of migrant workers, because most of countries are in the rank of top remittance recipients countries in the world (by the top recipients of officially recorded remittances in 2012) show that: India has become the largest recipient of global remittances, received $70 billion, and then China $66 billion, the Philippines $24 billion, Pakistan $14 billion, Bangladesh $14 billion, Vietnam $10 billion, and Lebanon $7 billion. However, as a share of GDP, remittances were larger in smaller and lower income countries; top recipients relative to GDP in Asian countries were Tajikistan (47%), Kyrgyz Republic (29%) and Nepal (22%). Research problem During the last three decades, remittances have become an important source of economic growth in many developing countries, especially in Asian countries. However, there are lots of literatures on how remittances impact to economic growth of receiving countries, but the result of them studies are conflicting. For instance, some academicians believe that workers’ remittances have positive effect on economic growth of recipient countries (de Haas. 2005; Pradhan, et al. 2008; Fayissa Nsiah. 2010; 2011; Khan, et al. 2012). Adding more scholars to explain that why remittances have positive effect on economic growth. There are lots of studies to explain that remittances help households move out ofpoverty (Adams,2003), lower mortalityrates (Kanaiaupuni,1998)and increase educationaland housing spending (Adams, 2005). Moreover, empirical studies show that remittances can stimulate economic activity and motivate entrepreneurial communities (Durand et al, 1996 and Woodruff and Zenteno, 2007). According to Buch et al (2002), remittances can influence economic growth directly orindirectly. However, the degree of the latter channel strongly depends on supporting governmental policies and a supporting economic environment for investment activities. There are some recent empirical studies that have analyzed the relation between workers’ remittances and growth. Giuliano and Ruiz-Arranz (2005) find a positive effect of remittances on growth, specifically for countries with lowerfinancial development. Ziesemer (2007) proposes a savings channel that relates remittances with growth. He finds that remittances have a positive impact on growth, due to the ability to increase saving rates in countries with a per capita income of less than US $1200. On the other hand, other scholars highlight that workers’ remittances have also negative impact on economic growth of origin countries (Jongwanich, 2007; Karagoz, 2009; Barajas, et al. 2009; Ahmed, 2010; Edwards, 2010; Rao Hassan, 2011). For these scholars, there is no causal relationship between remittances and economic growth of developing economies. The reason why those workers’ remittances have no a positive effect on economic growth, these finding may lie in the difficulty of disentangling the complicated links between remittances and economic growth. According to a study covers up to 113 countries over the period 1970-1998. This empirical had studied by Chami et al (2005) found that international remittances actually have a negative and significant effect on economic growth. Because of remittances do not serve as capital for economic development, but rather as a type of compensation for countries with poor economic outcome. However, in a similar study covering up to 101 countries for the period 1970-2003 had studied by Spatafara (2005). The author found that cautions that identifying the impact of remittances on these and other outcomes may be complicated by the problem of reverse causation, that is, remittances may both influence and be influenced themselves by economic growth, investment and education. In the literature it is sometimes argued that international remittances may harm economic growth by leading to real currency appreciation and a loss of competitiveness in tradable goods. This empirical had studied b Lopez et al (2007), the result show that’s large scale remittances do lead to significant real exchange rate appreciation, which means that a 1% increase in the remittances to GDP ratio would lead to a real effective exchange rate appreciation of between 18 and 24 percent. As discussed above, previous studies have propounded different results based upon different theoretical and empirical setups. However, in the same empirical study there is also different in the result, even though using the same theories. Like the empirical evidence from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka had studied by Siddque et al (2010), they found that growth in remittances does lead to economic growth in Bangladesh; In India, there seems to be no causal relationship between growth in remittances and economic growth; but in Sri Lanka the result show that economic growth influences growth in remittances and likewise. So, it is difficult for one to conclude on the growth effects of remittances, especially in a region like Asian countries. This paper focuses on the impact of remittances on economic growth in Asian countries. There is a need to examine the growth effect of remittances and answer the research question that follows: â€Å"How do remittances impact to economic growth of some selected sending countries in Asia?† Hypothesis of the study To investigate that how remittances impact to economic growth of recipient countries in Asia? I determine some of hypothesis to guide in this study follows: Remittances have a positive impact on economic growth while a positive and statistically significant coefficient of remittances. This means that an increase in the amounts of remittances will result in increased to economic growth. Remittances have a negative impact on economic growth while the statistical value has a negative and significant coefficient of remittances. This means that an increase in remittances will result in lower economic growth. A statistically insignificant coefficient of remittances indicates that remittances do not have significant direct growth effect. Otherwise, each the positive or negative impact of remittances on economic growth will be depressed. Significant of the research According to the previous studies of remittances, there are many scholars have been studied on the relationship between remittances and economic growth in developing countries in general, especially in Asian countries, has not been enough studied. Because most of researchers have not been only studied in Asian countries, there are some mix together between Asian countries and the other countries. Fayissa Nsiah (2011) estimated the macroeconomic impact of remittances and some control variables such as openness of the economy, capital/labor ratio, and economic freedom on the economic growth of African, Asian, and Latin American-Caribbean countries. Although Abdullaev (2011) investigated the potential impact of workers’ remittances on long-term economic growth of recipient countries in selected Asian and Former Soviet Union countries. Some of empirical had studied specific only one country in Asia. For instance, Khan et al. (2012) investigated the impact of worker remittance on economic growth of Pakistan while Cooray (2012) examined the impact of migrant remittances on economic growth in south Asia. Very little has been done in the empirical studies analyze the workers’ remittances in Asian countries, but the goal of them studies on relationship between remittances are different. The reason that is, Asia is a region that is characteristic in its. There are different on migration and remittances inflow patterns. Some of the available literatures on remittance in Asian countries is not fully focused on the growth effect of remittances. Jongwanich (2007) analyzed the impact of workers’ remittances on poverty in developing Asia and the pacific countries while Katsushi et al (2011) analyzed of remittances, growth and poverty evidence from Asian countries. Vargas Silva et al (2009) examined the potential of remittances for promoting economic growth and reducing poverty in Asian countries. Limited research has been undertaken from with this in consideration hence, previous literature has developed some theoretical and empirical understanding in this regards by considering the individual link between remittances and growth respectively. This paper intends to combine these two channels in a single framework and try to examine the relationship between remittances and economic growth in Asian countries by employing panel data estimation tools and methodology distinguish it from prior studies that had challenges in handling endogeneity between remittances and economic growth of period from 1990-2011 in 12 countries namely Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand and Yemen Republic. Because these countries have remained an important source of expatriate worker and the number of expatriate has increased significantly over the years. Thus, these 12 countries offer a unique opportunity to examine the linkages between remittances and economic growth. Structure of the research The organization of the paper is as follows. Chapter 2 provides a review of selected literature on the growth effect and remittances; Chapter 3 describes a background for the countries of interested; Chapter 4 specifies of the research methodology, data and model specification while Chapter 5 presents empirical analysis for both the fixed and random effects regression accounting for both the country and time effects and some of diagnostic test results; and the final Chapter conclusion of research finding.

Cross Cultural Application Of Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Commerce Essay

Cross Cultural Application Of Maslows Hierarchy Of Needs Commerce Essay Studies have proposed that the effective use of human capital is likely the most important determinant of organisational performance (Adler, 1991 cited in Fey 2005). This has prompted organisations to seek for ways to motivate their employees to work to their full potential and to ensure optimal organisational performance. Once of the most cited and discussed theories of motivation is Abrahams Maslows Hierarchy of needs, which is same as with other popular motivation theories, Maslows model was based on research carried out on individuals from the United States (Fatehi, 1996, Gibson 1994). While it is reasonable to assume that this theory can help managers in America, the question arises as to its applicability to international management. The aim of this essay is to address that question using America and China as case studies. This essay is structured into three parts, the first part of this essay would consist of an overview of the various theories of motivation, the second part w ould look at Hofstedes cultural dimensions of individualism and collectivism while the final part would analyse the applicability and implications of using Maslows Theory of Motivation within individualistic and collectivistic cultures (America and China respectively). Motivation According to Bateman and Snell (2007) motivation refers to forces that energize, direct and sustain a persons efforts. Theories of Motivation There are two groups under which motivation theories are classified namely: content theories and process theories. Content theories, also known as the need theories are concerned with the internal factors that motivate an individual. These theories suggest that individual needs keeps changing and that to motivate individuals, it is important to take into consideration these needs and fulfil them. Notable among the content theories is Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Theory, Herzbergs Hygiene Theory and McClellands Learned Need Theory. On the other side, the process theories of motivation are concerned with the how people initiate, direct and maintain their motivations. These theories see motivation as a rational cognitive process. Examples include Adams equity theory (1963), which assumes that people expect a balance to exist between their contributions and their outcomes. They compare their circumstances with other similar people and if there is any inequity (if it is to their disadvantag e) they adapt their behaviour to lessen that inequity. Vrooms Expectancy Theory (1964) is also part of the process theories. Maslow Hierarchy of Need Theory: Maslows theory suggests that people will satisfy basic-level needs before adjusting behaviour to satisfy higher-level needs. Once a lower need is satisfied, it ceases to be a motivator and the individual progresses to the next need in hierarchical order. Source: Maslows Hieracy of Needs; www.learnmanagement2.com Such needs have been recognized by Maslow and in their hierarchical order, include physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, self-esteem, and self-actualization. In Maslows model, individuals at the outset desire to gratify physiological needs. Physiological needs are the fundamental human needs which are necessary to maintain life and consist of food, clothing and shelter. Other desires present slight motivation pending the satisfaction of these basic needs. As soon as physiological needs are satisfied, safety becomes the next need. Safety characterizes the need to be liberated of the fear of bodily harm, the want to experience freedom from lack of fundamental physiological needs and the desire for self-protection. Subsequently, the social need arises as the chief need to be satisfied. The social need represents striving for significant relationships with other people. Once the need for significant relationship is fulfilled, the individual begins to seek more personal recogni tion and desires esteem or recognition from other people. The satisfaction of this need produces feelings of self-confidence, prestige, power, and control. After satisfying the need for self-esteem, self-actualization becomes the principal need. Self-actualization represents the desire to take full advantage of ones abilities and be what one is able to be (Maslow, 1970, Hersey, 1996, Gambel and Cianci, 2003). Cultural Dimensions Culture can be defined as a system of values and norms that are shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living (Hill, 2009 p. 89). According to Hofstede (1984), there are five dimensions of culture namely: power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism vs. Collectivism, Masculinity vs. Femininity. Power distance relates to the way a society deals with the fact that people are unequal in intellectual and physical capabilities. The uncertainty avoidance dimension relates to the extent to which different cultures socialised their members to accepting uncertainty and ambiguous situations; According to Hofstede, members of high uncertainty avoidance cultures place a premium of job security, benefits and demonstrate a strong resistance to change while the opposite applies to members of cultures with low uncertainty avoidance. Individualism and Collectivism refers to relationship between the individual and his fellows. In individualistic cultures, bonds between individuals are loose and freedom an individual achievement are valued while in cultures where collectivism is emphasized, bonds are tight and individuals are supposed to look out for the interest of others before his own. Hofstedes masculinity versus femininity dimension refers to the distribution of roles between genders in a particular culture. (Hofstede, 1984, Hill, 2009). Overview of Individualism and Collectivism Individualism Amongst individualistic societies, Hofstede (1984) suggests that individuals desire and gain a high quality of life as a result of success achieved by his or her efforts alone. Achievement, self-actualization, and self-respect describe an individualistic society and furthermore typify self-esteem and self-actualization in Maslows hierarchy of needs. One conserves self-respect and separates work and private life in an individualistic society. In the work organization, completing the job task will come before developing relationships. Collectivism Hofstede (1980) suggests that collectivism can be described by a tight social framework where differences exist between in-groups and out-groups. Individuals expect to be cared for by their fellows, which can consist of relatives, clans, or organizations in exchange for absolute allegiance. Hofstede (1982) also points out that individual are born into a collective society. Consequently, Hofstede (1984) suggests that in a collectivist society, a high quality of life is defined more in terms of the family and close relatives than the individual. In terms of the work environment, individuals from collectivist cultures do not separate their private lives from their jobs, relationships take precedence over job tasks and importance is placed on the development of relationships as a requirement to work together effectively. American and Chinese Culture To better understand the extent to which various factors motivates individuals from different cultures, it important to look at their national culture. The national culture of America and China shall be discussed briefly using Hofstedes (1984) model. Despite the short coming of this model, it is still widely used because it provides data on characteristics of culture based on a large number of respondents from variety of countries. Dimension America China Power Distance 40 80 Individualism 91 20 Uncertainty Avoidance 46 40 Masculinity 62 66 Source: Hofstede, G (1983), The Culture Relativity of Organisational Practices and Theories, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol.14 (4) pp.75-89 American Culture Hofstede argues that, the ordering of needs in Maslows hierarchy represents a value choice Maslows value choice. This choice was based on his mid-twentieth century U.S. middle class values (1984, p. 396). Maslows hierarchy was developed during an era when the American culture stressed individual achievement. The rapid growth of this country, which was facilitated by strong emphasis on education, lifestyle and career opportunities, influenced the formulation the needs demonstrated on Maslows model (Gambel and Cianci, 2003). Hamden, Turner and Trompenaar (1993) argue that the American culture places a lot of emphasis on making the individual self reliant as against being influenced by his or her external environment or others. Nevis (1983) also states that the American culture over the years has developed from assumptions that stress the independence of the individual. It can be confirmed from the research done the Maslows Theory was based on individualism that was prevalent in the Ame rican society. The question therefore arises as to whether this theory can be applied to cultures that are high on the collectivism dimension. Chinese culture Lit et al (2002) state that research on cultural studies identify family oriented collectivism as a key Chinese cultural characteristics. According to Triandis (1996), the Chinese are collectivist individuals. Similarly, Smith and Bond(1993) points out that a lot of research have discovered that the Chinese place a lot of emphasis and importance on family values and hierarchy. This characteristic is also noticed in the work environment; Chinese business practices are influenced by family-oriented collectivism and the structure of their organisations supports the collectivist nature (Nevis 1983, Li et al, 2000). These factors suggest that a Chinese hierarchy of needs would differ significantly from Maslows original model. The main issue concerning Maslows Theory and its ability to apply to Chinese cultures is the aspects of self actualisation and the need for social belonging. Other needs such as physiological and safety needs are basic needs that are present in any culture, although it may not be sought after in the sequence proposed by Maslow. However, his hierarchy of needs places the need for social belonging as being desired after physiological and safety needs are met. While self actualisation is the ultimate need. While these may be applicable in the American society, such cannot be said concerning the Chinese. Being a collectivist culture, one of the main focuses of individuals in such societies is to look out for the well being of their immediate family and relations. Such characteristics are acquired from young as the individuals watch the way their fellows interact. It is therefore not a need that they aspire to or desire but rather one that is already embedded in their environment. This ne ed therefore, cannot be used as a motivator for individuals from collectivist cultures especially China. Another problem with the application of this theory in collectivist cultures is the importance Maslow places of self actualisation. Self actualisation is seen as the chief desire of individuals. While this is possible in cultures that are highly individualistic, the same doesnt apply to collectivist cultures. As demonstrated in the literature on collectivist cultures, the aspect of self is not emphasized while communal thinking is promoted in place of individualistic behaviours. In cultures such as China, the need for Self-actualisation as proposed by Maslow may not exist at all. The implication of this is especially important for managers who are working in cross cultural environment. When using Maslows theory of motivation, it should be clear as to who such motivations are targeted to. Generalising this theory as being applicable to individuals from diverse cultures may not be in the best interest of management as they may not achieve their aim of motivating their employees to full potential. Although Maslows Hierarchy of Need theory is an important contribution that can help managers in motivating their employees, it should be handled carefully when dealing with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

SECURITY :: essays research papers

A firewall is a set of related programs, located at a network gateway server, that protects the resources of a private network from users from other networks. (The term also implies the security policy that is used with the programs.) An enterprise with an intranet that allows its workers access to the wider Internet installs a firewall to prevent outsiders from accessing its own private data resources and for controlling what outside resources its own users have access to. Basically, a firewall, working closely with a router program, examines each network packet to determine whether to forward it toward its destination. A firewall also includes or works with a proxy server that makes network requests on behalf of workstation users. A firewall is often installed in a specially designated computer separate from the rest of the network so that no incoming request can get directly at private network resources. There are a number of firewall screening methods. A simple one is to screen requests to make sure they come from acceptable (previously identified) domain name and Internet Protocol addresses. For mobile users, firewalls allow remote access in to the private network by the use of secure logon procedures and authentication certificates. A number of companies make firewall products. Features include logging and reporting, automatic alarms at given thresholds of attack, and a graphical user interface for controlling the firewall. Encryption is the conversion of data into a form, called a ciphertext, that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized people. Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original form, so it can be understood. The use of encryption/decryption is as old as the art of communication. In wartime, a cipher, often incorrectly called a "code," can be employed to keep the enemy from obtaining the contents of transmissions. (Technically, a code is a means of representing a signal without the intent of keeping it secret; examples are Morse code and ASCII.) Simple ciphers include the substitution of letters for numbers, the rotation of letters in the alphabet, and the "scrambling" of voice signals by inverting the sideband frequencies. More complex ciphers work according to sophisticated computer algorithms that rearrange the data bits in digital signals. In order to easily recover the contents of an encrypted signal, the correct decryption key is required. The key is an algorithm that "undoes" the work of the encryption algorithm. Alternatively, a computer can be used in an attempt to "break" the cipher.

Sample Article Opinions :: essays research papers

Fillion, P. (2002) Postmodern Planning. pg. 265-285 Quote: â€Å"Planning discourse is becoming increasingly disconnected from implementation.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This quote is from the first paragraph of the article by Pierre Fillion. As a matter of fact, it is the first sentence he uses. It is a very strong sentence that sets up his article beautifully. While after reading his article, I do not agree with all of his statements or points, but this one, his main one, I do agree with strongly. Pierre lays out why he believes that planning discourse is becoming increasingly disconnected from implementation. He states that the public is becoming more involved in the planning aspect, many different ways, including advocacy groups, community based groups, and public general meetings. He also states that it is becoming harder to implement the plans that they do come up with. I believe that this is happening for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, the main reason that the implementation aspect is lacking is because almost all areas of the western world have become obsessed with financial stability as well as have become qu ite fiscally conscious. Therefore getting the financing for these plans has become increasingly difficult over the past so many years. Cities, individuals, businesses, provinces, states and governments cannot freely spend on items just because someone or a group wants something planned. People are becoming more conservative, and therefore less is being accomplished now, than once was. Another reason, that I believe that things are not always accomplished is because of the planning that goes into them. I feel that people have become more conscientious of the advocacy groups and public groups that want things planning and accomplished a certain way. With the rise in public input, it is possible that the planned projects lose some credibility, and therefore when it gets to the implementation stage, those involved are less open to proceeding with the project. These two things, the publics’ opinion and the financial timidness, have led to a gap to be created between the two, and w ith each passing year, that gap seems to be widening. Qadeer, M.A. (1997) Pluralistic planning for multicultural cities. Pg. 481-494 Quote: â€Å"The cultural and racial diversity of citizens bears on the planning process in three ways.† Following this quote the article goes on to explain in three ways how these three things affect the planning process. Without reading those three paragraphs, I am going to give my opinion on how I believe that in three ways the topic affects the planning process.