Monday, September 30, 2019

My Future Job Essay

Do you like the thrill of working in the hospital’s emergency department? Maybe you prefer the calmer and less stressful settings of a medical clinic. One thing we all must choose upon graduating is the work place we would like to see ourselves in. For me, I would like to work in a medical clinic or doctor’s office. I prefer the 8 to 5 schedule that you see in an office setting as to the crazy hours hospitals keep. As a working mom, this will benefit not only me, but also my children. Because I have a remarkably relaxed personality, I would work better in a medical office. I do not work well under extreme pressures. Do not get me wrong, I realize that even in a doctor’s office, things can get hectic at times; but, even on the worst of days in an office is still not as stressful as working in a hospital. Having a set schedule with no working holidays or weekends is much more favorable to me as I will be a working mom with two small children. This schedule will allow me to spend quality family time with my children and provide income to care for them. I will have the chance to help with homework and still be able to be there for significant events such as sporting events or spelling bees. Another way that this schedule will help me is that, on holidays and weekends, I will not have to struggle to find a babysitter or put my children in daycare. This in turn, will save me money. Another reason that I would prefer the medical office setting is the fact that I will get the chance to know each of the patients. I am truly a people person; I would rather get to know someone rather than rush around them. In an office setting, I will have the opportunity to spend more time with the each of the patients and get a feel for who they are, and better ways to help them. Knowing the patients is a momentous challenge that is worth all the rewards it brings. I have seen a myriad of patients switch providers for  the fact that the doctors, nurses and staff seem uncaring. When you get to know the person and are able to empathize with them, you not only establish better care for what the patient needs but also gain the trust and respect of the patient. As I see it, these are the only reasons I need, to recognize exactly where I see myself working. Having a job that meshes well with my personality is indispensable to me. I want to wake up each morning and not be able to wait to go to work. The financial stability, while still being able to watch and help my children grow is priceless to me. There is nothing more valuable than being able to be there to support your children in all that they do; having a job that allows me to be there is the only kind for me. Plus add in the benefits of getting to know another unique human being on a daily basis, and helping them prosper, makes working in a medical office the perfect job for me.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Criminological Theory Into Action

Criminological Theory into Action Ashley Willis American InterContinental University Abstract Criminological Theory is the backbone of criminal policy. What is understood through the study of criminals can accurately be used to enhance the criminal system. This paper looks at three criminal policies (Expungement of Records, DARE, and Rehabilition Prorams) through the lens of criminological theory. The focus of the paper is primarily on Juvenile offenders, as I hope to work in the juvenile system upon graduation. Turning Criminological Theory into ActionCriminological theories provide important information regarding the motives for crime and understanding the individual criminal. However, one of the most important applications of criminological theory is the development of policy from it. This paper looks at three policies: Expungement of Records, D. A. R. E, and Rehabilitation programs with the attempt at making theoretical connections to them. Expungement of Records The expungement process includes the destroying or sealing of criminal records (Funk & Polsby, 1998).After a criminal is convicted of a crime, they may apply for expungement but is usually only granted if the criminal proves that they are rehabilitated or if they enter expungement as a bargain with the state for turning over evidence in a related or unrelated case. The most applicable form of expungement, however, occurs when a Juvenile’s records are sealed as they enter adulthood (Funk & Polsby, 1998). This is a controversial policy, as some professionals feel that expungement is a method of excusing crime that has an overall negative effect on recidivism (Funk & Polsby, 1998).The theoretical framework for expungement of records is Labeling Theory (Funk & Polsby, 1998). Born out of the humanistic movements of the 60’s and 70’s, labeling theory boldly states that society is to blame for delinquency (Funk & Polsby, 1998). However, the theory goes further to explain the repercuss ions of holding onto criminal records, particularly for youth (Funk & Polsby, 1998). Howard Becker (1963) described this effect beautifully when he stated â€Å"deviance is not a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by others of rules and sanctions to an ‘offender’.The deviant is one to whom the label has successfully been applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label† (Funk & Polsby, 1998). While it is clear that expungement is not a good choice for every juvenile or criminal with a record, one can definitely see, through the lens of labeling theory that it is necessary in some cases. Walking through life with the label ‘criminal’ will help the individual stay in that mindset and lead to future criminal activity. A lot of how an individual functions in society relies on the labels they carry.In certain cases, removing the criminal label may be the boost that juveniles, or other criminals may need to shed their criminal skin and move forward to more productive labels. D. A. R. E D. A. R. E is one of the most recognizable programs for drug prevention among American youth. â€Å"Used in nearly 80% of the school districts in the United States, in 54 other countries around the world† (Hason, 2007), D. A. R. E intends to make children aware of the implications of drug and alcohol use.During these programs, drug culture is explained (so that the child knows what to look for in a drug user), the dangers of drug use is explained and drugs, alcohol and tobacco are all shown to the children in the classroom as associated imagery so that the child may report any drug use in the homes or know what they are facing when presented with peer pressure. Although generally viewed by society as a positive program, evidence stacks up to support the ineffectiveness of DARE programs (Hason, 2007).Proponents of the program argue this belief: â€Å"In Houston, Texas, where a study showe d a shocking 29% increase in drug usage and a 34% increase in tobacco usage among students participating in DARE, the police chief defended it by saying he would use the results to ‘fine-tune the program to better serve the children’. † (Hason, 2007) One has to wonder what goes wrong here. The program is designed to inhibit drug use among the youth of our society; why is it that it is actually failing them? Criminological Theory can both back up and disprove DARE programs.The program itself operates to combat the effect of Neutralization Theory (Goode, 2012). Neutralization theory requires that the individual rationalizes the act of drug use before doing it; they may state that what they were doing wasn’t harmful or that it didn’t hurt anybody; they may deny responsibility or turn it around on the adults who condemn them (Goode, 2012). What the DARE program does is tries to take away the denial so that society can easily say back to the user: â€Å" You knew the dangers, you are responsible.You took a DARE program and were warned of the dangers and you were also given tools to help resist the temptation and walk away from it†. In theory, DARE takes the denial out of the act. However, the program ignores the danger of exposing children, who would otherwise not be exposed to the subculture of drug use (Goode, 2012). Differential Association theory states that all behavior is learned and thus drug abuse is no different (Goode, 2012). For every child that is setting in DARE class and thinking about the negative consequences of drug use, there is likely a child which is picking up on the techniques of drug usage (Goode, 2012).Since the programs go into such detail regarding drug and alcohol use, it can actually work as an educational program or motivating factor for some. For those kids who don’t want to conform; who want to play the ‘bad guy’ role, DARE is likely to open doors rather than close them, as is their intended purpose. Rehabilitation Programs Rehabilitation programs must be implemented into a corrections system, if that system is to become effective (Southerland, 2012). It is much safer to say that a criminal will be less likely to commit crime once reintroduced to society, if they have gone through a rehabilitation program.Many models exist for rehabilitation programs exist but most of them try to explain the reasons why offenders are committing criminal acts in the first place (Southerland, 2012). From this analysis, the offender is given a program that fits their personal needs (Southerland, 2012). One of the cornerstones of rehabilitation programs is teaching offenders ‘coping skills’ (Southerland, 2012). If the offender is charged with a drug related crime, they may be taught methods for resisting drugs; if the crime is theft, they may be coached on finding a job so that the motivation for theft can be removed.The idea is that the offender comes out of th e system with the ability to function in society; whereas they were having issues before. Agnew’s Strain theory basically states that societal strain leads to criminal activity (Florida State University, n. d. ). These strains can be classified as â€Å"failure to achieve positively valued stimuli†¦the loss of positively valued stimuli†¦the presentation of negative stimuli† (Florida State University, n. d. ). While it is not possible to ‘fix’ a criminals life and give them everything they need; it is possible to give the criminal techniques for dealing with these types of strain.It is the aim of the rehabilitation program to provide criminals with tools to combat this strain. If you give a criminal a resume and interview class, they are more likely to get a job. If you give a criminal with a drug problem drug rehabilitation, they are more likely to keep that job and theoretically speaking, if the criminal has a job they will be less likely to fee l societal strain (Florida State University, n. d. ). It is important to learn criminological theories in order to enhance insight into the criminal motive.However, it is most important to understand how much these theories relate to the criminal system and policies which are implemented to protect the individual from the draw of criminality. As an aspirin professional in this field, the study of criminological theory is both necessary and ongoing. References Florida State University. (n. d. ). Robert Agnew's General Strain Theory. Retrieved from Florida State University: http://www. criminology. fsu. edu/crimtheory/agnew. htm Funk, T. M. , & Polsby, D. D. (1998).The Problem of Lemons and Why We Must Retain Juvenile Crime Records. Cato Journal Vol 18. No. 1, 75-83. Goode, E. (2012). Drugs in American Society 8th Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Hason, D. J. (2007). Drug Abuse Resistance Education: The Effectiveness of DARE. Retrieved from Alcohol Abuse Prevention: http://www. alcohol facts. org/DARE. html Southerland, D. W. (2012). Rehabilitative Methods and the Affect on Juvenile Delinquents. Retrieved from University of Maryland: http://drum. lib. umd. edu/bitstream/1903/10097/1/Darbouze,%20Kelie. pdf

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Killing the Internet Sopa/Pipa Essay

â€Å"Kill the Internet- and Other Anti-SOPA Myths† In this article of â€Å"Kill the Internet- and Other Anti-SOPA Myths†, the author Goldberg indicates that basically anything that was posted on the internet was at risk with the anti-piracy. This is just technically stating that everything that is posted on the internet has the ability to be plagiarized or abuse the copyright act. As well as Google’s ability to be making money off of everything that is being posted onto their website ( â€Å"Google alone generated more than $37 billion in 2011, more than double the revenue of all record companies, major and indie combined† ). One of the major companies that Google made more money than, was the movie industries. SOPA/ PIPA are not policing Yahoo or Google their policing â€Å"us the people who illegally† watch movies online. Despite that illegally watched movies break every rule of copyright, it’s a thing that happens daily on the internet: it’s an underlying issue that scales rapidly. For example, as mentioned on the article sharing has become a common theme among Facebook and Megaupload subscriptions making the guidelines for SOPA/PIPA and Copyright Acts blurry at times. There is simply just no way has that copyrighted guidelines to be followed strictly on the internet. It would be absurd to file a copyright lawsuit for a video shared on Facebook of children singing happy birthday at a party. Here is where guidelines get blurry, â€Å"There is a profound moral difference between lending a friend a book and posting, without permission, the content of best sellers for commercial gain† to simply help the people out there. Despite the government’s efforts to ban all illegal activity on the internet; SOPA/PIPA was not the best policies they could have come up with. They were loose with word â€Å"censorship† with which the government reserves the power to restrict ideas. If you think about it, it is a kind of repression which violates our first amendment. (The freedom of speech) If the government continues, with his idea of controlling the internet in order to prevent any information â€Å"leaks† they could drive us into the repression that is now common in china where most computers and cell phones search history is control and monitored. Instead the government should focus on specific laws that would try and prevent individuals from illegally post ing  movies and any other digital content artifact for free on the internet. In conclusion, Danny Goldberg was right about having protest against the PIPA and SOPA anti-piracy bills. I do agree with his point that we should have internet freedom, yet some guidelines should be put into play to prevent the distribution of illegal content through the internet, but not as harsh as the bills have mentioned before.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Tax Havens and Canadian Taxation Research Paper

Tax Havens and Canadian Taxation - Research Paper Example Countries with this kind of policies do so aiming to attract more foreign investors so as to boost their economy. Such nations are usually small nations with limited natural and industrial resources (Anderson, 2014). Without this regime that attracts foreign investors who come to boost their economy, the existence of such nations would be threatened. These offshore jurisdictions have attracted many foreign investors in recent years who most of them are usually persons fleeing their country’s taxation systems so as to establish their investments in more favorable environments. Most countries do allow their citizens to invest in tax havens. In Canada, depositing funds in a foreign tax haven is allowed by the law. A Report on any income related to such accounts is the only requirement the government asks from these investors (Hale, 2012). Tax havens are mainly found in small countries and especially islands. As stated earlier the main feature of tax havens is a favorable tax policy and investment environment for foreign investors operations. However, there are other features that could help one identify tax havens. Bank secrecy is a serious and strict rule. Data and Information about account holders is only given to respective authorities only in cases of available evidence of major crimes like drug trafficking or terrorism Andorra, Bahamas, Bermuda, Hong Kong, the British Virgin Islands, Monaco, the Channel Islands, Belize, the Isle of Man, Lichtenstein, the Cayman Islands Panama, the Cook Islands, Switzerland, Mauritius, and St. Kitts and Nevis (Anderson, 2014). Pressure from foreign nations that feel the need and demand to collect all tax revenue they believe is entitled to them has forced tax havens to sign treaties that allow tax data exchange. They have also had to sign agreements that allow for the providence of investors

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Mainstreaming students with disabilities Into regular classrooms Assignment

Mainstreaming students with disabilities Into regular classrooms - Assignment Example Some of the benefits coming along with the mainstreaming include higher academic performance for the mainstreamed students, improved self-esteem by the disability students and improved socialization skills on all the students among others (de Boer, Pijl, & Minnaert, 2011). 3. Unlike fully included disabilities students, those mainstreamed for some class sessions may feel socially isolated and more conspicuous that those fully included. Most of the mainstreamed students, research shows, would rather be in an environment where the students are at almost the same academic level and with the same needs. 4. The schools with mainstreamed programs are required by law to provide additional specialized services to suit these students and therefore a higher cost of education. The problem with this requirement is that they are not provided with additional funding to help in the support of this program. The average cost of educating a student with a single disability, for example, has been estimated to be up to 1.6 times that of the regular student. This estimation however does not cater for students with multiple learning disabilities that may require more specialized learning services. 2. If the idea of mainstreaming is one that is fully embraced, professional training and regular seminars and sessions can be offered to regular teachers to help them be well equipped to handle the needs and academic needs of the children with disabilities. 3. To deal with social isolation, the level of support accorded to mainstreamed students should not be so exclusive the aides should also be available to help regular students to remove the stigma and conspicuous nature of this added attention. 4. The ministry in charge of education and special education should be able to come up with ways to increase funding to cater for the mainstreamed students. Equally, the parents should be encouraged to

Essay Title Why is linking serial offences not an exact science

Title Why is linking serial offences not an exact science Critically examine this view using real example to illistrate your points - Essay Example The insistence on the number of victims being a minimum of three poses a problem in that it may be viewed more as a counting exercise rather than the indicator of a particular state of mind! As stated by Mouzos & West: "a killer who murders two victims and is apprehended by police prior to committing additional murders, and who exhibits the same or similar characteristics as one who kills five, is also important to our understanding of this phenomenonThe ability of law enforcement agencies and the wider community to understand and manage the risk posed by the serial killer is intrinsically linked to a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of the individual and the motivating factors."(Serial Murder-Australia, 2007) Mouzos & West suggest that further study should be done on those who commit two instead of more murders, and this can be compared with studies already done of the motivations of serial killers. This would lead to an understanding of why-apart from being caught-those who stop at two murders on separate occasions do so. (Serial Murder-Australia, 2007) The task of linking serial offences cannot be an exact science in the way Physics or Chemistry are, because of the human element involved. Any study of human volition cannot be exact, however much that study may claim to depend on precise mathematical formulae or other measurements. It is the ability to predict, which may be considered as the basis for categorizing a science as exact (pure science) or inexact (humanities). Linking serial offences can ultimately only indicate likelihood rather than certainty, because this involves human volition-both in the commission of the offence by the perpetrator, and in the interpretation of data (this involves discretion) relating to offences. Let us examine the results of studies on the predictability factor in linking serial offences. The task of "prediction of dangerousness"(Norko & Baranoski, p73, 2008) gained importance in medicine in the seventies and eighties, not because of clinical wisdom or the "quest for testable hypotheses about human behaviour"(Norko & Baranoski, p 73, 2008) but out of a practical need to differentiate between patients who needed to be treated as in-patient, and out-patients, and to decide who could be permitted voluntary care, and who had to compulsorily be given treatment. The criterion of dangerousness was put forward as the basis for making these decisions. This dangerousness criterion and the necessity for doctors to predict its violent eruption became enshrined in several legal decisions between 1960 and 1980. However, as a reaction to this, psychiatrist Bernard Diamond declared that "Neither psychiatrists nor other behavioural scientists are able to predict the occurrence of violent beh aviour with sufficient reliability to justify the restriction of freedom on the basis of the label of potential dangerousness." (Diamond, 1974, p 452 in Norko & Baranoski, pp73-74,2008) Research studies undertaken since 1990 have concluded variously. There are studies that demonstrate a) linkages between mental illness and violence, b) others that do not support such a linkage, and c) yet again other studies that "demonstrate the importance of nonmental health variables in relation to violence."(Norko & Baranosk

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Consent and capacity to treatment in medical law of an adult Essay

Consent and capacity to treatment in medical law of an adult - Essay Example 41, 2008). When the law talks about the capacity, it involves the maturity level and understanding and despite that a patient cannot be considered as having lack of capacity only because he made an unwise decision which does not fulfill his own best interests. According to the law, capacity cannot be the regarded as the decision which is reasonable and sensible to another person, perceptions may vary (Coyne, p. 64, 2005). People who have capacity can make their own decisions unless it is proven that they lack capacity. Disability is not a factor which indicates the lack of capacity; in fact a disable person can well take his own decisions without the assistance of anyone else. But in some cases, a person with a disability may require assistance to clarify the issues and understand the choices to ensure and enable autonomous decision making, but the other people may not always find other people’s decisions rights (Jackson, p. 601, 2002). For this, the law says that it cannot be assessed that the person is making a right decision or not, but what should be determined is that the decision is not ‘bad’ and whether it shows the lack of capacity in the person to make decisions or not. ... 171, 2004). Clinical incapacity is not permanent. The people who are severely depressed, intoxicated, comatose, agitated or impaired otherwise lack the capacity to make their medical decisions but for the time being. Later, they may retrieve their capacity. Where a patient has the ability to make a decision, the doctors should assess it (Herring, p. 202, 2012). People with dementia require the evaluation of the person’s level of judgment and memory before proceeding with the medical care. The law says that if the doctors find the person lacking capacity, they may turn to a close relative or friend or anyone appointed by the person to make decisions on his behalf (Wong, p. 445, 1999). However, these kinds of cases where the decisions are made by substitutes for the people who cannot make decisions for themselves are rarely brought into the court. But, if the patient himself objects to the medical decision taken or to the determination of him clinically lacking capacity, it can be brought to the court. The doctors are ordered not to go against the person’s will unless it is declared that he is legally incapacitated (Sturman, p. 963, 2005). Once the capacity is determined, the patient’s consent is equally important. Adults are more commonly categorized in this group and they make their own health decisions. Every adult has the right to accept or refuse medical treatment (Pozgar, p. 320, 2011). In general situations, a doctor asks for the consent of the patient before treating them. This suggests that the patient should be legally able to give his consent. If the patient is under guardianship, his decision will not be made by himself (Appelbaum, p. 1838, 2007). The patient must be mentally able to permit the medical

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Problem based assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Problem based assignment - Essay Example It is treated as a natural separate person due to which, it is responsible for all acts or liability bound to it. The company therefore can enter into contract on its own name and due to which it liable for any breach of that contract, e.g. the director is considered as a natural person who acts on behalf of the company. The managing director who is working on behalf of company is actually considered as secondary liability in which the company is responsible for the acts of another. the director in this case is working on behalf of company and his acts are directly attributed to the company as he is not the servant or agent of company, he is director with powers to bind the company into contract which clearly states that any guilt or liability arise due to the contract by director will automatically bound the company into that contract , and so the company will be liable for that contract and any breach of that contract can sue the company as a separate legal entity and not the direc tor. ... In the given scenario the director of company entered into the contract of $1 million, but actually the director was only allowed to enter the contract below $ 500,000. The director is exceeding his capacity for entering into the contract. However the company mincoNL will be sued for the wrongful act of the director, and company can fine or charge the director for his wrongful act. So according to the case in Tesco Supermarkets Ltd v Nattrass, in this scenario the same situation applies on company. Step 4: Conclusion if the director enters into the contract, the company according to The corporate criminal liability, company is convicted of a crime committed by directors or employees who are acting as the company`s mind. Under the criminal and civil penalties, the director will be fined or can be banned by the company. Although the company is liable for the contract the company will sue the director for exceeding his authority powers of contractual capacity which he was not permitted by the company. PART B Step 1: Identify Legal Issue/s EquiPtyLtd is facing problems about the legal matters regarding company law and want an advice. The company had a contract to deliver 2 buses of worth $1m to MincoNL. But now MincoNL’s directors refused to take delivery of buses on the basis of following grounds. 1. EquiptyLTD was entered into the contract with jaonne flywell, the managing director of the MincoNL. Jaonne has only the maximum purchasing limit of 0. $5m .As this was written in constitution so Equiptyltd should know about it. The Area of law which deals with this matter is the statutory assumptions described in the company law. The

Monday, September 23, 2019

Foreign Direct Investment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Foreign Direct Investment - Essay Example (1) Over the same period, these countries also achieved a substantial increase in their exports, especially towards Western Europe. The question we address in this paper is whether FDI inflows have been a significant determinant of export growth in 12 CEE countries. To do so, we use a pooled data for the period between 1996 and 2004 and attempt to account for the effects of FDI on host economy exports. We separate the potential effects into supply-increasing effects (capacity effects) and FDI-specific effects. The supply-increasing effects arise when FDI inflows induce increases in the host country's production capacity, which, in turn, increases export supply capacity. The FDI-specific effects arise because foreign capital inflows may incorporate different competitive advantages, such as superior knowledge and technology and thus, higher productivity, or better information about export markets as compared to local firms. We believe that differentiating between these two effects of FDI on exports is especially important in terms of policy implications. It is often argued that successful FDI-promoting policies sh ould lead to, among other things, a significant increase in the host country's exports. ... In the following section, we provide a discussion of potential channels through which FDI may affect exports. Based on the discussion in this section, we present our empirical model in the next section. The empirical results are presented and compared to those of previous studies in the penultimate section. The last section concludes the paper. Effects of FDI on Exports - Theoretical Arguments This section discusses some theoretical arguments regarding the different potential effects of FDI on the host country's exports. Theory of Multinational Enterprise The theory of multinational enterprise (MNE) examines conditions under which firms may undertake FDI and become MNEs. (2) Such decisions may have consequences for host country's exports and it is a goal of this section to review parts of this theory that predict effects of inward FDI on host country's exports. Overall, the theory indicates that positive effects of inward FDI on a host country's exports may be expected when the host country and a home country have different factor intensities. In this case, the MNE may outsource some segments of its production process to the host country and export these (intermediate) products back to the home country (as well as other countries). Similarly, when the host country has a cost advantage and costs of trade are low (as compared to the trade costs of the home country), the host country may be used by the MNE as an export platform for serving its home market, as well as other markets. The starting point for the theory of MNE is the idea that firms must have certain advantages in order to become multinational companies. Dunning

Sunday, September 22, 2019

English Literature Coursework Essay Example for Free

English Literature Coursework Essay Compare and contrast at least two short stories by Edgar Allen Poe, paying particular attention to setting, atmosphere, characterisation, theme and language. Throughout this essay I will be comparing and contrasting Edgar Allen Poes The Black Cat and The Cask of Amontillado. Edgar Allen Poe had a particular preference to what though was good writing he believed that a story should build suspense and tension and all techniques should be used to build this tension for a big finish, his unity of effects. Many of Poes stories are very gothic and sinister, this can be seen to have been influenced by the long chain of very traumatic events in his life such as losing both parents, losing his wife, alcoholism and hallucinations. He should never be called crazy himself but his stories often involve crazy narrators and characters. I will firstly start of with the setting in The Cask of Amontillado, this is a story set in old Italy in which our main character Montressor has been gravely insulted by Fortunato and to find his revenge he buries him alive deep underneath his mansion. The setting in the Cask is sinister and also ironic. Its set in a mansion during the carnival, the mansion itself is very gothic and creepy which gives us the gothic element, but the fact that its set during carnival is very ironic as carnival is supposed to be a time of joy and gaiety not a time for evil murders such as this. The reason this murder actually takes place is also due to the carnival, as during it a lot of social boundaries are dropped and laws are less firmly enforced which gives him this chance to get away with murder. The deed itself is set deep in Montressors cellar, his catacombs, which provides is with a very gothic atmosphere. The deeper they descend into the cellar can also been seen as irony for descending into hell which gives us another layer to the setting of this tale. The Black Cat is a story set all at home in which a very strange series of events take place and the narrator who was once a very fond animal lover becomes their enemy and ends up killing one cat and attempting to kill his second but instead kills his wife, who he walls up in his cellar and accidently walls up the cat alive with her. During this time we witness his slow decent into utter madness. The setting as I said is all at the narrator home, this is ironic as the home is where we are supposed to feel most secure and most safe but it this tale its where these crazy and rather disturbing events take place, this affects the reader in a way which makes them think that the home is maybe not so secure as they once thought and challenges their views of safety and security. The safety of home is a total contrast to the sinister events that take place. This is similar to the Cask as all deaths in both stories take place in the narrators home, but is contrasted as in the Cask he was more in control of where the death could have taken place as he was more sane, but it in The Black Cat he is less in control and the death of his wife was more spur of the moment. The murder in the cask was very much thought out and everything was planned to the last detail but in the black cat he is often drunk or not in a safe state of mind when the murders are committed. I will now compare and contrast the atmosphere in both stories. In the Cask Poe creates a gothic atmosphere by describing the scenery very vivid and in a hugely gothic detail. Such as upon the damp ground of the catacombs of the montressors which gives up a vivid image of a huge damp cellar lined with cob-webs and rats. Also the madness of the carnival is ironic for the madness of the deeds thats going to take place. In the black cat the gothic atmosphere is created by the huge range of gothic literature and very dramatic writing. During the story there are series of very perverse doings such as the pair of deaths one being a cat and the other his wife. There are also lots of hints towards to supernatural elements starting off with the connection between black cats and witches by the narrators wife, which we can assume played on his mind throughout the story and may have lead to part of his downfall. Both stories have a huge intensity and a great build up of tension. Both stories create terror and a gothic atmosphere. Now I will discuss the largest of all subjects from the two stories, the narrators. The narrator in the Cask is a very proud man and not easily annoyed as Poe says that he say bared most of Forunatos but once he is gravely insulted he believes he has to go to the extremity of murder to gain his revenge and regain his dignity. Id say the character is actually rather reliable as he doesnt seem to be insane, just getting revenge the only way he thinks he can, and he often mentions that what hes doing is just part of human nature and everyone does it just maybe not on this scale. His state of mind is pretty secure, he seems to know exactly what hes doing and just how hes going to do it and everything seems very much planned out to the utter last detail. His only slip would seem to be right at the end when he starts to call out Fortunatos name where it would seem that hes starting to feel regret already for what hes doing. Hes very manipulative as he knows exactly what things to say to make Fortunato come with him, such as mentioning Luchresi as he knows that Fortunato would be in competition with him and would be jealous to see him take it to Luchresi instead of him, he basically uses him as a lure, even though that is all we hear about Luchresi its enough to sway Fortunato into the montressors deep vaults. Now for the narrator in the black cat, at the beginning of the story he is made out to be a very respectful and animal loving character. In the case of this particular character I can easily say that he is unreliable as he is clearly insane. Unlike the narrator in the cask, during his mental disintegration he starts to hallucinate. Such as the enormous, flat cat he imagines in house after the death of his first cat, and secondly the gallows appearing in the tuft of white hair on the second cat. The gallows are used as foreshadowing, maybe his death, or another death in his household or his impending capture. Throughout the story the narrators state of mind deteriates slowly, one reason for this could be his alcoholism that had taken control of him. He calls the alcohol fiend intemperance which he says had altered his for the worse, this shows that the narrator can see whats slowly happening to himself but blames it on the alcohol as he calls it a fiend. This adds another layer to the alcohol and leads up to believe that the narrators state of mind is not totally secure. So unlike the narrator in the cask we feel that he is rather out of control of his actions and his state of mind. The third subject comparison I will make is in the language of the two stories. In the cask Poe uses a huge array of linguistic devices. There is extensive vocabulary throughout the prose which gives it depth and great vivid detail such as deep dark crypt; this has two descriptive adjectives and alliteration in a tiny space. This gives the tale imagery of this evil crypt and mysterious vaults. He also uses several instances of repetition to describe and give the story yet another layer or depth and emphasis in particular important events in the prose; a succession of loud and shrill screams. He also has a wide range of sentence structure, simple, compound and complex. The complex sentences in this prose build tension and then a compound or simple on for impact. All of these techniques create and build tension and intensity. There is also irony, for example the use of appearance versus reality where the narrator presents himself as one way when infact in reality it is clearly obvious they are not. Foreshadowing is also used, this is when a particular event is mentioned or hinted at will become later in the story. Such as when Fortunato is suffering from a cough and upon entering the vaults has a sudden coughing fit after which montressor requests that they leave but fortunate insists that; the coughs a mere nothing; it will not kill me. I shall not die of a cough. This is seen as foreshadowing his future, true he will not die of a cough, but he will die in these vaults. In the black cat Poe uses irony in his very first paragraph, mere household events when we know that they are clearly far from mere household events. Poe also uses personification; the most rhetorical is when he personifies the alcohol to give it another layer and it would also give someone to blame his irrational behaviour on. The use of irony is noticeable when the narrator reveals that his first cats name was Pluto, who, in Greek mythology, is the lord of the underworld. This could also tap into the supernatural element of the tale which could be the reason for the narrators physiological downfall. Poe uses the technique of rhetorical questions to probe at the reader and leave an unanswered question in the readers head. Such as; who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or a silly action, for no other reason that because he knows he should not?. This particular rhetorical question is basically talking about this perverse side in everyone and about basic human nature, which is something that we can all relate to as readers and could also, be the narrator trying to justify his actions as part of everyday human nature. Poes vocabulary is very vicious, emotive and demonic, such as demons, exhault, damned and agony. These emotive words play on the emotions and are much better than just normal descriptive words. Once again, like the Cask, intensity is created and built throughout the story, and both have foreshadowing, symbolism and good diction. An example of foreshadowing in the black cat could be the narrators hallucination of the gallows appearing in his second cats fur, this could be foreshadowing a death that he could be related to including himself. The last category I will be comparing and contrasting is themes in the tale. In the cask Poe explores several themes, such as the dropping of moral boundaries at the time of carnivals and their consequences, such as crime. Poe is just using this extremity to show this. Revenge is also another theme explored in this tale and once again this is an extremity to show that. It is also to explore the narrators state of mind and to entertain the reader. In the black cat Poe explores the idea that everyone has a perverse side and uses this extremity to show that. Like the cask, it also explores the narrators state of mind and to entertain the reader.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The challenges in managing employee’s performance through effective appraisal system

The challenges in managing employee’s performance through effective appraisal system Introduction Developing an appraisal system that accurately reflects employee performance is a difficult task. Performance appraisal systems are not generic or easily passed from one company to another; their design and administration must be tailor-made to match employee and organizational characteristics and qualities. This assignment highlights the importance of effective performance appraisal system with the rating errors and challenges that the organization faced in a competitive working world. First of all I give a clear understanding of what performance appraisal is and then in discussion part I look forward the problems and challenges that organizations faced while rating their employee performance through rating scale method using company examples. Later on the study discussed detailed on the critical incidents that organizations might faced and the solution. In conclusion part I suggest a modern effective performance appraisal system that can help organizations to overcome the problems and challenges they faced during evaluation of the employees. Performance Appraisal According to Hannah, P., (2009), Performance appraisal is a formal management system by which the job performance of an employee is examined and evaluated, with the intent of identifying their strengths and weaknesses for improvement in future. The procedure is conducted by the subsequent supervisor or manager Aminuddin. M (2008), States that Organizations interested in best practice are constantly and actively looking for ways to improve employees performance and motivate individual employees to achieve the best they can. In order to be effective, performance appraisal must fulfill certain criteria; performance appraisal system should be formalized so as to ensure fairness to the workers involved, a systematic appraisal of employees makes it possible to achieve various benefits like: Encouraging quality performance by rewarding those who do well Improve current performance by giving workers feedback Identify training needs Initiate fair disciplinary proceedings Provide a channel of communication between managers and their subordinates Challenges with effective performance appraisal Several problems may arise during performance appraisals. Some problem arises from the manager, some from the employees and some from other factors (Wells et.al, 1994). Most employees dislike performance appraisal interviews for fear of criticism, fear of uncertainty in handling question and fear that their salaries, promotions and their destinies with the organization hinge upon the outcomes of these interviews as justification for decisions that are already made concerning salaries, promotions and job tenures (Nelda et.al, ND). Sometimes organizations come across various problems and challenges of performance appraisal in order to make a performance appraisal system effective and successful. Determining the evaluation criteria Recent research on Compare InfoBase Limited (2007), has shown, the Identification of the evaluation criteria is one of the biggest problems faced by the top management. The performance data to be considered for evaluation should be carefully selected. For the purpose of evaluation, the criteria selected should be in a measurable term. Create a rating instrument The purpose of appraisal process is to judge the performance of the employees rather than the employee. The focus of the system should be on the development of the employees in the organization, Compare InfoBase Limited (2007). Lack of competence Top management should choose the raters or evaluators carefully. They should have the required expertise and the knowledge to decide the criteria accurately. They should have the experience and the necessary training to carry out the appraisal process objectively, Compare InfoBase Limited (2007), Errors in rating and evaluation Many errors based in personnel bias like stereotyping, halo effect may creep in the appraisal process. Therefore the rater should exercise objectively and fairness in evaluating and rating the performance of the employees, Compare InfoBase Limited (2007). Resistance The appraisal process may face resistance from the employees and the trade unions for the fear of negative ratings. Therefore, the employees should be communicated and clearly explained the purpose as well the process of appraisal. The slandered should be clearly communicated and every employee should be made aware that what exactly is expected from them, Compare InfoBase Limited (2007). One study shows that in UK, most of their Universities and colleges faced problems of performance appraisal. Simmons, J., (2001), states that, a closely related issue was the age -old appraisal dilemma of achieving an appropriate balance between the aims of control and commitment. the study shows that the traditional appraisal schemes emphasis on control by stipulating and assessing the individual employee contribution to the organization lives on within contemporary performance management system by ensuring each employees performance objectives drives from and contribute to those at departmental, divisional, or corporate level. Taylor, S., (2002), research shows that the way in which appraisal carried out in the organization and in particular, to unfair bias in managerial assessments of performance. According to him the problems with the rating systems are: The tendency to give a good overall assessment on the basis that one particular aspects has been accomplished well A tendency to avoid giving tow ratings, even when deserved, for fear of angering or upsetting a weak performer The tendency to give a poor overall assessment on the basis of particular poor performance in one area The tendency to give particular weight to recent occurrences in reaching judgments about individual performance The tendency to give high rating to people who have performed well historically, whatever their performance over the previous years A tendency to refrain, on principle from giving particular high ratings A tendency to rate subordinates at a lower level than the appraiser achieved when in their position Some of the criticism of performance appraisal are the focus will be too much on the individual and does little to develop employees. Employees and supervisors believe that the appraisal process is seriously flawed and appraisals are inconsistent, short term oriented, subjective and useful only at the extremes of performance. Problems with the ratings The drawback of essay evaluation method will be their length and content can vary considerably, depending on rater, the appraisal are difficult to compare and the writing skills of appraiser can also affect appraisal. Critical incidents drawbacks are like rater is required to jot down incidents regularly, which can be burdensome and time consuming. And this method may lead to friction between manager and employees when employees believe manager is keeping a book on them. The drawback for checklists would be raters can see positive or negative connotation of each question which introduces bias. It is time consuming to assemble questions for each job category, separate listing of questions must be developed for each job category and checklist question can have different meanings for different raters. Problems with graphic ratings scale have some weaknesses by evaluating the rates, such as evaluators are unlikely to interpret written descriptions in the same manner due to differences in background, experience and sometimes personality. So it would be better to choose categories that have little relationship to job performance and omit categories that have a significant influence on job performance. Performance appraisal can also have legal consequences in the field of discrimination on ground of sex, race and disability. This occurs when they are used as the basis of or justifications for promoting employees, increasing or decreasing individual pay levels, or selecting employees for new opportunities in the organization. Similar considerations apply where pay rates are determined as a result of performance ratings. Sometimes the law will also affect the evaluation of performance of employees and sometimes these subjective judgments can introduce bias into the system. In Brito v. Zia Company, the companys performance evaluation instrument was invalid because it did not relate to important elements in the jobs for which employees were being evaluated. Other performance evaluation lawsuits have dealt with sex, race, and age discrimination in terminations, promotions, and layoffs. Maclean, J., (2001), States that, when Canadian employment conducts an appraisal these laws prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex and marital status. Problems that organization face while using 360-degree feedback would also include rate errors. Each source of feedback suffers from varying sources of potential rater error. (e.g., halo error, leniency or severity, attribution errors). By using all these differing sources of information means dealing with the all different potential avenues for rater error to seep into the evaluation. The second criticism is cost and confusion. It can often be very costly and tedious to implement a 360-degree program. The multiple sources of feedback are difficult to coordinate, may contradict each other, and are often confusing to sort out and process effectively. This puts the burden on the manager to filter through the material provided and refine in into a coherent evaluation. Critics also fear a negative attitude in 360-degree appraisal. The added sources of information may be used by a manager to bolster negative appraisals with a see I told you so approach. Finally employees alike worry about confidentiality. With so many sources of feedback about single individual floating around, it is feared that both rater and ratee may lose their rights to confidentiality. The problem with MBO is that it will be not applicable to all jobs; allocation of merit pay may result in setting short-term goals rather than important and long-term goals. Psychological appraisal would be slow and costly and may be useful for bright young members who may have considerable potential. However quality of these appraisals largely depends upon the skills of psychologists who perform the evaluation. Disadvantages for assessment centers will be Costs of employees traveling and lodging, psychologists, ratings strongly influenced by assessees inter-personal skills. Solid performers may feel suffocated in simulated situations. Those who are not selected for this also may get affected. Desseler,G., (2011), The number of things that can lead to bias during appraisals is limitless. One study focused on the raters personality. Raters who scored higher on conscientiousness tended to give their peers lower ratings , they were stricter, in other words, those scoring higher on agreeableness gave higher ratings, they were more lenient. Even the appraisals purpose biases the results. Unfortunately the appraisees personal characteristics also affect their ratings. Solutions for rating evaluations Rater training and orientation in 360-degree appraisal programs is becoming increasingly popular. Research shows that most of the American companies used to train their raters in order to minimize the problem occur during the appraisal. This training introduces employees to the concept of multiple source feedback, and it makes them aware of rater error and methods to diminish it. Rating formats that focus on the frequency of specific behaviors can also help to limit sources of errors. Desseler, G., (2011), Computer appraisal software makes dealing with the glut of incoming information easier to handle. This software can also present the wealth of available data in a simple format to give to or discuss with the employee. Desseler, G., (2011), Overall 360-degree appraisal systems provide a wealth of information about an employees behavior that might be unavailable in traditional manager evaluation formats. Customers (both internal and external), peers, subordinates, and others may all have access to unique performance data that can provide a truer picture of the individuals performance. This method of evaluation can also provide information on the state of the companys goals and needs. For example, Digital executives use the feedback from external customers to determine if the strategic plan they laid out is flattering down to employees. Federal express uses a 360 -degree feedback system as the foundation of objective goal setting. By receiving information from internal and external customers, an individual gains feedback as to what areas are seen as superior and what areas are seen as deficient. Desseler, G., (2011), this feedback is then used in a management by objectives system to define the goals for that individual according to the needs of his or her customers. These new goals help to focus employee on what is required to improve performance and achieve customer satisfaction at the same time. According to Taylor, S., (2002), we can conclude that the assessment centers will be more flexible. They are not purchased off-the-shelf like psychometric test, and are not time restricted as interviews. There is therefore a plenty of scope to introduce exercises that are of specific relevance to the job and the organization involved. For this reason, each center is likely to differ from others to a considerable degree. That said a number of exercises and types of exercises associated with assessment centers are frequently included. Desseler, G., (2011), States that well-conducted assessment center can achieve better forecasts of future performance and progress than other methods of appraisals. Also reliability, content validity and predictive ability are said to be high in assessment centers. The tests also make sure that the wrong people are not hired or promoted. Finally it clearly defines the criteria for selection and promotion. Garry Desseler, (2011), Many of American top companies have set up assessment centers where they can first interview potential employees, then evaluate them in real work situation. It provides an excellent way to evaluate an individuals capabilities so perform and entry level management job. Donald et.al, (2008), When the organization uses MBO techniques, it will increases the employees involvement in setting performance objectives and concomitantly increase the motivation required to reach those objectives. On the same time it offers and objective factual basis for measuring accomplishment and also it emphasizes results, not traits or personality characteristics. MBO is entirely job centered; it supports the psychological concept that people will exercise self direction and self control in the accomplishment of organizational objectives that they have participated in settings. Sommerville (2007), argue that performance appraisal must be free from discrimination. The appraisal criteria, the methods and documentation must be designed to ensure that they are all job related. Otherwise there will be a possibility that an employee may challenge decisions made by management based upon a flawed appraisal system in court because managers and supervisors have said or done something that has adversely affect their e employees. The Recommendations for a legally defensible appraisal system would include Procedures must not differ because of race, sex, national origin, religion, or age Use objective, non-rated, uncontaminated data A formal system of review or appeal should be available for disagreement over appraisals Use more than one independent evaluator Use a formal, standardized system for evaluation Avoid ratings on traits, such as dependability, drive, aptitude, and attitude Improvement of performance appraisals Performance appraisals usually can be improved vastly. The manager should be prepared adequately before conducting a performance appraisal interview. Many managers seem too busy to gather the needed information or to plan for an interview, resulting in frustration and confusion for the employee. The performance appraisal interview is too important and has too great an impact upon the organizational climate to be conducted without necessary information and preparation (Nelda et.al, ND). Hannah Paul, (2009) it is a usual practice in most places that, managers conduct appraisals just to justify pay increase or decrease, forgetting that the sole purpose of performance appraisal is not salary increase or decrease, but the development of employee skills and the improvement of work in the office. Besides that, it is also important to give employees feedback (whether it is a matter of money or not), on the work that they are doing. This helps build employee morale and motivates them to work even better, whereas it is also important to give critical feedback to employees, so they can get their act together. The focus of managers on performance appraisals at the end of the year, instead of working towards improving performance during the year is the main problem today. If managers focused their attention to helping employees improve their job performance it would make it easier for them to analyze it at the end of the year, instead of just rating employees based on numbers or personality traits, which is neither accurate nor fair to the employees. If managers and supervisors were to understand how much they themselves would benefit from doing this, it would make their job much easier. Recommendation Debora, F.B., et.al, (1997), one of the first steps in developing an effective performance evaluation system is to determine the organizations objectives. These are then translated into departmental and then individual position objectives working with employees to agree their personal performance targets. This allows the employee to know up front the standards by which his/her performance will be evaluated. This process involves clarifying the job role, job description and responsibilities explaining how the role and responsibilities contribute to wider goals, why individual and team performance is important and just what is expected within the current planning period. Objectives developed in this way should be reflective of the organizational goals and provide linkages between employee and organizational performance. After studying the methods that used to evaluate employee performances the best method that I could find was 360-degree feedback method and MBO method. These two methods helps to evaluate employees performance with all the important factors that an employee needs to improve in order to improve the individual levels as well as organizational level. Managers can use these two methods to evaluate employees performance and give feedback to employees about their strengths and weaknesses which they need to improve and after analyzing this, employees can work hard to achieve organizational goals to compete with others. Conclusion In conclusion it can be said that, performance appraisal is generally a performance measuring tool, It is not only to identify employees job performance but it also helps managers gain information that help them make their employees work more prolific. Also vital information can be gained so that organizations may recognize the difficulties that workers face in everyday work. However it should not be forgotten that this system has a lot of flaws, and may not always be ideal for companies, but it cannot be ignored. It is an inevitable procedure which no matter how much employees or managers try to ignore it, needs to be carried out, because without it employee evaluation is not possible. One can soften it by calling it development discussions or have them on a usual basis to identify areas of improvement, but it cannot be overlooked. Developing an effective performance appraisal system requires strong commitment, from top management: if the system does not provide the linkage between employee performance and organizational goals, it is bound to be less than completely effective.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Biblical Dating :: Dating Bible Relationships Christianity Essays

Biblical Dating When one mentions the term "dating" it can produce, on the ambivalence continuum, feelings ranging from delightful bliss to genuine confusion or even aversion. Before I begin, let's bring some definition to this often nebulous term "dating". Webster defines dating simply as: "to have social engagements with persons of the opposite sex". In a casual sense, therefore, dating can certainly mean hanging out with the opposite sex for non-romantic purposes. Some of these engagements could be having coffee to talk about work, or other common interests. Dating is could also be defined as "playing the field" where someone is attempting to meet as many people as possible in an attempt to find the right one (dating is a means) or where the person simply enjoys seeing as many people as possible (dating is the end). When one person dates as an end in itself (dates just to date) and his/her interest dates as a means to a more significant end (dates to meet the "right one") you can expect conflict and heartache to arise. This paper will narrow the definition and focus on dating as a romantic tool and discuss how best to do this dating thing. THE GAME Lately, I have become disillusioned by the world's dating practices and procedures. This is elaborated by what I call the "dating flowchart". Here's how it works in its simplified form: First, you (forgive the second person usage) target an aesthetically appealing female (or male whatever the case). I mention the aesthetic motivation because most people initiate the dating process because of appearance, and an ugly carcass is rarely the initiating factor. Thus, in the "dating realm" appearance acts as the main catalyst. And not that this is a particularly bad thing to do. But I have certainly met girls who "became" more beautiful the more I got to know them because their personality made them so. More often than not though, in the dating realm the personality is not something that serves as the standard catalyst. John Calvin, with respect to females, wrote about what appealed to him, "I am not of the wild race of lovers who, at the first sight of a fine figure, embrace all the faults of their beloved. This is only beauty which allures me, if she is chaste, if not too nice or fastidious, if economical, if patient, if there is hope that she will be interested about my health".

Thursday, September 19, 2019

The Romantic City of Venice Essay -- Observation Essay, Descriptive Ess

Venezia, known as Venice to the American, is one of the most unusual and romantic places in the world today. There you hear no car horns, alarms, or even squeaking brakes. There is just peace and quiet with a slight hum of the motor boats zooming by. You can be walking across a bridge where there are two lovers kissing and keep walking to the other side of the area and look back and they are still kissing. There is nothing to interrupt them, not even the slightest care in the world. It is a maze. Around one corner you could run right into the Grand Canal where you can hitch a ride on one of the famous gondolas, or around the next corner you might come to a famous square like the Piazza San Marco where the cobbled ground is covered in pigeons. Think that you know the way? You'd better, because if not, it will be a twisting trip home. Crossing the Rialto Bridge right over the Grand Canal, you can stop and listen, and the only sounds that you will hear are your footsteps, the quiet whispers of people's voices, or the hum of the motor boats that are whisking through the water below. A slight breeze crosses over the bridge and gives a outstanding sense of the natural and clean air that flows there. Across the bridge, you are in the heart of the city where you can take a narrow street called the Merceria that runs right through the city's chief shopping district and all the way back to Saint Mark's Square. The district is full of bustling people, mostly local residents, who are out for their occasional shopping, or have just gone for a stroll to get a couple of scoops of gelatto and just sit on a bench and chat with a friend. Saint Mark's Square is the center of activity in Venice. You can see the Basilica of Saint Mark or the ... ...da." The men on the barge just ignore their order to move, so they yell it again. This time the men on the barge just look over and give them a threatening look then keep unloading their gravel. After the third time, the older man on the barge drops his shovel, turns completely around and yells back at them, "Andarrsene, andare avanti," or go around. A fight breaks out and the men now exchange more unpleasant phrases. Then the men on the boat start their engine, swing their boat around, and head off in the other direction. The workers calmly continue to unload their gravel. When you want relaxation, culture, history, tradition, stimulation, and unique travel experiences, then Venezia is the destination of choice. After one night here, you'll feel the spirit of romance and adventure that lead the Venecians to smuggle the body of Saint Mark from Constantinople. The Romantic City of Venice Essay -- Observation Essay, Descriptive Ess Venezia, known as Venice to the American, is one of the most unusual and romantic places in the world today. There you hear no car horns, alarms, or even squeaking brakes. There is just peace and quiet with a slight hum of the motor boats zooming by. You can be walking across a bridge where there are two lovers kissing and keep walking to the other side of the area and look back and they are still kissing. There is nothing to interrupt them, not even the slightest care in the world. It is a maze. Around one corner you could run right into the Grand Canal where you can hitch a ride on one of the famous gondolas, or around the next corner you might come to a famous square like the Piazza San Marco where the cobbled ground is covered in pigeons. Think that you know the way? You'd better, because if not, it will be a twisting trip home. Crossing the Rialto Bridge right over the Grand Canal, you can stop and listen, and the only sounds that you will hear are your footsteps, the quiet whispers of people's voices, or the hum of the motor boats that are whisking through the water below. A slight breeze crosses over the bridge and gives a outstanding sense of the natural and clean air that flows there. Across the bridge, you are in the heart of the city where you can take a narrow street called the Merceria that runs right through the city's chief shopping district and all the way back to Saint Mark's Square. The district is full of bustling people, mostly local residents, who are out for their occasional shopping, or have just gone for a stroll to get a couple of scoops of gelatto and just sit on a bench and chat with a friend. Saint Mark's Square is the center of activity in Venice. You can see the Basilica of Saint Mark or the ... ...da." The men on the barge just ignore their order to move, so they yell it again. This time the men on the barge just look over and give them a threatening look then keep unloading their gravel. After the third time, the older man on the barge drops his shovel, turns completely around and yells back at them, "Andarrsene, andare avanti," or go around. A fight breaks out and the men now exchange more unpleasant phrases. Then the men on the boat start their engine, swing their boat around, and head off in the other direction. The workers calmly continue to unload their gravel. When you want relaxation, culture, history, tradition, stimulation, and unique travel experiences, then Venezia is the destination of choice. After one night here, you'll feel the spirit of romance and adventure that lead the Venecians to smuggle the body of Saint Mark from Constantinople.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Revenge :: essays research papers

Taking revenge is a bitter sweet thing. I have always thought that people should always get what they desire, whether it be a grade, a smile and hug or in some cases, revenge. When I was in high school there seemed to be someone always trying to get me in trouble, they would say things that wouldn’t be true or do things to make me look bad. The fact that I never seemed to do anything to them would make me mad and wonder what I could do to get them back. Revenge would usually come in some sort of verbal put down or I would try to physically hurt them. It always seemed when I would get the revenge right away I would feel really good but as I thought about what I did, and what they did to me I would always feel guilty or wish I would have never done anything to them in return. In the bible it is said that we should treat others as we would like to be treated, and when I would hurt someone physically or mentally I would be disobeying what the bible said. If I am to get revenge on others, what happens when they get revenge on me, will it ever stop or would it have been easier to just walk away and no say anything or let it bothered me. Now that I’m in college I feel that revenge comes in different forms. Now instead of hurting others I am in for taking revenge on the basketball floor. If I get beat, it means my team and I didn’t play up to our potential or that they worked harder than us on a given night. Its not a life or death matter but when the next game comes I want to beat the life out of them. When the game is over and I feel that the revenge has been taken I don’t feel like I shouldn’t have done it or that I feel bad that they lost and I won, I have feelings of happiness and joy.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Mindset Case Study Essay

I read the Mindset book by Carol S, Dweck. This book really made me think and reflect about what kind of person I am. It focuses mostly on the benefits of having a growth mindset and the downside of having a fixed mindset. I learned a lot about how you can grow as a person instead of failing and giving up. Most of the most successful people are people with the growth mindset who learn from their mistakes and apply it to their career or everyday life. I use to believe that some peoples born talents are better than those who work harder but are not as naturally good. For example Michael Jordan got cut from his high school basketball team. Instead of giving up after he was told he wasn’t good enough that motivated him more and he worked hard and improved and eventually became one of the most talented basketball players in NBA history. One thing that I disliked was that the writer focused on the positive of the growth mindset when sometimes the fixed mindset can be useful. It sounds like common-sense but it is in how it carefully uses both biographical data and scientific research to strengthen the reader’s understanding of the true implications of this finding. After I read ‘Mindset’, I understood much better why John McEnroe was famous for his tantrums (he had a very fixed mindset, a tennis loss meant that he was inherently worthless, that he was, permanently and in all aspects of life, a ‘loser’), as well as why a four-star chef like Bernard Loiseau committed suicide. I learned that Chinese students who think that intelligence is unalterable don’t follow remedial English courses, but also that American medical students who believe in innate ability flunk chemistry much more often than students who consider early failure as a sign that they haven’t worked hard enough or that they should try other learning strategies. I also learned some things that are counterintuitive, such that you should never praise children for being smart or talented. I knew I liked the book from the beginning because it had situations I could relate to and made me actually think about my life and how I can become the best I can be.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Critically analyse the ways in which the personalisation agenda might impact on the protection of vulnerable adults.

Abstract Personalisation has been described as a â€Å"cornerstone of the modernisation of public services† (Department of Health, 2008: 4); however there has been much discussion as to how this impacts upon the protection of vulnerable adults. Thus, it seems as though the current practices employed by social workers will have to be adapted in order to integrate personalisation into their agenda’s. This is likely to prove extremely complex given the conflictions that are likely to arise. This study will thus discuss such difficulties in more detail. Introduction The ways in which the personalisation agenda might impact on the protection of vulnerable adults will be critically discussed in order to consider the difficulties that are likely to be associated with personalisation. This will be done by firstly looking at social work practice implications, ethics and values. This will allow a determination to be made as to whether changes to such practices will need to be made. The effect personalisation has on anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices will then be discussed followed by a review of the current HCPC standards, legislation policy and guidance. Once all of the applicable information has been gathered a conclusion will then be drawn. Social Work Practice Implications, Ethics and Values In improving social care standards in England, the Government published the personalisation agenda in their ‘Putting People First’ (Department of Health, 2007: 1) report. This is a shared commitment and vision that seeks to ensure all adults can have control over their own lives and thus live independently. This is likely to have a significant impact on the protection of vulnerable adults since the main objective of the report was to ensure vulnerable adults have the best quality of life. It was also made clear that the â€Å"quality of independent living is fundamental to a socially just society† (Department of Health, 2007: 2). A Local Authority circular; ‘Transforming Social Care’ (Department of Health, 2009: 4) strengthened this vision further by placing additional responsibilities on Local Authorities. Accordingly, it was noted in the circular that Local Authorities must take a more pro-active role when dealing with vulnerable adults and that the y must make applicable steps towards re-shaping their adult social care services, which was also supported by the Secretary of State for Health (Lansley, 2010: 5). In spite of such governments’ policies, it is questionable whether vulnerable adults will be better safeguarded since there appears to be â€Å"little guidance into how this agenda sits alongside that of personalisation in practice† (IPC, 2010: 3). In addition, it has been argued that both personalisation and the protection of vulnerable adults, although share the same end goals, their approaches actually conflict (Gray and Birrell, 2013: 207). Thus, personalisation is generally about enabling individuals to live their own lives, whilst the safeguarding of vulnerable adults is about ensuring the safety of such individuals by conforming to a set of policies and procedures that have been created specifically for this purpose. Arguably, by giving vulnerable adults the ability to control their own lives is likely to undermine the safeguarding principles that currently exist. This carries a significant risk since vulnerable adults may not actually have the ability to take co ntrol, and this may subsequently expose them to harm and impact the protection that they are to be afforded. Whilst personalisation encourages independence, safeguarding is about acting on behalf of vulnerable adults. Personalisation and Anti-oppressive and Anti-discriminatory Practices It remains to be seen how personalisation can be implemented, whilst ensuring that the protection of vulnerable adults is maintained, yet noted by Carr (2010: 2); â€Å"The goal is to get the balance right, moving away from being risk averse while still having appropriate regard for safeguarding issues.† It is questionable whether a balance is easy to achieve since personalisation is all about reducing the levels of control Local Authorities place upon vulnerable adults, yet higher levels of control are needed to protect such adults from harm. This can be extremely difficult for social workers who must employ anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practices by developing an understanding of structural inequalities so that they can be pro-active in their work with vulnerable adults (Hopton, 2012: 47). As personalisation is contrary to this, problems are likely to arise since social workers are required to â€Å"develop creative ways of working† by a â€Å"critical, pol iticised and geographical view of our culturally plural society† (Gardner, 2011: 30). This is much more difficult to achieve when adopting the personalisation agenda as social workers are required to take a step back and allow vulnerable adults to take control. HCPC standards, legislation policy and guidance The current HCPC standards that are required of social workers are also likely to conflict with the personalisation agenda since social workers are required to act in the best interests of their service users (HCPC, 2012: 3). Accordingly, enabling vulnerable adults to live independently may not be acting in their best interests as certain individuals will require constant supervision and will need the help and support from social workers. Hence, even if it appears as though a person is capable of taking control of their own life, this may not always be the case and so it is important that social workers continue to take a pro-active role in the lives of vulnerable adults. Thus, under the ‘No Secrets (Adult Protection)’ guidance managers with the responsibility of overseeing and supervising the investigation of, and response to, adult abuse are required to ensure that â€Å"all appropriate agencies are involved in the investigation and the provision of support, and that good standards of practices are maintained† (Department of Health, 2000: 16). However, personalisation is likely to have an impact on such responsibilities as it will require a change in the way welfare services are being delivered and the ways vulnerable adults are being supervised. Direct Payments, Exploitation and Fairer Charges As personalisation allows the individual to have a greater choice, the government will have less control over individual budgets. Accordingly, those in need of care will thus have a choice whether to accept direct payments in order to purchase their own social care services or allow local authorities to arrange their care (MNDA, 2010: 2). Whilst it has been said that this new approach helps those in need of care to attain a program suited to their individual needs (Age UK, 2013: 1), this can actually have dangerous consequences. This is because the service user may be at risk of abuse and exploitation by family members and unscrupulous carers (8). However, provided that this risk can be managed appropriately it has been said that the personalisation agenda may actually provide individuals with a fairer charging system (Duffy, 2011: 4). However, this will not be the case for everyone and whilst some individuals may end up with a better deal, others may be expected to meet the costs o f their care themselves. Arguably, whilst this system is workable in meeting the needs of certain individuals, it may actually penalise others. In addition, as put by (The Policy Press, 2011: 96) â€Å"it increases the costs of disability, encourages institutionalisation and works against independent living and person-centred support.† This is not what was intended by the establishment of the personalisation agenda and unless these inherent risks can be managed, it is likely that vulnerable adults will suffer. Conclusion Overall, it is evident that the personalisation agenda is likely to have a significant impact upon the ways in which vulnerable adults are likely to be protected in the future. This is because, the main objectives of personalisation are to enable vulnerable adults to take control of their own lives and live independently. This agenda, nevertheless, conflicts with the current practices that are being adopted by social workers in protecting vulnerable adults and as a result of this many changes are likely to be required. Whilst it is clear that a balance needs to be struck, it is likely that this will prove extremely complex when trying to put this into practice. Yet, it remains to be seen, if any, what measure will be taken by social workers in ensuring that the personalisation agenda is being employed, whilst at the same time maintaining the protection of vulnerable adults. References Age UK. (2013) Personal Budgets – More control over Your Care, [Online], Available: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/home-and-care/help-at-home/self-directed-support/ [13 January 2014]. Carr, S. (2010) ‘SCIE Report: Enabling risk, ensuring safety: Self-directed support and personal budgets’ Enabling Risk and Personal Budgets, Social Care Institute for Excellence. Department of Health. (2000) ‘No Secrets: Guidance on developing and implementing multi-agency policies and procedures to protect vulnerable adults from abuse’ Home Office. Department of Health. (2007) ‘Putting People First; A shared vision and commitment to the transformation of Adult Social Care’ HM Government. [Online], Available: http://www.cpa.org.uk/cpa/putting_people_first.pdf [10 January 2014]. Department of Health (2009) ‘Transforming Adult Social Care’ Local Authority Circular. Duffy, S. (2011) A Fair Society and the Limits of Personalisation. Sheffield: Centre for Welfare Reform. Gardner, A. (2011) Personalisation in Social Work, SAGE, Social Science. Gray, A. M. and Birrell, D. (2013) Transforming Adult Social Care, The Policy Press. HCPC. (2012) ‘Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics’ Health & Care Professions Council, Your duties as a registrant, [Online], Available: http://www.hpc-uk.org/assets/documents/10003B6EStandardsofconduct,performanceandethics.pdf [10 January 2014]. Hopton. J. (2012) ‘Anti-discriminatory practice and anti-oppressive practice; A radical humanist psychology perspective’ Critical Social Policy, volume 17, no. 52. IPC. (2010) ‘Safeguarding vulnerable adults through better commissioning’ A Discussion Paper for Commissioners of Adult Social Care, Institute of Public Care. Lansley, A. (2010) ‘Speech to the 5th International Carers Conference’ The Royal Armouries, Leeds. MNDA. (2010) Direct Payments and Personalisation, Information Sheet No 22B, [Online], Available: http://www.mndassociation.org/Resources/MNDA/Life%20with%20MND/Information%20sheet%2022B%20-%20Direct%20payments%20and%20personalisation.pdf [13 January 2014]. The Policy Press. (2011) Supporting People: Towards a Person-centred Approach, Social Science.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Banking: Comparative Analysis Essay

The economic reforms in India started in early nineties, but their outcome is visible now. Major changes took place in the functioning of Banks in India only after liberalization, globalisation and privatisation. It has become very mandatory to study and to make a comparative analysis of services of Public sector Banks and Private Sector banks. Increased competition, new information technologies and thereby declining processing costs, the erosion of product and geographic boundaries, and less restrictive governmental regulations have all played a major role for Public Sector Banks in India to forcefully compete with Private and Foreign Banks. this paper an attempt to analyze how efficiently Public and Private sector banks have been managing NPA. The last decade has seen many positive developments in the Indian banking sector. The policy makers, which comprise the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ministry of Finance and related government and financial sector regulatory entities, have made several notable efforts to improve regulation in the sector. The sector now compares favourably with banking sectors in the region on metrics like growth, profitability and non-performing assets (NPAs). A few banks have established an outstanding track record of innovation, growth and value creation. Banking in India was defined under Section 5(A) as â€Å"any company which transacts banking, business† and the purpose of banking business defined under Section 5(B),†accepting deposits of money from public for the purpose of lending or investing, repayable on demand through cheque/draft or otherwise†. In the process of doing the above-mentioned primary functions, they are also permitted to do other types of business referred to as Utility Services for their customers (Banking Regulation Act, 1949). During Bruisers’ time, three Presidencies’ Banks were opened in Bengal (1809), Bombay (1840) and Madras (1843) with powers to isue Notes. Thus the quality and quantity of services provided by the Private Sector Banks is much better than that provided by Public Sector Banks. In the coming years, the deposit ratio will be 80% in private banks and 20% in public sector banks which is a reverse of a decade before. Banking is and for the time to come, will remain customer oriented business. If one can satisfy the customers effectively, then customer becomes client. Thus to be successful, the banks should satisfy their customers qualitatively as well as quantitatively. They should .put the customers first because .Customer is the king .for the proper functioning of the Indian Banks today. BANKING SCENARIO IN INDIAN SYSTEM: The Indian banking system is significantly different from those prevalent in other countries due to its unique geographic, social and economic characteristics. India has a large population, different cultures in different parts of the country and also disparities in income. Also in India the population spread among rural and urban areas is also skewed in the favour of urban areas. All these features reflect in the size and structure of the Indian banking system. Further in order to fulfil the needs to the government policy it has been subjected to various nationalization schemes at different times. RBI Credit policies form the guidelines for banks in India. Since they had to satisfy the domestic obligations, the banks have so far been confined within the Indian borders. Banking in India originated in the last decades of the 18th century. The first banks were The General Bank of India which started in 1786, and the Bank of Hindustan, both of which are now defunct. The oldest bank in existence in India is the State Bank of India, which originated in the Bank of Calcutta in June 1806, which almost immediately became the Bank of Bengal. This was one of the three presidency banks, the other two being the Bank of Bombay and the Bank of Madras, all three of which were established under charters from the British East India Company. For many years the Presidency banks acted as quasi-central banks, as did their successors. The three banks merged in 1921 to form the Imperial Bank of India, which, upon India’s independence, became the State Bank of India. The Reserve Bank of India is the central bank of India and controls the monetary policy. The institution was established on 1 April 1935 .The main functions of RBI are 1. Monetary Authority: The Reserve Bank of India is the main monetary authority of the country and beside that the central bank acts as the bank of the national and state governments. It formulates, implements and monitors the monetary policy as well as it has to ensure an adequate flow of credit to productive sectors. Its objectives are maintaining price stability and ensuring adequate flow of credit to productive sectors 2. Manager of Exchange Control: The central bank manages to reach the goals of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999. Objective: to facilitate external trade and payment and promote orderly development and maintenance of foreign exchange market in India. 3. Issuer of Currency: The bank issues and exchanges or destroys currency and coins not fit for circulation. The Objectives are giving the public adequate supply of currency of good quality and to provide loans to commercial banks to maintain or improve the GDP. The basic objectives of RBI are to issue bank notes, to maintain the currency and credit system of the country to utilize it in its best advantage, and to maintain the reserves 4. Regulator: Central Bank is also responsible for making policy to be followed by the banking system of the country. Around 90% of the banking system is under the government control and the rest are with the private and the foreign banks. The public sector banks can be categorized into a) State Bank Group: It comprises of State Bank of India and its 5 associate banks. Previously there were 7 associate but after the merger of 2 of them with the parent bank only 5 of them remain. The government of India is the majority stakeholder in the largest bank the country. b) Nationalized Banks: There are 19 nationalized banks in the country. The process of nationalization in 1969 resulted in creation of 14 government owned banks which were followed by the nationalization of 6 more banks. However upon a merger the total number of banks in the country stands at 19 as of today. All the banks are majority owned by the government of India. c) Regional Rural Banks: The regional rural banks were setup to provide low cost financing and credit facilities to rural people. The nationalized banks were required to setup RRBs in partnership with the individual states. The foreign and private banks form a miniscule part of the Indian banking system which is dominated by the government owned banks. However the superior offering of the private sector banks aided by the growth in the IT has resulted in the population of the country being attracted towards these banks. This has made the public sector banks recognize the threat from these banks and improve on their services. They have given the PSBs stiff competition and this augurs well for the future of the Indian banking system. HISTORY: Private-sector banks have been functioning in India since the very beginning of the banking system. Initially, during 1921, the private banks like bank of Bengal, bank of Bombay and bank of Madras were in service, which all together formed Imperial Bank of India. Reserve Bank of India(RBI) came in picture in 1935 and became the centre of every other bank taking away all the responsibilities and functions of Imperial bank. Between 1969 and 1980 there was rapid increase in the number of branches of the private banks. In April 1980, they accounted for nearly 17.5 percent of bank branches in India. In 1980, after 6 more banks were nationalised, about 10 percent of the bank branches were those of private-sector banks. The share of the private bank branches stayed nearly same between 1980 and 2000. Then from the early 1990s, RBI’s liberalization policy came in picture and with this the government gave licences to a few private banks, which came to be known as new private-sector bank s. There are two categories of the private-sector banks: â€Å"old† and â€Å"new†. The old private-sector banks have been operating since a long time and may be referred to those banks, which are in operation from before 1991 and all those banks that have commenced there business after 1991 are called as new private-sector banks. Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited was the first private bank in India to receive license from RBI as a part of the RBI’s liberalization policy of the banking sector, to set up a bank in the private-sector banks in India. The Central Government entered the banking business with the nationalization of the Imperial Bank Of India in 1955. A 60% stake was taken by the Reserve Bank of India and the new bank was named as the State Bank of India. The seven other state banks became the subsidiaries of the new bank when nationalized on 19 July 1960. The next major nationalization of banks took place in 1969 when the government of India, under prime minister Indira Gandhi, nationalised an additional 14 major banks. The total deposits in the banks nationalised in 1969 amounted to 50 crores. This move increased the presence of nationalised banks in India, with 84% of the total branches coming under government control. The next round of nationalisation took place in April 1980. The government nationalised six banks. The total deposits of these banks amounted to around 200 crores. This move led to a further increase in the number of branches in the market, increasing to 91% of the total branch network of the country. The objectives behind nationalisation where: * To break the ownership and control of banks by a few business families, * To prevent the concentration of wealth and economic power, * To mobilize savings from masses from all parts of the country, * To cater to the needs of the priority sectors.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Timber frame construction

IntroductionModern building comes in many signifiers, from traditional masonry, to precast concrete, to steel, and in recent times timber frame building. Timber frame and masonry building are really similar looking edifices. Over the last 30 old ages in Ireland the chief type used in domestic home was masonry building which consists of block inner foliage, pit, insularity and a block outer foliage, externally finished usually with a brick or plaster rendered block. Over the last 12 old ages timber frame building has grown to account for about 40 per centum of the market. Timber frame building consists of an off site engineered edifice which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to finish the unit. The external coating is likewise to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. The ground for chosen this subject is to happen why this alteration occurred. The intent of this thesis is to analyze the Irish lodging market over the last figure of old ages, besides to happen out the grounds for lumber frame building going more popular.PurposeTo happen out why the tendency of edifice domestic lodging in Ireland has changed from masonr y building to timber frame building.AimsTo look into the Irish lodging market and happen grounds for the tendency alteration from masonry building to timber frame building.To analyze the grounds why lumber frame building has grown to the degree it has over masonry building.To analyze the positions of householders and belongings developers towards lumber frame building.Literature ReviewThe primary informations will be sourced from RGU database, Internet sites, RGU books and diaries. Relevant Irish authorities studies and web sites will besides be looked at to derive an indifferent position. Besides the positions of the building bureaus in Ireland will be explored.Research and methodological analysisThe writer programs on making a comparing of the two building types in order to accomplish grounds for the displacement in tendency. The brief comparing instance surveies will include cost, clip, heat and energy of both types of building.QuestionnairesQuestionnaires provided the primary re search for this thesis. The writer shall make up one and give it out to relevant householders and belongings developers to derive an penetration into their positions. By making this the writer will happen out the market potency of lumber frame building.Structure of DissertationChapter OneThis chapter explains the rubric of the thesis, introduces the motives and gives a background for the grounds for taking this subject. The writer explains to the reader the purpose and aims of the thesis and how they are traveling to be achieved.Chapter TwoThe literature reappraisal will look into in tendency in Irish building. Current building bureaus studies will be looked to seek and derive an penetration to the alteration in tendency. The writer feels that this will accomplish the first expostulation of this thesis.Chapter ThreeThis chapter will look into the two edifice options with respect to be, clip, heat and energy. This will be done by a figure of interviews and instance surveies. Areas lo oked at will be building cost and life rhythm costs. Besides will include a instance survey of both types of building where U-Values and Building Energy Rating will be achieved and assessed to derive an penetration into why the tendency shifted. The writer feels that this will accomplish the 2nd expostulation of this thesis.Chapter FourThis chapter the sentiments and positions of householders and belongings developers towards lumber frame building and masonry building are explored by agencies of a questionnaire. The writer feels this will accomplish the 3rd expostulation of the thesis.Chapter FiveIn this eventually chapter the decision provides a brief sum-up of the determination of the predating chapters.Literature ReviewBackgroundOver 70 % of place in the developed universe are timber frame places. 60 % of Scots new home are timber frame and over all in the United Kingdom timber frame histories for 15 % of new places. Ireland is easy following our neighbors. Over the last 10 twelv emonth Ireland had been sing a building roar. Housing units been completed in 2000 being 49,812 units turning to 62,686 in 2003, top outing in 2006 with 82,980 unit completed. After 2006 the lodging market in Ireland started to fall, Numberss of units being built in 2007 being 71,356 go oning to fall in 2008 as 48,151 units and go oning to fall in 2009. ( Cardinal Statistics Office Ireland 2008 ) Many lodging estates and flat blocks had been starting up in every metropolis, town and small town chiefly around the computing machine belt around the capital metropolis of Ireland Dublin. Then easy the remainder of the state following. In 1992 lumber frame building history for merely 5 % of the new brooding market. Since so it has grown to tremendous degrees to account for 30 % of entire lodging building nationally ( Construction Industry Federation 2009 ) . Typical these edifice were constructed by masonry building, this consisted of a 300mm pit wall with block inner foliage, insularity, pit and a brick/block outer foliage finished with a plaster render. Over the last 17 old ages timber frame building has shown steady growing. Timber frame building consists of an off site engineered edifice which arrives to site and the pieces are assembled to finish the unit. The external coating is likewise to masonry with brick or plaster rendered block. Some industry experts predict that by 2012 it will account for 50 % of the new brooding market. â€Å" The lumber frame industry in Ireland has shown strength and resiliency, despite these hard economic times. When the upturn comes, timber frame building will be presented with legion chances. † ( Maurice Buckley, CEO, NSAI – National Standards Authority of Ireland. )Reasons for this occurrence?EnergyIn Ireland over the last figure of old ages at that place has been a bend in attitude sing the environment, which has in some portion resulted in alterations been implemented by the building industry with respect to energy preservation. The chief subject that has come to the bow on an Irish domestic degree is the preservation of fuel and energy ingestion. The building industry has been identified as a considerable portion of the national energy measure. Attitudes of developers and householder are altering to environmentally friendly edifices. Due to this lumber frame building has seen a steady growing. Timber frame is renewable constructing option, for every tree cut d own two more are planted. The cost of turning the natural merchandise into a edifice stuff is conceivably less than traditional methods. â€Å" Timber is the lone sustainable renewable commercially feasible constructing stuff. The production of concrete green goodss huge sums of Carbon Dioxide ( C02 ) , which has a negative impact on the environment and contributes significantly to planetary heating. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 )SpeedAs the building roar grow so did the demand for lodging and more significantly fast lodging. One of the chief factors for this bend towards timber frame is speed of building. The frame of the edifice can be erected in a figure of yearss which compared to typical masonry edifice is improbably faster. This is due to the lumber frame been constructed off site in a mill and delivered to site as a planned procedure of assembly. Masonry on the other manus takes a figure of hebdomads to make roof degree where as lumber frame is erected in a figure of yearss. Even in moisture conditions work can still go on as a staging system is in topographic point around the fo undation, where as blocks for masonry building can merely be laid in dry conditions. Besides with lumber frame building the edifice is weather proof much faster so internal plants can get down much quicker. Besides a batch of the slower work for pipe fitters and linemans such as first repair is much easy done in a lumber frame house. â€Å" Timber frame has 30 % shorter, more predictable building clip than brick and block † ( UK Timber Frame Association 2009 ) . In masonry building the usage of moisture trades in the physique causes excess clip needed for drying out. Because lumber frame is a dry signifier of building there is no drying out clip which is a economy of a figure of hebdomads. Besides because of this there is less lightly a hazard of checking looking on walls and ceilings for shriveling which can happen in masonry often.CostThe cost of a lumber frame house is similar to masonry built. Unlike masonry, costs of a lumber frame physique can be fixed long before the foundations are poured. This is due to most timber frame providers besides fix the construction. So a fix monetary value for a fixed solution. No rain yearss for wet trades or no extra costs. â€Å" This ensures that the extra disbursals that spiral as a edifice advancement can be eliminated. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) . The figure of individuals need to repair the construction is lower than a masonry physique, besides with respect to clip, clip is money so the faster the physique the cheaper for the developer and home-builder. Besides the manus over clip for a complete home is must faster so this will profit developer ‘s hard currency flow and profitableness. Due to the velocity of building on site security cost or greatly reduced.Flexibility of LayoutBecause timber frames internal walls being building out of light weigh divider walls the internal infinite of a lumber frame physique is really flexible. Any errors in layout of internal walls is easy rectified, where as masonry internal wall would be peculiarly more hard to rectify.Case StudiesIntroductionTo acquire existent grounds for the tendency mover towards timber frame building and to acquire a true indicant of the cost difference in both timber frame and traditional masonry domestic building the writer looked at two cardinal countries, b uilding costs and life rhythm costs. In relation to building costs the countries of preliminary costs ; works and equipment costs and site labor costs are looked at in greater item.Construction CostssPreliminary CostssEvery building undertaking incurs preliminary costs. Preliminary costs are defined as, â€Å" Costss which are straight involved with the overall completion of a building undertaking † ( Roy Chudley 2002 ) These costs include points such as site direction, insurance for the undertaking, drivers and secret agents. On larger sites where site cabins, offices, storage rooms, lavatories and canteens are required the costs incurred are besides referred to as preliminary costs. For each undertaking there is an allowance set aside for preliminary costs. However in relation to timber frame building these costs are included in the overall lumber frame bundle. This is a consequence of the bulk of the work required for lumber frame building being carried out off site, which in bend makes the budget costs a batch cheaper than traditional masonry. Derek Moore a manager with Timberline edifice contractors Ltd Dublin provinces, â€Å" by pre-manufacturing the lumber frame off-site, houses are constructed more cost efficaciously † . ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) To endorse up this point the Irish Timber frame manufactures association provinces â€Å" this method of building is non cheaper peculiarly if the builder has n't thought his patterns through but because mill fiction means much greater predictability, better controls and of class, a faster gait † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) . This is non the instance for its traditional masonry opposite number as preliminary costs are required as a separate budget, this is due to the fact that all of the work required for traditional masonry is carried out on site. A bulk of the preliminary budget for the traditional masonry method includes hire of works and proviso for skips and concrete silos on site etc. Another factor to be taken into consideration is the clip period taken to build a lumber frame house, which is significantly lower than that of traditional masonry opposite number. Costss such as site supervising and the demand for applied scientists and the similar on site are greatly reduced.Plant and Equipment CostssPlant and equipment costs should be taken in to consideration when covering with building costs. Every undertaking requires certain types of equipment and works to transport out work to a decision. Harmonizing to Colm Kilroy a measure surveyor with Michael Higgins and associates in Galway, â€Å" works and equipment costs are a major portion of all building undertakings, the use of such equipment is critical as a batch of money can be wasted due to bad direction and planning on site † . He continued to state â€Å" if works is required on site for a certain occupation it is critical that the site is ready for that equipment as once it arrives on site it has to be paid for. † ( Colm Kilroy 2009 ) The conditions can besides plays a portion in works and equipment costs, inauspicious conditions conditions can take to a batch of equipment being left idle while the cost for holding it on the site is still being charged. Obviously the conditions conditions can non be controlled by the undertaking squad but in periods of forecasted inclement weather the ordination of works and stuffs should be avoided if possible.Site Labour CostssThis country of site labor costs greatly differs with both methods of building. A batch of the factors in relation to be for the lumber frame method of building are all inclusive of the over lumber frame bundle, the bulk of the work to be carried out by specialized labor is completed in the mill and one time the lumber frame unit leaves for the site their work is finished. This in bend reduces any call back costs, to complement this, the Irish lumber frame manufactures association provinces that, â€Å" There are lower call back costs ; any jobs encountered can be eliminated instantly by the lumber frame specializers before go forthing the mill. † ( Irish Timber Frame Manufacturing Association 2009 ) The cost for the labor to rectify these jobs is still inclusive of the lumber frame bundle. Traditional masonry building is in comparing carried out otherwise with all the building work associated with traditional masonry been carried out on site and with each single trade necessitating labors to transport out the work.Cost Case StudyThe writer compiled a cost comparing from a building contractor ‘s point of position for the development of a lumber frame and masonry domestic home. The house programs used to transport out this comparing were based on a individual house within a development of five similar houses, merely the major elements of the constructions were included in the pricing. for the comparing were obtained from Barry Doyle a measure surveyor with a Co Carlow company and John O Connell a building contractor in Co Galway. The lumber frame house is more expensive to build than its masonry opposite number. There is a cost difference of about a‚ ¬9,000 between both methods to build a individual house taking the chief structural elements in to consideration. For the development consisting of five houses where this house is located the entire monetary value difference in the building of the five houses utilizing both methods of building can be up to a‚ ¬45,000 to a‚ ¬50,000. The undermentioned information shows the logical thinking behind the monetary value differences for the of import elements of the building.Timber frame kitThis component looks to be really expensive but the bulk of stuffs needed to finish the lumber frame house including the labor needed for the building are included.Concrete raft foundationThe monetary value of the raft foundation differs as there is less steel required in the raft for the lumber frame house in comparing to the masonry built house, this leads t o nest eggs for both the labor and stuffs.Block workThe difference in the monetary value of the block work is due to the interior foliage and the internal walls of the lumber frame house been constructed of lumber.RoofThe lumber frame kit incorporates a bulk of the roof in the over all bundle which leads is a monolithic monetary value difference from the standard roof for the masonry home.InsulationDue to the demand for more insularity in the lumber frame house there is a difference in monetary value over its masonry opposite number.SlabbingAs with the insularity due to the sum of timber stud internal dividers and timber interior foliage walls the lumber frame brooding requires more plaster board than the masonry method which increases both the sum of stuff and labor.PlasteringThe daubing component differs entirely because of the decreased measure of abrasion coat required in the lumber frame house.CarpentryThe monetary value difference in relation to woodworking is a consequence of a batch of the lumber work coming pre fabricated as portion of the lumber frame kit, an illustration being the doors coming pre hung with ironmongery fitted and architrave already attached.Main contractors ProfitThe chief contractors net income has been calculated on the standard per centum being 5 % .Life Cycle CostssIntroductionLife rhythm costs are normally interpreted as, † The operating costs of edifices over the prognosis utile life attributed to them † ( Bruceshaw 2009 ) These costs include initial capital costs, business costs and operating costs. In relation to the edifice industry and in peculiar to the traditional masonry and lumber frame methods of building, life rhythm costs are indispensable in make up one's minding which is the overall cost effectual method of building is. In this chapter the writer discusses countries such as the running costs and other costs that are involved with both signifiers of building.Design Differences and ChangesFrom an aesthetic point of position lumber frame and traditional masonry constructed homes when constructed look really similar, nevertheless lumber frame houses, â€Å" Let for more versatile designs than block built houses † ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) The inquiry is one time the house is constructed how easy is it to transport out alterations to the design. In relation to these changes Kingspan Century province, â€Å" Due to the fact the interior foliage of your lumber frame house is constructed of solid wood and gypsum board, and non concrete blocks and plaster, extensions and changes by and large have significantly reduced impact on the bing edifice † . ( Kingspan Century 2007 ) To further this statement MBS Timber frame Ltd province, â€Å" Because the inside of a lumber frame house is made of wooden panels and gypsum board, changes and extensions will non affect the muss and terrible break of strike harding down solid block walls, and all the other tests and trials that accompany this type of work † . ( MBC Timber Frame 2009 ) Alternatively the block work internal foliage of a masonry house has distinguishable advantages over is timber frame opposite number. Undertakings such as repairing a shelf or drape rail can be a slippery with the lumber frame method, â€Å" There is no job making this in a masonry physique place as all the walls are capable of keeping shelves, drape tracks etc. it would be a simple affair of boring the holes in the right topographic point and sleep togethering your shelf into topographic point † ( Irish Concrete Federation 2009 ) . In comparing, with a lumber frame house, harmonizing to John Meehan a carpenter with a Co Galway Company, â€Å" If you are put ining a new kitchen or telecasting unit, you may happen that there are no evidences in the wall where you need a repair. If in this state of affairs if your repair is put in topographic point without happening a he-man, the unit is certain to fall down under force per unit area † . ( David Treacy 2009 )Property Market and Selling ValueInfluencing factors in relation to domestic building include resale value and easiness of sale. The traditional masonry constructed procedure has built up a repute of been a good marketer and a front-runner with the Irish populace, Galway auctioneer John Gilmore provinces, â€Å" Block built houses are easier to sell as people by and large go for the sure method, a batch of people asking about lumber frame houses are wary and are non easy convinced as to its benefits † ( Liam Gordon 2009 ) .The position of an Irish lumber frame company is that,â€Å" Auctioneers and estate agents are by and large of the sentiment that non merely is timber frame non an obstruction in selling a place, but on the contrary, is going more and more a major merchandising point. The energy efficiency of lumber frame houses is going an progressively valued characteristic † . ( Kingspan Century 2008 ) To repeat this, â€Å" For mortgage intents and insurance, most loaners and insurance companies rank lumber frame every bit with block work. Equally far as resale value is concerned, there appears to be no difference at all between the two systems. However some persons have their ain penchants, built up from their ain experience or things they have heard about either system † . ( Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005 )Runing CostssThe lumber frame method of domestic building brushs big nest eggs over its traditional masonry opposite number. These nest eggs result from the lumber frame house holding an allowance for insularity on both the external and internal walls ; this differs well from the traditional masonry method where in most instances merely the external walls contain insularity. â€Å" Because lumber frame constructions are highly good insulated and have less mass than more traditional signifiers of building, important nest eggs can be made in warming costs † . ( Homebuilding and Renovating Magazine 2005 ) A taking Irish lumber frame company states, â€Å" Savingss of between 30 % and 40 % on warming measures are reasonably typical † . ( Devsan Timber Frame Homes 2009 ) In relation to farther nest eggs in the hereafter with lumber frame, â€Å" It is estimated that the warming cost of a lumber frame place can be 30 % lower than that of a masonry home, and the rapid rise in energy costs these costs look set to increase † . Sunday Business Post Newspaper 2007 ) In decision the nest eggs to be made with the lumber frame method of domestic building in relation to warming and energy usage are extended over its masonry opposite number.Time of ConstructionIntroductionFrom a clip to build perspective the length of clip it takes to construct and complete both signifiers of building differs. The building of a traditional masonry home has a longer clip programme than its lumber frame opposite number. The chief factors lending to the difference in building times include.Programme of plantsThe programme of plants for both methods has a clip difference of about seven hebdomads from foundation phase to decorating and traveling in phase. Derek Moore of Timberline edifice contractors provinces, â€Å" In footings of physique velocity, timber frame can present a important 30 % decrease on traditional building times, which affect hard currency flow and reduces local perturbation † . ( Pick a Pro 2009 ) The position of another Irish lumber frame provider is the building clip of both methods of building is even larger depending on the edifice, â€Å" Construction clip is cut by about 40 % as your lumber frame construction is erected on site within yearss depending on size and complexness of edifice † . ( Clark Group 2008 )Building CoatingsDuring the phase whereby the lumber frame unit is erected the internal first repairing work can get down. This work can continue inside the house as the masonry tegument is being built, in comparing no internal work can get down on the masonry house while the block work component is being constructed. The long drying out period associated with traditional masonry building is besides a disadvantage in comparing to the lumber frame method. â€Å" Apart from the obvious labor economy, lumber frame does n't necessitate any drying-out clip, unlike a standard masonry building, which needs up to 1,500 gallons of H2O to vaporize before it is dry † . ( Sunday Tribune 2001 ) To repeat this a prima Irish lumber frame provider provinces, â€Å" Timber frame AIDSs internal coatings, all walls are consecutive and plumb, corners are square and true. With lumber frame there are less of the â€Å" wet † trades, gypsum board needs merely to be skimmed and pigment, cosmetic stuffs and floor coverings can be applied sooner to dried surfaces † .( Castle Timber Frame Homes 2009 )Heat Loss in BuildingsIntroductionFor the intent of this thesis the writer compared the U Value of the external walls of both a lumber frame and masonry constructed home, the writer besides decided to obtain the Building Energy Rating ( BER ) for both methods of building so as to do an accurate comparing. Both the U Value computation and the Building Energy Rating are based on the house programs. With the expertness of Michael Sweeney of Sweeney Energy the U Value and BER computations were compiled and the consequences are as follows.U-Value CalculationA U-value is the term given to the step of heat loss through subdivisions of a edifice. It measures the rate that heat transmits through a constituent or construction when there is a difference in air temperature at both sides. â€Å" Uracil Valuess are expressed in Watts per meter Kelvin which is the rate of heat transportation in Watts through 1m2 of the construction for one unit of temperature difference between the air on the two sides of the construction † .( Roy Chudley 2002 )U-Value FootingsThe following are footings associated with the computation of the U-Value.Thermal Conductivityâ€Å" It is the step of a stuffs ability to convey heat and is expressed as the energy flow in watts per square meter of surface country †. ( Roy Chudley 2002 )Thermal Resistanceâ€Å" This is symbolized by the missive R, as representative of a stuffs thermic opposition achieved by spliting its thickness in meters by its thermic conduction †. ( Roy Chudley 2002 )Timber Frame U-Value CalculationThe above computations show that a traditional masonry external pit wall has a U-Value of 0.35 W/m2K in comparing to the lumber frame outer wall, which has a U-Value of 0.25 W/m2K. The findings for this peculia r computation show that the lumber frame domestic building has a better U-Value than its masonry constructed opposite number.Building Energy Rating ( BER ) CalculationThe writer decided to compare the Building Energy Rating of both methods of building. To accomplish this the writer availed of the expertness of a qualified BAR assessor who calculated both BER values utilizing the same house programs as used for the U Value Calculations. For the intent of the reader the writer explains some of the footings associated in the Building energy evaluation process.Building Energy Rating FootingsThe process is based on ciphering the energy balance for a home, â€Å" this is the energy required by the brooding plus any losingss, so less the energy additions this is equal to the energy delivered in to the home †( Cheveron Training 2009 ) Delivered Energy, expressed as kWh/year. This corresponds to the energy ingestion that would usually look on the energy measures of the home for the false standardization tenancy and terminal users considered.( Cheveron Training 2009 ) Primary Energy, expressed as kWh/year. This includes delivered energy, plus an allowance for energy â€Å" overhead † incurred in pull outing, processing and transporting a fuel or other energy bearer to the home. For illustration, in the instance of electricity it takes history of coevals efficiency at power Stationss.( Cheveron Training 2009 ) The consequences show that both timber frame and traditional masonry domestic building have an energy evaluation of B2 for this house. The B2 evaluation is acceptable for a edifice, which incorporates a natural airing design. The primary energy value for the lumber frame method of building is lower than it ‘s masonry opposite number and indicates that the operating expense incurred in pull outing, processing and transporting of energy to the home is lower for lumber frame method. The comparing of the Co2 emanations consequences in the lumber frame method holding lower emanations end product and as antecedently discussed the lower the Co2 emanation the better it is for the environment. Finally the lumber frame method had a lower delivered energy evaluation. This shows that the energy ingestion on the energy measures of the home are once more lower than its masonry opposite number. Developers positions sing the alteration from masonry to timber frame: To accomplish a true indicant on the positions of the building industry in respect to both methods of building and why the tendency has moved towards timber frame it was necessary to obtain the positions of developers who really carry out the edifice works. As portion of the writer research, many building bureaus were contacted. Philip Mahoney of timber frame industries association was contacted and helped with the writer ‘s inquiries. Philip Mahoney of the Timber Frame Manufacturing Association said when asked why the tendency has moved from masonry to timber frame. â€Å" From a developers point of position velocity of building was really of import, because a lumber frame house can be up and roofed in a affair of yearss and ready for the follow on trades to travel in. for the developer this was a great advantage as they were in and out much quicker and hence turn hard currency over. Timber frame would hold besides have got popular with the ego physique sector because of the fact that a ) rather an instruction procedure was carried out by the association and its members, B ) the green card besides began to come into drama every bit good as lumber frame is seen as environmentally friendly which the industry has been advancing. † Tom McHugh, Director of Kilcloghans Ltd Galway who have been outstanding traditional masonry builders for a figure of old ages said in respects to ease of build â€Å" we are masonry builders and we build timber frame, we find that it is particularly simple to construct the lumber frame method † he went on to state in relation to building costs â€Å" timber frame is every bit economical to construct as traditional masonry † sing building costs in relation to the downswing in the building industry he stated â€Å" yes the building cost for both methods had dropped but both methods still work out in and around the same monetary value † . He besides stated that they found the chief advantages of lumber frame to be â€Å" a dry signifier of building every bit good as the obvious advantages of velocity to construct and economical to run † . From a merchandising point of position he found lumber frame, â€Å" easier for the ground that they are more economical in footings of energy usage † . Francis Geraghty Director of Frame to complete edifice contractors Co Galway stated in footings of easiness of building,â€Å" the lumber frame method depends mostly on the type of house the client wants to construct every bit good as the quality of site readying before the lumber frame edifice reaches the site †. He sees the chief advantages of the lumber frame method for him areâ€Å" the U-Values that can be achieved †and besidesâ€Å" the whole lumber frame construction is up and ready for internal work in a affair of yearss †. Colm Kilroy a Quantity Surveyor with Michael Higgins and Associates Galway saidâ€Å" from a cost of stuffs point of position certain stuffs have dropped in monetary value, but the existent bead in monetary value has come from the shopkeepers themselves more so for traditional masonry instead than the lumber frame method. With such competition for work cost of labor has decreased quickly † . He went on to state, â€Å" this bead in labor costs could be a key to the pick of the populace in the coming old ages with traditional masonry acquiring so inexpensive to construct †. John O ‘ Connell, a builder, based in Co. Galway stated that he sees the chief disadvantages of Timber Frame building asâ€Å" the inclement conditions conditions in this state, have people concerned that lumber may decompose over clip. Peoples besides feel more unafraid with bricks and howitzer †. Sean O Donnell a chief with a edifice contractor in Co Galway who specialises with both signifiers of building sees the chief advantages of lumber frame over traditional masonry in relation to be to beâ€Å" less labour intensifier, less wastage of stuffs on site, and when lived in less cost in running † . In relation to clip to build he said, â€Å" less clip lost due to adverse conditions, you get to see the finished merchandise quicker and easier and timber frame leads to quicker installing of electrical wiring † . Sing insularity he states, â€Å" with a lumber frame house you are closer to the life country and so non heating the outside wall before making insularity value, it takes really small to heat up house and the quality of insularity is cardinal to better acoustic public presentation †.Questionnaire ConsequencesIntroductionTo acquire a true and realistic position on both methods of domestic building the writer decided to obtain the positions of the oc cupants who live in lumber frame places. To accomplish this, a questionnaire was compiled and distributed around the Galway country. A transcript of the questionnaire is included in the appendix at the terminal of the thesis and the consequences are as follows. As can be seen from the pie chart decidedly shows that 100 % of the surveyed occupants notice the lumber frame method of building to be cheaper to heat than its traditional masonry opposite number. The remarks received included, â€Å" Traditional block was more expensive ; I used solid fuel scope with a back boiler and oil cardinal warming. It was necessary to hold heat invariably from back boiler toped up by oil, in comparing the oil warming in the lumber frame runs for 4 hours per twenty-four hours from November until March to the downstairs radiators merely. We have 2 unfastened fires that we ne'er use as it would be excessively hot. Our oil measure is reduced by 2/3 and we do n't necessitate solid fuel †. A farther remark stated, â€Å" Timber frame is cheaper every bit non as cold during the twenty-four hours so no demand for much heat during the winter months † clearly shows that the occupants find their lumber frame homes to be warmer than the traditional masonry opposite number with 84 % happening it a batch heater and 14 % of occupants saying it to be somewhat warmer shows how good people rate the acoustic public presentation of their lumber frame house in relation to external noises. 55 % of the occupants find there to be no noise while 45 % of the occupants find there to be a small noise. One of the occupants stated, â€Å" The lone noise to be heard is that of the rain H2O running to the gully † . A farther occupant stated, â€Å" External noises are non an issue, but my house is located on a spot of an elevated site and on a really blowy twenty-four hours the air current can be an issue † . Other illustrations of external noises to be heard included traffic from a nearby chief route and Canis familiariss barking, but no extra noises than would besides be heard in a traditional masonry home. shows what the occupant ‘s ideas are on the acoustic public presentation of their homes in relation to upstairs noise. 22 % of the occupants province that there is a batch of noise to be heard from floor to floor, a bulk of the noise is a consequence of hapless sound insularity being used. One occupant stated, â€Å" Floor sound proofing between floors is a job, we did non take this in to account during building † . 44 % of the occupant ‘s province there is a small noise to be heard from upstairs with motion on floors and doors shuting being the chief subscribers. Finally 34 % of the occupants province there is no noise to be heard, a figure of them said that during building phase they had the builders put in excess sound proofing between floors, which acted most beneficially in cutting down the noise. Other occupants who found there to be no upstairs noise lived entirely and in a consequence had no upstairs motion while in the house.