Training and Development proposal Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Training and Development - Research Proposal Example It is thus appropriate to review some of the strategies taken when training some of these employees in the human resource department in order for them to work effectively and consequently live quality lives and for the industry to continue performing effectively (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 56). In the study, I plan to incorporate the Kirkpatrick’s model. The model is quite critical and has the ability to work effectively to show the various training aspects. One of the aspects from the model that I plan to incorporate is the Learning. I am bound to show the learning procedure that I am bound to incorporate to the trainees (Gold and Thorpe, 2010, 43). Understanding the learning process has the advantage of having the trainees understanding the various concepts taught in the petroleum industry even further. The second aspect that I ought to incorporate is the reaction. Reaction is critical for it will assist an employer or rather potential employers understand the best manner through which to treat some of the employees (Garry, 2007, 650). Different employees have different reactions to different tasks given to them (Jeffrey, 2014, 17). Some reactions from the employers are quite negative, this is poor, and depending on the employer, they have the ability or rather po ssibility of gaining employment. There are also some employees with positive attitudes and I am bound to express the advantages that these employees have in the training process. In the paper, I am bound to reveal the results of the training process. This section will express the employees that managed to pass the training process and offer a discussion that will reveal why they passed the interview (Botha, 2009, 32). There are also employees that did not quite pass the interview and I will sure reveal the reasons why they did not pass and discuss the reasons for their failure. This is critical for it will assist people in understanding the characteristics that

The Things They Carried ( Tim o'brien) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Things They Carried ( Tim o'brien) - Essay Example Kathleen has been used symbolically to represent the reader. Just like the reader, she responds to the author. Her age and relationship with the storyteller, affects the manner in which he relays and conveys what happens. Just like the reader, Kathleen hears the story for the first time from her father (O’ Brien 32). Another symbolic figure in the story is the young Vietnamese soldier who is dead, constantly appearing in O’Brien’s nightmares, visions, and hallucinations. This symbolizes guilt over horrible acts in war. O ‘Brien had thrown a grenade during war four years ago, but was not certain whether he had killed a man. The author has also used the character Linda symbolically to represent how it is possible to bring back pats elements through storytelling and imagination. Linda was O’ Brien’s classmate who died in fifth grade of brain tumor (O’ Brien 132). She symbolizes O’ Brien’s believe that storytelling can be used to negotiate confusion and pain. She was his first love and his first experience of death. Through her, the author communicates that through imagination, the past can be brought to the present, and the dead made

Analysis Of Guantanamo Bay

Analysis Of Guantanamo Bay Guantanamo Bays detention center is a United States operated detainment facility located on the southern tip of Cuba. It became primarily newsworthy post 9/11 when many Americans felt threatened by the uncertainty of terrorism. Guantanamo Bay has been sharply criticized by human rights activists such as Amnesty International and the debate includes some very major political figures. Although it was brought to the United States Supreme Court recently, most major political figures have historically seemed to stray away from the subject due to its controversial nature. The major topic which I will discuss in this paper is the legal sovereignty of Guantanamo Bay and the fine line the United States government walks between national security and civil liberties. From the acquisition of Guantanamo to the current legal standing to the various positions from major political figures worldwide, basically every aspect of this issue remains debated and extremely controversial. I will attempt in m y paper to present an unbiased, factual account of Guantanamo Bay and its current world standing. The United States first acquired Guantanamo Bay in 1898 when it intervened against Spain to assist Cuba in their independence. Ironically, the United States stepped in to assist Cuba with their fight for independence from Spain but ended up playing a role very similar to Spains role. Since the United States historically was not major world play it needed Cuba and the Spanish-American War to secure its own impact on Latin America and it subsequently became a major impact on every Cuban decision for the next sixty years. In 1901, the U.S government signed into law the Platt Amendment which was an amendment added to the 1901 Army Appropriations Act. This amendment outlined the conditions of future Cuban- U.S relations and gave the United States the legal rights to, among other things, Guantanamo Bay.  [1]  The agreement between the United States and Cuba states: To enable the United States to maintain the independence of Cuba, and to protect the people thereof, as well as for its own defense, the Cuban Government will sell or lease to the United States the lands necessary for coaling or naval stations, at certain specified points, to be agreed upon with the President of the United States.  [2]   Although this was signed by the President of Cuba and the President of the United States in 1903, the legality has since been called into question. The United States diplomatic pressure, backed by military occupation at the time was a huge impact on the agreement in question. Although the United States agreed to pay a nominal rent of 3,386.25 per year to Cuba, the agreement was largely in favor of the U.S government. In 1960, when Fidel Castro came into power he immediately refused to accept any further payment and publically bashed the United States occupation of Guantanamo Bay. According to Article 52 of the 1969 Vienna Law of Treaties, A treaty is void if its conclusion has been procured by the threat or use of force in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations.  [3]  At the time Cuba agreed to lease Guantanamo Bay to the United States, the U.S had just assisted them in gaining their independence from Spain and was still a h uge influence in their government. Cuba was not in the position to tell them no, regardless of Cubas preference on the matter. However, the United States has argued that according to Article 4, Without prejudice to the application of any rules set forth in the present Convention to which treaties would be subject under international law independently of the Convention, the Convention applies only to treaties which are concluded by States after the entry into force of the present Convention with regard to such States.  [4]   the treated is still in effect and should be honored. Since Cuba still does not have the force or military capability to make the United States leave, the United States is still occupying Guantanamo. The topic received further attention post 9/11 with President Bushs War on Terrorism. At this point, no one really knew where Guantanamo Bay fell in terms of ultimate sovereignty and whos rules applied to the base. Also, since the military was in charge of the use of the land, there was very little transparency about what was actually going on there. Finally in June of 2004, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Rasul v. Bush, that U.S Courts do have the jurisdiction to handle cases involving foreign nationals wrongfully held in Guantanamo Bay saying that to determine the legality of the Executives potentially indefinite detention of individuals who claim to be wholly innocent of wrongdoing. After many decades, detainees, or enemy combatants as they were formerly known, had the right and access to challenge the legality of their detention.  [5]   Guantanamo Bays detention facility is a heavy topic that spans across all levels of government. Former President Bush and the current president, Barack Obama have both been very vocal about their opinions on the subject. The Bush administration and the Justice Department carefully prepared the legal groundwork for Guantanamo Bay post 9/11. They claimed that the Republic of Cuba has ultimate sovereignty over Guantanamo. As a result of this, they had no obligation to uphold the United States constitution and the detainees had no legal rights in U.S courts. However, they also argued that Cuban law has no effect in Guantanamo, so the area in effect was basically lawless. President Obama on the other hand, took a completely different position on Guantanamo Bay. Within his first weeks as President he vowed to shut down Guantanamo Bay within the year. In view of the significant concerns raised by these detentions, both within the United States and internationally, prompt and appropriate disposition of the individuals currently detained at Guantanamo and closure of the facility would further the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States and the interests of justice,  [6]   Although it has been over a year, the Obama administration maintains that it is still their intention to shut down the detention center. They also issued a long awaited new rule book for the Obama-era war court that put an end to pre-confinement detention counting toward post Guantanamo sentences(to avoid situations like Salim Hamdan which I will discuss later)  [7]  . The legislative branch does not seem to play nearly as large as a role as the executive and judicial branch in this scenario. However, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. blamed Congress for not coming to a consensus on where a replacement facility for Guantanamo should be and for not approving funding for the new detention center in a timely manner. The bottom line is these techniques have hurt our image around the world, the damage they have done to our interests far outweighed whatever benefit they gave us and they are not essential to our national security.  [8]  Although their role is not as significant, they definitely make a lot of voters question the Obama Administration and his promise to close Guantanamo Bay within one year of his presidency. In a major rebuke to President Barack Obama, the Senate voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to block the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the United States and denied the administration the millions it sought to close the prison. The 90-6 Senate vote-paired with similar House action last week-was a clear sign to Obama that he faces a tough fight getting the Democratic-controlled Congress to agree with his plans to shut down the detention center and move the 240 detainees.  [9]   The main problem they face is that forty-eight detainees left still need to be held indefinitely and they have nowhere to put them if they leave Cuba. We have to have an option, and that will require congressional support for the funding request we have made, Holder said.  [10]   The judicial branch, as seen in Rasul v. Bush, has chosen to hear a few Guantanamo Bay cases although, historically most cases were heard by military courts. Although Rasul v. Bush was a huge landmark case, there were a few other decisions decided around this time period that gave rights to the prisoners in Guantanamo as well. Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, which was actually decided on the same day, June 28, 2004 (although argued a week after) as Rasul v. Bush, ruled on the legality of holding a United States citizen indefinitely as an enemy combatant. The Supreme Court ruled that although Hamdis detention was authorized, the Fifth Amendments due process gives all citizens the right to challenge their detention. This cased differed from many of the Guantanamo Bay cases because Hamdi was actually a U.S citizen instead of a foreign national. Bourmediene v. Bush was another landmark case for Guantanamo Bays detainees and was decided recently in 2008. The Supreme Court decided in Bourmediene v. Bus h that ALL detainees at Guantanamo Bay should have a right to challenge their detention through U.S Federal Courts.  [11]   Navi Pillay who is the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was extremely happy about Obamas decision to close Guantanamo Bay. The fact that President [Barack] Obama has placed such a high priority on closing Guantà ¡namo and set in motion a system to safeguard the fundamental rights of the detainees there is extremely encouraging, she stated. The High Commission for Human Rights also wants the United States to change its approach on tactics used to detain individuals abroad. Pillay even went far enough to raise the issue of compensation for those judged to be innocent and called for a thorough investigation into allegations of torture at the Guantà ¡namo centre.  [12]  Although the United Nations does not have any physical way to enforce their recommendations, they are an extremely influential organization and hold a lot of weight internationally. They are expected to be unbiased with their recommendations and are portrayed as an international law and human rights peace keeper to facilitate achieving world peace. The last major players in this controversial situation are human rights interest groups such as Amnesty International. Amnesty International has been a huge, non-governmental player in the debate and was notably quoted for calling Guantanamo Bay a human rights scandal. They actually have an entire section on their website dedicated to Guantanamo Bay and quotes from various officials and organizations describing the torture and speaking out about the legality of Guantanamo. The war on terror does not justify violations of international human rights law. The Counter Terror with Justice campaign works to stop torture; close Guantà ¡namo; end illegal U.S. detentions; stop extraordinary rendition; restore fair trials and habeas corpus; and hold accountable all those who authorized and implemented these human rights abuses.  [13]   Even though Amnesty International is only a non-governmental organization, they have an incredible standing worldwide and they are consistently setting the standard for other human rights organizations.  [14]  They also have a huge following internationally and receive a lot of volunteer and monetary support. Although they have had a lot of success and received the Nobel Peace Prize for their campaign against torture, they have also been criticized by many political figures and even religious organizations such as the Catholic Church. They have also lately been mixed up with alleged ties to a former Guantanamo Bay detainee and his pro-jihad group which forced a senior Amnesty International official to resign her position because of her disappointment in the organization.  [15]   Rumsfeld, while still the U.S Secretary of Defense, was quoted by saying the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay were the most dangerous, best-trained, vicious killers on the face of the earth. Although this is clearly biased because the Bush administration was very pro-keeping Guantanamo Bay open, Rumsfeld does make a valid point. While doing my research, I noticed a time line that the Washington Post published on Guantanamo Bay. Salim Hamdan, who was allegedly Osama bin Ladens driver and very active in the planning of various terrorist activities, was released to Yemen from Guantanamo in November of 2008 and was to be tried for his crimes by the Yemen courts. He ended up getting only five and a half years confinement and a little over five years was credited because of his previous imprisonment in Guantanamo and various U.S custody locations. He was actually released a little over a month after his transfer to Yemen and was free to do whatever he wanted. I also read a lot on Yemen and thei r position on the War on Terrorism. When the United States offered to return prisoners to Yemen last year, Yemen officials demanded money for a rehabilitation center. The Yemeni government uses terrorism and fighting terrorism as a tool to get political and financial benefit, said Khaled Alansi. They did not have anything to market themselves to the world, especially the United States, except fighting terrorism.  [16]   Prior to all my research on Guantanamo Bay, I thought the idea behind the detention center was completely ridiculous. It was basically a lawless black hole where the United States government could do whatever they wanted. In addition, very few reports were issued by the government because of confidentiality and the nature of their crimes so it was very hard to tell what was really going on there. From what I read, there had been suicides by multiple prisoners and even reports of guards defacing the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Although my opinion is still in favor of shutting down Guantanamo, I do understand the severity of the issue at hand a little better now. I think the biggest factor that changed my opinion was the example of Hamdan(which I discussed earlier) and Yemens position on the matter. I am afraid that once released, many prisoners will walk free with an even deeper hatred for the United States and a greater passion for punishing us. Torture and abuse cost American livesI learned in Iraq that the No. 1 reason foreign fighters flocked there to fight were the abuses carried out at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Our policy of torture was directly and swiftly recruiting fighters for al-Qaeda in IraqHow anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me unless you dont count American soldiers as Americans.  [17]   In one sense, Guantanamo Bay is a catch 22. If we keep the prisoners locked away in Guantanamo we wont have to worry about prisoners being releases and beginning to plan terrorist attacks again. However, if we dont release them we are alienating so many in the Middle East that we will eventually have many new threats. Regardless of national security, laws are in place for a reason and what we have been doing in Guantanamo seems to be highly unethical and should be illegal. Since the United States does have complete control over the territory, I believe that U.S laws should definitely apply. The United States is a country that has always prided itself on human rights and our legal system and there should not be a loophole created when the government deems it necessary. Although the process is slow, the courts have seemed to be regulating the United States militarys full control over Guantanamo. Like I discussed previously, the Obama administration has actually pledged to shut down Guantanamo Bay anyway so the problem is not nearly severe as it was under the Bush, more conservative, administration. So much of the previous information we have on Guantanamos sovereignty and who has complete control seems to be lost in translation. A sensible policy for future use would be to either put Guantanamo under our constitutions regulation or possibly draft new legislation for the area. Also, in regards to possession of Guantanamo, I believe the United States should set a time period by which they pledge to give Guantanamo Bay back to Cuba. The grounds in which the United States was given Guantanamo Bay was shaky as it was since Cuba were still under U.S rule and it does not seem right to allow a country to make a treaty with itself. Since the primary purpose of Guantanamo post cold-war has been to detain suspected terrorist and the Obama Administration decided to no longer use it for that purpose, it is not nearly as important anymore for the U.S military. In addition, it was a perfect location in the beginning of the 1900s since we wanted to expand into South America and exert our dominance but global positioning is no longer a primary goal. Then again, during the Cold War, Guantanamo was a prime strategic location if we were to go to war with Cuba but we are no longer at the brink of nuclear war and if we felt the need to intervene in South America (I hope not) w e would not necessarily need Cuba. Although I do not plan to get involved in this situation, I believe the best way to fix an issue such as this would be through the legal system. Since I have always been extremely interested in law, I read part of Guantanamo and the Abuse of Presidential Power by Joseph Margulies. Margulies was the lead council in Rasul v. Bush and talked about his experiences throughout most of the book. Every year, the Supreme Court agrees to review only a tiny fraction of the cases clamoring for its attention. For that reason, many lawyers believe, not without reason, that the most important document in a case is the one that asks the court to accept review, call the petition for writ of certiorari. The petition in Rasul, drafted in the summer of 2003, went through more than dozen drafts, and in the final product, my colleagues and I tried to capture not simply the legal reasons for review, but the moral consequences if the Court were to remain silent. My greatest fear was that the Bush Administration would simply forget about the prisoners, in the vain hope the world would too.  [18]   Margulies describes in detail how much time and thought went into this brief. Not only was it almost impossible to get the Supreme Court to recognize the issue and the case but also it was not like a typical writ of certiorari. It was drafted more than a dozen times and contained not only the legal grounds as to why it should be heard but the ethical and moral justifications as well. This is not a law suit that anyone can get through to the Supreme Court. I think the main way I could personally get involved, a side from getting my law degree and going into international civil rights law, is spreading awareness. I could try writing to my local senator or possibly even get published in a local newspaper or magazine. The President and Congresss main goal is to get reelected so theyll ultimately do what is important to the voters.

The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Spiritual Awakening Essay -- Tolstoy Death I

The Death of Ivan Ilyich: Spiritual Awakening He went to his study, lay down, and once again was left alone with it. Face to face with It, unable to do anything with It. Simply look at It and grow numb with horror" (Tolstoy, 97). Death takes on an insidious persona as it eats away at Ivan Ilyich, a man horrified at the prospect of losing his life. Even more horrifying is the realization that despite his prominence and prosperity as a Russian high court judge, Ilyich has done nothing to make his life worth saving. The Death of Ivan Ilyich begins at the end, with his associates receiving the news of his passing. Here, Tolstoy emphasizes the diffident attitude the living often have toward the dead and their unintended insensitivity to what they can't comprehend. His colleagues are more preoccupied with what kind of personnel changes his death causes and getting in a game of whist than the loss of this individual. Even his wife, while playing up her bereaved widow status, considers how she can profit from his passing. Aside from the realistic portrayal of his truly devastated son, those who survive the dead man seem to consider him an inconvenient corpse. The story then flashes back to develop Ivan Ilyich as a living man. At first, the indifferent attitude of his loved ones seemed justified, since he leads a rather empty, superficial life common to the late 1800's. It appears that if someone else died, his first thoughts would turn to whist as well. Propriety, not morality, dictates his actions and he relishes power and glory. He is a consummately impervious individual, impervious to conscience, empathy, and understanding. This does not make him an evil man. More i... ...back the family has. Both of them suffer from false expectation brought on by their commitment to propriety over conscience or morality. As Ilyich's condition worsens, he begins to notice the hypocrisy upon which he has based his life. At first, he sees those around him as perpetrators of a "great lie," insisting that he will get better and making light of his condition. Later, he comes to accept that in the past he has lied to himself, and forgives his family of all his petty grudges. His realization and spiritual awakening in the moments before his death ultimately draw the greatest audience sympathy. We feel his denial and fear, his unending physical pains and emotional misery, and are able to accept, as Ilyich does, the unalterable course of our lives. Tolstoy, Leo. The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Translated by Lynn Solotaroff. Bantam Books:New York, 1981.

Man Vs Nature Conflicts

Humanity's progress, particularly since the mid-19th century, has been largely the result of our ability to get and use what planet Earth has to offer. All told, the food we eat, the timber we cut, and the water we draw amounts to an astounding one-third to one-half of global ecosystem production. But humans are part of nature, and like every other species on the planet, we depend upon healthy ecosystems for our survival. Nature provides us essentials like clean water, food, medicines, even recreational retreats.Intact ecosystems also help regulate our weather and climate. But these systems are extremely fragile, and we're only now beginning to understand the myriad interactions and interdependencies that sustain them. And we know that once they are gone, there are no replacements. Changing our behavior and needs to preserve these Earth's ecosystems will be neither easy nor inexpensive. But if we are to feed, clothe, and care for ourselves into the future, taking drastic steps will b e essential. . Man- Nature interactionMan and nature interact dialectically in such a way that, as society develops, man tends to become less dependent on nature directly, while indirectly his dependence grows. This is understandable. While he is getting to know more and more about nature, and on this basis transforming it, man's power over nature progressively increases, but in the same process, man comes into more and more extensive and profound contact with nature, bringing into the sphere of his activity growing quantities of matter, energy and information.Why exactly do we humans have such an incredibly large influence on other species and the natural world? We are unique among animal species in that we survive and reproduce in a wide variety of environments through cultural adaptations. In contrast, other species are primarily able to survive and reproduce due to biological adaptations that result from eons of natural selection and biological evolution. The cultural adaptation s of humans have allowed them to colonize nearly every ecosystem type on Earth. In addition, cultural innovations have allowed the human population to grow exponentially for millennia.Such sustained population growth is unparalleled by any other species on the planet. The population of a typical species grows until it reaches the carrying capacity of its environment, then levels off or declines. In other words, it grows until it is fully utilizing the available resources, such as food and space. At this point mechanisms such as disease and starvation keep the population from continuing to grow. However, we humans have responded to resource scarcity with cultural practices and technologies that increase the availability of resources.We raise our food on farms and live in multi-story apartment buildings, increasing the carrying capacity of the environment for humans. This growth eventually requires yet more cultural adaptations to increase resources, and the alteration of the natural environment and the rate of cultural evolution is accelerated. Currently the global human population is large enough and the technologies that allow humans to manipulate the environment are potent enough that human-caused alterations to the biosphere are causing the extinction of innumerable wildlife species.If present trends continue, there will be an eventual crash in the human population that will bring great suffering and cause widespread environmental damage. This is the root cause of the modern environmental crisis. This deals with how we got into the present situation from the perspective of cultural interactions with wildlife and wild lands – coflicts conflict can be explained as the struggle between two class or group. In this essay we can see the differences that are a raised between man and nature.Since nature from the birth of earth the nature had a major role playing in every single aspect of living life on earth. as man develops slowly by improving day by day th e destruction of nature started. Man learned to develop the seed which helped both the environment by improving it's greenery and man by his efforts. Man vs nature conflict occurs when a particular character is opposed to natures forces. It is the conflict between nature itself, and mankind as we continue our relentless expansion, coupled with our overwhelming lack of compassion for any other form of life.A prime example of one such battle is that which currently rages in The Serengeti National Park. Currently, the Tanzanian government, despite earlier reports to the contrary, intends to pave the road which runs across 50 km of the park. The annual migrations in this region involve more than 1. 5 million animals, primarily wildebeests and zebras. These annual migrations are considered one of the great natural wonders of the world. The paving of this road would have dire consequences, both to the migrating herds and the local environment itself.The effects could be devastating to the natural balance throughout the area. The road would bring increased traffic, almost certainly resulting in massive loss of life to the herds. But as tragic as this would be, it is not the sole repercussion that would ensue A. overexploitation The exploitation of natural resources started to emerge in the 19th century as natural resource extraction developed. During the 20th century, energy consumption rapidly increased. Today, about 80% of the world’s energy consumption is sustained by the extraction of fossil fuels, which consists of oil, coal and gas.Another non-renewable resource that is exploited by humans are Subsoil minerals such as precious metals that are mainly used in the production of industrial commodities. Intensive agriculture is an example of a mode of production that hinders many aspects of the natural environment, for example the degradation of forests in a terrestrial ecosystem and water pollution in an aquatic ecosystem. As the world population rises and e conomic growth occurs, the depletion of natural resources influenced by the unsustainable extraction of raw materials becomes an increasing concern deforestation.Deforestation, clearance or clearing is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a non-forest use. [1] Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use. Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the increasing number of people that live in urban areas. It predominantly results in the physical growth of urban areas, be it horizontal or vertical. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008. [1] By 2050 it is predicted that 64.1% and 85. 9% of the developing and developed world respectively will be urbanized.Urbanization is closely linked to modernization, industrialization, and the sociological process of rationalization. Urbanization can describe a specific condition at a set t ime, i. e. the proportion of total population or area in cities or towns, or the term can describe the increase of this proportion over time. So the term urbanization can represent the level of urban development relative to overall population, or it can represent the rate at which the urban proportion is increasing.MARKET PRESSURES increase in commercialization, intensification and privatization of local economies, growing integration of national and global economies, economic reforms refer to market pressure. The list of such conflicts is extensive. One needs only turn on the news or read a local paper to find stories of such conflicts between man and nature. It is impossible to affect one link in the chain which comprises a given environment without incurring disastrous ramifications. Human beings are the ultimate embodiment of this destructive potential on the planet.Our encroachment upon†¦and in far too many instances outright destruction of†¦ various delicate habitats is well documented and comes in a variety of forms. These include: population growth impinging upon an animals natural habitat, destruction of the environment itself through pollution of the air, soil and water, disruption of migratory patterns, over fishing and hunting, deforestation and poaching. Mankind as a whole is the single greatest contributor to ecological imbalance on the planet. Why resources are under pressure?  · Increase in the sophistication of technology enabling natural resources to be extracted quickly and efficiently.E. g. , in the past, it could take long hours just to cut down one tree only using saws. Due to increased technology, rates of deforestation have greatly increased  · A rapid increase in population that is now decreasing. The current number of 7. 132 billion humans consume many natural resources.  · Cultures of consumerism. Materialistic views lead to the mining of gold and diamonds to produce jewelry, unnecessary commodities for human life or advancement.  · Excessive demand often leads to conflicts due to intense competition. Organizations such as Global Witness and the United Nations have documented the connection.Non-equitable distribution of resources.CONSEQUENCESThe Holocene extinction, sometimes called the Sixth Extinction, is a name proposed to describe the extinction event of species that has occurred during the present Holocene epoch (since around 10,000 BC). The Holocene extinction includes the disappearance of large mammals known as megafauna, starting between 9,000 and 13,000 years ago, the end of the last Ice Age. This may have been due to the extinction of the mammoth that had maintained grasslands that became birch forests without the mammoths.The new forest and the resulting forest fires may have induced climate change. [3] Such disappearances might be the result of the proliferation of modern humans which led to climate change. These extinctions, occurring near the Pleistocene–Holocene boundary, are sometimes referred to as the Quaternary extinction event. The Holocene extinction continues into the 21st century  · Erosion is the process by which soil and rock are removed from the Earth's surface by exogenetic processes such as wind or water flow, and then transported and deposited in other locations.Industrial agriculture, deforestation, roads, anthropogenic climate change and urban sprawl are amongst the most significant human activities in regard to their effect on stimulating erosion.CONCLUSIONConversely, to be honest, we are the species that holds the ability to have the greatest positive effect upon this worlds ecosystems. We have it within us to either save or destroy. The ability and the choice is ours. We as a species need to acquire an environmental conscience an awareness before our own shortsightedness and apathy doom us and our fellow denizens of this world to extinction.

Understanding of Participant Observation

Abstract This essay discusses participant observation as a method of collecting anthropological data from the tube. This method allows researchers to gather information through observation and interviewing of individuals who are taking the tube as a means of transportation. Strengths of this method include directly observing how people interact in the tube and writing down this observation for future interpretation. This method allows observers to use their five senses to interpret data collected from the tube. Limitation of this method includes possible subjectivity of interpretation of data. Introduction This essay will discuss participant observation as a method of collecting anthropological data from commuters in the tube. The discussion part of this essay will explore the strengths and limitations of this method. Discussion Participant observation is an ethnographic method of qualitative studies that allows researchers to observe the sample population in their natural setting (Murchison, 2010). This allows researchers to observe and describe situations using the different senses of the body (Murchison, 2010). Hence, it is said that participant observation is a written photograph of what is happening in the field (DeWalt and DeWalt, 2011). Polit et al. (2013) explains that a detailed description of an event or people’s experiences allow observers to analyse situations exhaustively. In terms of my study, I chose participant observation since I felt it would help me gather relevant data on what is happening in the London Underground. While this type of observation allows for more in-depth observation of events and people’s actions (Muchison, 2010), participant observation has also some limitations. First, there is a need to immerse one’s self in the world inhabited by participant. Thi s is accomplished by taking the tube as a mode of transportation to experience what others are experiencing when taking this transportation. Part of participant observation is to interview people regarding their experiences. This might be a challenge since participants might not be willing to be interviewed while in the tube. It should be noted that there are many commuters in the tube who do not know each other. This might be a challenge when collecting data since participants might be wary of answering questions from a researcher (Hek et al., 2011). Polit et al. (2013) reiterate that participants might not act naturally since they are aware that the researcher is observing them. This presents some bias in the data since behaviour of the participants might not be reflective of their actual behaviour. Meanwhile, reflexivity in data would allow researchers to interpret data according to the perceptions of the participants. Researchers might also bring a degree of bias and subjectivity when they collect data and information from the participants (Murchison, 2010). The researcher’s own perceptions, feelings and knowledge might be used to interpret actions, conversations and expressions manifested by people riding in the tube. There is the risk that interpretation of data becomes highly subjective. However, this could be avoided if the researcher allows participants to confirm findings and inform the researcher whether interpretation of the interviews is accurate. Hek et al. (2011) emphasise that subjectivity could be prevented by objectively interpreting data. This is done through adopting a nonjudgmental attitude, being open and genuinely interested in what participants are saying (Oermann, 2010). This would lead to data that are more reliable since researchers allow participants to verify the findings. In my experience, I adopted a nonjudgmental attitude to help me empathise with what the partic ipants are saying to me. Placing myself in their situation helped me better understand what they are expressing to me during my collection of data. Parahoo (2006) states that it is important to define phenomena and experiences according to the participant’s perceptions. Reflection I felt that I am part of the community of commuters in the tube since I regularly use this as a mode of transportation. I felt that this is an advantage to me since in-depth analysis of the behaviour of the commuters involves immersing one’s self in the actual environment. Hence, my previous experiences commuting in the tube could help me understand what other people might be experiencing while commuting in the tube. I also realised that different people ride the tube and their diverse background could add to the complexity of analysing the cultural behaviour of commuters in the tube. However, I also realised that the ethnographic method would yield valuable information on the general behaviour of commuters in the tube. Finally, ethnographic method was appropriate for my research question since this helped me form an objective and detailed description of what is happening in the tube. Conclusion Participant observation is an effective tool in collecting anthropological data since this allows researchers to immerse in natural settings. This helps researchers collect more reliable data as participants are observed in actual settings. References: DeWalt, K. & Dewalt, B. (2011) Participant observation: A guide for fieldworkers. Plymouth, United Kingdom: Rowman Altamira. Hek, G., Judd, M. & Moule, P. (2011) Making Sense of Research, 4th ed., London: Sage Publications. Murchison, J. (2010) Ethnography Essentials: Designing, conducting, and presenting your research, London: John Wiley and Sons. Oermann, M.H. (2010) Writing for publication in nursing, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott. Parahoo, K. (2006) Nursing Research: Principles, Process and Issues, 2nd ed., London: Palgrave Macmillan. Polit, D., Beck, C.T. and Hungler, B.P. (2013) Essentials of Nursing Research. Methods, Appraisal and Utilization, 8th ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott.

Free Essays on The Guilt Of Oedipus

The Guilt of Oedipus The play Oedipus: â€Å"The King† presents the reader with a look into the horror of Oedipus’ destiny. Freud writes, â€Å"Oedipus was exposed as an infant because an oracle warned his father his son would be his murderer†(69). Oedipus was rescued and began another life with another royal family. After Oedipus found out about the oracle he tries to free himself from the oracle. Oedipus fulfilled the oracle and was driven away from the land. Was Oedipus guilty of murder and incest or not? Many facts have been found to prove that he is guilty, while many opinions are raised in favor of his innocence. Oedipus was indeed guilty of murdering his father and having incest with his mother. The play itself is all the evidence needed to convict Oedipus of these charges. The play states everything that Oedipus did until he is driven away from the land. The evidence from the play would definitely make Oedipus guilty. In addition to the play there are other facts that would make Oedipus guilty. Freud states â€Å"Oedipus himself is the murderer of Laius, but further he is the son of a murdered man and of Jocasta†(70). Freud’s fact about Oedipus being his father murderer is true, and that makes him guilty. Another author Wheelwright writes â€Å"The fact that Oedipus performed slaying his father and bedding his mother without suspecting true relationship†(252). This comment backs the favor of Oedipus being guilty because it proves that he did the crimes. Oedipus knew what the oracle said he would do and having any knowledge of that should have made him more cau tious of who he killed or had sex with. Since Oedipus wanted to know who his parents were Vellacott states â€Å"Oedipus investigated the murder of Laius and discovered his own double guilt†(207). Vellacott uses guilt in his commentary and proves that even Oedipus knows that he is guilty. Oedipus wanted to know who his parents were because a drunk to... Free Essays on The Guilt Of Oedipus Free Essays on The Guilt Of Oedipus The Guilt of Oedipus The play Oedipus: â€Å"The King† presents the reader with a look into the horror of Oedipus’ destiny. Freud writes, â€Å"Oedipus was exposed as an infant because an oracle warned his father his son would be his murderer†(69). Oedipus was rescued and began another life with another royal family. After Oedipus found out about the oracle he tries to free himself from the oracle. Oedipus fulfilled the oracle and was driven away from the land. Was Oedipus guilty of murder and incest or not? Many facts have been found to prove that he is guilty, while many opinions are raised in favor of his innocence. Oedipus was indeed guilty of murdering his father and having incest with his mother. The play itself is all the evidence needed to convict Oedipus of these charges. The play states everything that Oedipus did until he is driven away from the land. The evidence from the play would definitely make Oedipus guilty. In addition to the play there are other facts that would make Oedipus guilty. Freud states â€Å"Oedipus himself is the murderer of Laius, but further he is the son of a murdered man and of Jocasta†(70). Freud’s fact about Oedipus being his father murderer is true, and that makes him guilty. Another author Wheelwright writes â€Å"The fact that Oedipus performed slaying his father and bedding his mother without suspecting true relationship†(252). This comment backs the favor of Oedipus being guilty because it proves that he did the crimes. Oedipus knew what the oracle said he would do and having any knowledge of that should have made him more cau tious of who he killed or had sex with. Since Oedipus wanted to know who his parents were Vellacott states â€Å"Oedipus investigated the murder of Laius and discovered his own double guilt†(207). Vellacott uses guilt in his commentary and proves that even Oedipus knows that he is guilty. Oedipus wanted to know who his parents were because a drunk to...

Equal rights for all essays

Equal rights for all essays A constitutional ban on gay marriage is a declaration of war against gay America (Bumiller). It is an act of discrimination and intolerance solely based on religious perspectives. Allowing gays and lesbians the same rights as everyone else does nothing to harm or take away the rights of others. This amendment should not be allowed to pass, and the basic civil right to get married should be extended to all Americans. In the past the constitution has been amended to expand and protect the rights of Americans. This will be the first time it has been used to limit and take away rights. For example, a constitutional amendment expanded the rights of women to vote, and another gave African Americans equal rights instead of separate but equal rights as put on them by the Jim crow laws. These rights were separate but they were far from equal. In a sense the discrimination of gays and lesbians goes back to the old Jim crow laws of separate but not equal, by not allowing us to get married but instead letting the states decide if they will allow civil unions. Civil unions are a far step from marriage. They do not provide for 1,049 federal benefits that full marriage guarantees (Meade). Some of these rights that straight married couples take for granted are: Social Security survivor benefits, spousal privilege in a court trial, time off work if a partner is sick or has passed away, the ability to make medical decisions if there partner is unable to, and veterans survivors benefits. New York congressman Jerrold Nadler argues that an extremely important constitutional principal, is the right to ensure that all Americans are treated equally under the law. He also says that the passing of this amendment would permanently deny a large group of Americans access t ...

40 Fish Idioms

40 Fish Idioms 40 Fish Idioms 40 Fish Idioms By Mark Nichol The ubiquity of fish in culinary traditions and the popularity of fishing as both a recreational pastime and a food-gathering activity has led to the development of many fish-based idioms, including those listed and described below. 1. all is fish that comes to his net: a proverb that alludes to a person’s resourcefulness 2–4. another/different/whole other kettle of fish: spoken to recognize an abrupt shift in the topic being discussed 5–6. better/other fish to fry: a reference to having more important things to do than what one is doing or than what is proposed 7. big fish: an important or influential person 8–9. big fish in a little/small pond: an important or influential person on an insignificant scale, such as in a small community 10. cold fish: a person who does not exude friendliness or show emotions 11. cry stinking fish (primarily British English): self-deprecate 12. drink like a fish: imbibe excessive amounts of alcohol 13–14. fine/pretty kettle of fish: a predicament 15. fish around: investigate 16–17. fish for a compliment/compliments: encourage someone to say something favorable about you without asking outright 18. fish in troubled waters: involve oneself in a dangerous or difficult situation to risk gaining an advantage 19. fish or cut bait: an admonition to act or to remove oneself as an obstacle to another person acting 20. fish out of water: a reference to a person who feels awkward or uncomfortable because he or she is in an unfamiliar environment 21–24. fish out/fish out of/fish up/fish up out of: retrieve (the first variation is also used literally to mean â€Å"deplete a body of water of its fish population by overfishing†) 25. fish story: an exaggerated account or tall tale, from the supposed tendency of fishermen to claim that the â€Å"one that got away† was larger than it actually was 26. fish-eating grin: smug smile 27. fish-eye lens: a type of wide-angle camera lens 28. fish: inept or stupid person 29. fishy: suspicious 30. like shooting fish in a barrel: a reference to something that is extremely easy to do, on the notion that fish swimming in a barrel rather than in open water make for an easy target 31–32. need (something) like/about as much as a fish needs a bicycle: a reference to the incompatibility of a fish and a bicycle to convey that something is utterly useless to someone 33. neither fish nor fowl: an allusion to something difficult to categorize, describe, or understand 34–35. odd/queer fish: a strange person 36–37. plenty of/more fish in the sea: a reference to the notion that many other romantic partners are available to one after the end of a relationship or after one is rejected by another person 38. teach a man to fish: the essence of a proverb, one version of which is â€Å"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,† which means that it is better to teach someone to do something than to do it for him or her 39. The cat would eat fish but would not wet her feet: A proverbial comment referring to the necessity of enduring annoyance or taking risks to achieve goals 40. What’s that got to do with the price of fish? (primarily British English): a response to an irrelevant comment or a non sequitur Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before Words8 Writing Tips for Beginners40 Idioms with First

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Analysis - Case Study Example Using data gathered from Association of Convenience Stores, they tried to prove that the decision of a chain store to franchise is associated with the extent to which the stores are dispersed across different types of markets. Findings showed that chain stores are usually established in different environments and markets. This dispersion makes it difficult for the head office to monitor behavior of store personnel and to adapt to the needs of local customers. Evidences have showed dispersion increases delegation and provision of incentives to cope with the problem and that franchising is an easy way to expand into other markets. In contrast, a non-franchised store is operated in a decentralized system and provides more incentive pay. These findings are useful information to those who are thinking of expanding their operations. Take for example McDonalds, a known fast food chain whose franchisees complain of its too much controlling and passing on to them costs amid slow sales. Control is one of the problems in franchising as management does not see behaviors of its personnel. They only have to rely on second hand information. The growing discontent of franchisees apparently is due to strategies of McDonalds to spark sales that are slowing down due to competition. A classic example of problem of dispersion is the risk involved in choosing the correct personnel to manage chain. Ray Kroc, McDonalds owner took a great risk in getting a totally experienced man in managing a restaurant business. As a Biology teacher, Jerry practically knew nothing of the business. But probably, Krocs saw something in him that eventually, he gave three stores to him to manage for free, that of course, turned out to be profitable. These stores were already on the verge of losing. But when Jerry asked for more franchise store, he was already refused.(Miller, Kevin,2013).

INTERIM PROJECT REPORT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

INTERIM PROJECT REPORT - Essay Example They have become an expensive and drag-back problem in many ways. Accidental though avoidable back injuries are responsible for thousands of hours of lost output in the place of work and millions of dollars in lost returns. If you add health related costs, that including employee reimbursement claims and medical care that includes a range from simple first aid to key surgeries, and the expenditures incurred by the World’s business and industries makes them slug behind. Project scope and introduction In reference to The National Safety Council 1990 "industrial accident specifics", job related accidents caused injuries to the back more than any other body parts that were studied during the1989 research study. It was noted that back injuries were responsible for twenty-two percent of all the reported cases. All industry stakeholders, including employers, workforce, customers and the economy in general are all enormously affected. (Daltroy, L.H., Iversen, M.D., Larson, M.G., Lew, R., Wright, E., Ryan, J., Zwerling, C., Fossel, A.H., Liang, M.H. (1997). A controlled trial of an educational program to prevent low back injuries. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 337, Number 5, 322-328.) Guidance, education and preventive methods in work surroundings are not only a requirement for the wellbeing and safety of the workforce; they are also a legal obligation. Most countries’ labour laws require that employers meet the terms of the safety principles and policy in the place of work or they face huge fines. The aspect of plummeting the causes and frequency of back injuries in the places of work is not only critical for the well being of the workforce but also for the economic well-being of the business. As an employment prerequisite, each worker has the duty to work and act carefully on all jobs, at all times. An individual’s responsibility is to the business, their family and to an extent, themselves. (Amdam, R. P. (2010).  Insights into the S ustainable Growth of Business. Bradford: Emerald Group Pub.) Project Control It is very essential for a business like JIM’S CLEANING to make available a secure and healthy work environment. There are numerous situations where the regulations do not always comprise a specific situation hence you have to take time to constitute a level playing status and put into practice one’s own intelligence and education in order to carry out the task at hand without any injury incidents. . Any employee contributing to an injury has to explain what caused the injury thus the employer will be able to comprehend the reason and thwart any potential similar injuries. It is referred to as safety counselling. Counselling serves two essential roles: 1) To give details on how the worker contributed to the injury, hence getting to know what went wrong and how to go about the predicament. 2) To put into a document the actuality that the business is concerned about the safety of all workers and takes the necessary action to guarantee that injuries can be avoided through training. Safety counselling is not planned as a punitive action. It is simply a training means to make workers aware of what they did wrong and the procedures that should be taken to avoid similar injuries. With such kind of measures in place should an employee continue demonstrating hazardous activities or continue to defy

How life would be different if you were in an impaired driving related Essay

How life would be different if you were in an impaired driving related crash - Essay Example These shapes begin to move faster and faster until everything around me seems to be spiraling out of control. I feel a wave of fear grip me before everything is brought to an abrupt halt with a sudden jerk, and I wake up, drenched in sweat, gasping for air. These nightmares are only the least of the damages caused by my accident. The accident occurred around six months ago, when I crashed my car into a tree. I was rushing back home from a party. The reckless driving was owed partly to my speeding and mostly to the influence of alcohol. I remember the car swerving uncontrollably and the next thing I know I was in the ER. The doctors informed me that I had sustained serious injuries in my lower back and the wounds on my face needed several stitches. There was a substantial threat of my spinal tissue being damaged to the extent that it could cause me to become a paraplegic. Thus, I was prescribed bed-rest for six months at least. Now I live under constant fear of having my lower body paralyzed. Doctors have advised me to give up any physically demanding sports. The athletic body which once hosted the spirit of an enthusiastic snowboarder is now too vulnerable to even the mildest of workouts. I have had to take a prolonged leave of absence from my school and now all of my friends will graduate before I do. My parents have had to cancel our family trip because I will have summer school to attend during the vacations. My criminal record is not as spotless as it used to be, and I know this will impact my college applications. The promise of the bright future ahead is beginning to fade a little. The weekends I once spent playing at the local bar with my band are now wasted in physiotherapy sessions. My parents have to tolerate the judgmental looks from their peers every time my accident is brought up in a conversation. They blame themselves for putting too much faith in their 16-year old boy. They no longer trust me and I can sense the disappointment in their eyes.

Family ReResiliency Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Family ReResiliency Assessment - Essay Example Strong families solve problems with cooperation, creative brainstorming, and openness to others. (Walsh, 2006) A family's ability to recover from crisis is influenced by life stressors and by family perceptions. A family's goals, values, problem solving skills, and support networks impact its adaptation to long-term stress and crisis. Family resiliency includes characteristics, dimensions, and properties which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the fact of crisis situations. (Walsh, 2006) Children and adults who learn the values and skills of resiliency will cope with stress, manage relationships, and contribute to others' lives more consistently than those without such strengths. This assignment asks me to explore my own family resiliency and to analyze our strengths and weaknesses. The question, at the end of this paper is "Are we resilient" I cannot say that the research I have completed on my family actually answers the question. I imagine that I am subconsciously biased in my presentation and accordingly, may not be capable of completing an untainted assessment. However, I can say that in the grand scheme of research our coping skills are appropriate. The father of my family is the one seated with power. He ultimately makes the rules and my mother conforms to it. While this does not fit in well with the American culture, it is a backboard of the Haitian Culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). I would consider my family to be over protective. I include myself in this label. We monitor each other as concerns what we feel are crucial life choices. This includes selecting friends, and intimate relationships. We also watch out for each other financially. My ability to help my family financially is a tremendous source of pride for me. (McGoldrick, 2005) Those who assist their family members with finances are highly respected in the Haitian culture. (McGoldrick, 2005). Indeed, when one family member cannot contribute financially to the family, it can see as a reason to break ties. (McGoldrick, 2005). Thankfully, I have not found myself in that situation. When each of us makes a life choice, it is discussed with the entire family. For example, taking this course as part of my education is something that was part of my family discussion. This is not to say that had they advised me, not to take this class that I would have followed their advice. Although we are protective with one another, we respect each other and respect the decisions, made by one another. Thus, if one of us made the wrong decision, my family would not throw it in one another's face and create conflict. Rather, they would say, "yes, you made a mistake, and you learned from it, now move on". I suppose I would liken my family to the Haitian proverb "During times of hunger, sweet potatoes have no skin". This proverb is meant to convey how my culture remains strong during times of adversity. (McGoldrick, 2005). We feel that as a family, we stick together and thus feed off of each

Johnson and Johnson Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Johnson and Johnson - Term Paper Example Product positioning is a vital marketing tool for any organization to make the products superior compared to other competitors’ products. It comprises developing a unique, reliable and standard customer insight about a company’s offerings and brand image. Organizations can position their products on the basis of utilization, cost, or quality. The advertisements play significant part for positioning the products and the offerings of organizations. Through advertisement, organizations position their products by the way of promoting the differentiators to the customers. To become successful, organizations need effective promotion, advertising and sales initiatives and without them there will be less opportunity for future development of business. The purpose of the paper is to describe the advertising and its impact on positioning of Johnson & Johnson Company. The objective will be accomplished by two phases, firstly describing the product positioning and illustrating how organizations can use it to position their products, secondly, how Johnson & Johnson had used advertisement for positioning one of its popular brands named Tylenol. The reason for choosing this topic is to know the relationship between positioning and advertising and to understand the importance of positioning in business. Company Background Johnson & Johnson is one of the most admired organizations, which trades pharmaceutical and healthcare products. Its business operations are expanded to around 60 nations with more than 250 business units. The company invests significant amount on marketing and advertising of their products to the customers. In the year 2010, Johnson & Johnson expended almost 19,424 USD for marketing and managerial purposes. The company provides significant importance on advertisements. The major advertisement media used by Johnson & Johnson are television, radio, print and internet. In the year 2010, the total advertisement spending on Johnson & Johnson was alm ost 2.4 billion USD which indicates that advertisements are used by the company for positioning the brand. Through advertisements, Johnson & Johnson seeks to maintain close relation with the customers and provide useful information about their products. Today, billions of people globally use the products of Johnson & Johnson which is possible due to efficient positioning strategy of the company (Johnson & Johnson Services, â€Å"Annual Report 2010†). Product Positioning Product positioning is an essential element of customers’ purchasing process. It provides the opportunity to encourage the customers’ insights regarding company’s products. Rich, brief and meaningful product positioning assists organizations to communicate message regarding products to customers so that they can accept and be familiar with the product offerings among other substitute products. For successful positioning, organizations need to undertake three steps. First, organizations sho uld recognize the characteristics of target market, i.e. how target market makes their purchasing decisions. After that, organizations need to recognize the type of competition, i.e. how the rival companies are positioning their products and what strategies are they using for successful positioning. Then, organizations must find out the major strengths of their products and assess the purchasing criteria. If the purchasing criteria satisfy the requirements of target customers effectively, organizations can position their products and ultimately can yield better returns. If there is no vacant product position to be filled in the market, then the organization needs to find out the competitor to compete, with a certain product position that can ensure success (On The Mark, â€Å"

All Animals are Equal by Peter Singer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

All Animals are Equal by Peter Singer - Essay Example Everyone is different in many respects such as capacity, intelligence, body stamina yet all are considered equal in providing basic rights to them. The principle of the equality essentially enforces equal treatment for all and with that perspective, he argues, why the same moral ideal is not extended further to include other species of the planet. All species in this universe do not differ on the matter of suffering – no matter how big or small they are. Then why humans instill a different kind of treatment to them. If suffering is made the reason for consideration of equality among all species then the current moral principles of equality – that limit equality to humans only are certainly neither sufficient in themselves nor devoid of human bias. The point is criteria of equality cannot apply only to humans but it is perfectly logical to extend it to other beings too who suffers due to actions of humans against them. Singer asserts "Most human beings are speciesists" (155) because they make use of other species for eating. Though the argument is given is the nutritional needs but it has been sufficiently proved in the scientific realms that farm products such as soybeans and other milk products can meet human needs of proteins. Men use species just as means to meet their ends. The key reasons for consuming other species are attributed to human taste buds and this fact cannot be denied at all. Members of other species are treated most grotesquely – as machines that transform grains into flesh.

Johnson and Johnson Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Johnson and Johnson - Term Paper Example Product positioning is a vital marketing tool for any organization to make the products superior compared to other competitors’ products. It comprises developing a unique, reliable and standard customer insight about a company’s offerings and brand image. Organizations can position their products on the basis of utilization, cost, or quality. The advertisements play significant part for positioning the products and the offerings of organizations. Through advertisement, organizations position their products by the way of promoting the differentiators to the customers. To become successful, organizations need effective promotion, advertising and sales initiatives and without them there will be less opportunity for future development of business. The purpose of the paper is to describe the advertising and its impact on positioning of Johnson & Johnson Company. The objective will be accomplished by two phases, firstly describing the product positioning and illustrating how organizations can use it to position their products, secondly, how Johnson & Johnson had used advertisement for positioning one of its popular brands named Tylenol. The reason for choosing this topic is to know the relationship between positioning and advertising and to understand the importance of positioning in business. Company Background Johnson & Johnson is one of the most admired organizations, which trades pharmaceutical and healthcare products. Its business operations are expanded to around 60 nations with more than 250 business units. The company invests significant amount on marketing and advertising of their products to the customers. In the year 2010, Johnson & Johnson expended almost 19,424 USD for marketing and managerial purposes. The company provides significant importance on advertisements. The major advertisement media used by Johnson & Johnson are television, radio, print and internet. In the year 2010, the total advertisement spending on Johnson & Johnson was alm ost 2.4 billion USD which indicates that advertisements are used by the company for positioning the brand. Through advertisements, Johnson & Johnson seeks to maintain close relation with the customers and provide useful information about their products. Today, billions of people globally use the products of Johnson & Johnson which is possible due to efficient positioning strategy of the company (Johnson & Johnson Services, â€Å"Annual Report 2010†). Product Positioning Product positioning is an essential element of customers’ purchasing process. It provides the opportunity to encourage the customers’ insights regarding company’s products. Rich, brief and meaningful product positioning assists organizations to communicate message regarding products to customers so that they can accept and be familiar with the product offerings among other substitute products. For successful positioning, organizations need to undertake three steps. First, organizations sho uld recognize the characteristics of target market, i.e. how target market makes their purchasing decisions. After that, organizations need to recognize the type of competition, i.e. how the rival companies are positioning their products and what strategies are they using for successful positioning. Then, organizations must find out the major strengths of their products and assess the purchasing criteria. If the purchasing criteria satisfy the requirements of target customers effectively, organizations can position their products and ultimately can yield better returns. If there is no vacant product position to be filled in the market, then the organization needs to find out the competitor to compete, with a certain product position that can ensure success (On The Mark, â€Å"

Globalisation on Service Economies in the Uk Essay Example for Free

Globalisation on Service Economies in the Uk Essay MacKinnon amp; Cumbers (2011) defined globalisation as †¦ the increased connections †¦ in flows of goods, services, money, information and people across national and continental borders. . The globalisation process may be decomposed into constituent processes in order to explain the impacts it has had, which will be discussed more later. In turn, a service economy is one, or part of one, that is based on trade in services. A service is characterised by its intangibility, inseparability (the simultaneous production and consumption of services), heterogeneity and perishability over time and space (Regan 1963; Rathmell 1966; Shostack 1977; Zeithaml et al 1985, cited in Wolak 1998). Alternatively, services are economic activities which have no direct involvement with agriculture, mining, or manufacturing (OECD 2000). Both macro and meso-scale impacts will be examined, starting with the macro; how the service sector as a whole has changed and how globalisation may have fundamentally changed the concept of what a service might be. Inequality as a result of globalisation will then be discussed with particular reference to the North-South divide, before examining market structure changes in terms of levels of competition in the service sector. Finally, meso-scale impacts will be considered, emphasising wage differences in the UKs service sector. Figure [ 1 ]: Percentage share of employment in the UK by sector, 1980-2008 Source: ONS 2009, cited in Faulconbridge 2010 The most profound impact has been the expansion of the service sector since the onset of globalisation in the mid-20th century. Figure 1 shows the increase in service employment from 1980 2008. Further to this, the %GDP generated by the service sector in this same period rose by approximately 20% (OECD 1996, cited in Julius ;amp; Butler 1998), closely mirroring the data in figure 1. Explanation for this can be found in the international division of labour (IDL) that has occurred, in which agriculture and manufacturing have moved abroad to areas that have a comparative advantage over the UK in these sectors. Bryson (2008) referred to this process as the first global shift. The result is, as Figure 1 shows, that as agriculture and manufacturing decline in the UK, services fill the gap that they have left behind. But what led to the first global shift? Offshoring, the act of transferring (predominantly lower-skilled) operations to least-cost locations abroad, is a relatively new concept which has occurred with globalisation (Coe et al 2007). In particular, the rise of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) that are involved with multiple economic sectors, has created a pronounced IDL with East Asia as a dominant choice of location for outsourcing and offshoring. An example of this is Primark Ltd, a subsidiary of Associated British Foods plc. Primarks retail stores -the service part of its operations- are predominantly in the UK, but it sources its products (manufacturing that would otherwise be done in the UK) from East Asia (Primark 2011). This split encapsulates one way in which services in the UK have grown; at the expense of other sectors. Another explanation for the expansion is the liberalisation of the UK economy. As globalisation took hold, the view that free trade was the most efficient way to trade became dominant, a philosophy termed neoliberalism (Peet et al 2011). The result was the formation of trade blocs and international organisations, for example the development of the European Union into what it is today. Flows of capital, labour and goods between constituents of the EU are uninhibited by tariffs and quotas, leading to a disproportionate increase of trade in services between the UK and Europe as the costs of trade fell. Evidence for how liberalism has worked is found in the Big Bang in London. In 1986 the UK government attempted the most rapid, and most comprehensive regulatory relaxation ever attempted by an exchange (Clemons amp; Weber 1990: 233). By abolishing trade restrictions such as the minimum scale for commissions and opening the exchange to outsiders, deregulation made the City more attractive as a marketplace, thus regaining its competitive advantage which it had lost to other cities such as New York (Clemons amp; Weber 1990). But as Londons capital-intensive sector grew in size and scale, so did the whole service sector. Wages were pushed upwards and created a mood of optimism (The Economist 2011), increasing the demand for lower-paid services such as cleaning, which are vital for a city to function (Sokol 2011). As well as this, knowledge-based services such as accountancy or stock broking also flourished due to the increased volume of trade. Globalisation, more specifically the spread of technology, has also changed the fundamentals of a service. The earlier definition of service comes from literature from the mid-to-late 20th century, but more recently services have begun to transcend the characteristics of being inseparable and perishable, allowed by technological advancements (OECD, 2000). An example of this can be found by examining the relatively new concept of internet search engines; it is a service produced at one point in time, yet it is available for use at almost any point in time and space, and by virtually unlimited amounts of people. Through technology, a whole host of different types of services have arisen, contributing to the expansion of the service sector. One particular new type of service is a business service (BS). Shown in figure 1, the increase in employment in BSs since 1980 is due to firms externalising and outsourcing work (Faulconbridge 2010), for example employing an accountant from a specialist accountancy firm rather than one in-house. Externalisation can be explained by the concept of the spatial division of expertise (Bryson amp; Rusten 2006, cited in Daniels et al 2008), which exploits the theory of comparative advantage for knowledge and expertise, at a meso-scale. As such, the demand for BSs has increased, pushing forward BSs prominence in the UK economy. Another impact is the widening of the North-South divide in England, observed at least as early as 1988 (Green 1988), during the Thatcher governments implementation of neoliberalistic policies. Evidence for this is found in much literature (Martin, 2010; French et al 2010; Mackinnon ;amp; Cumbers, 2011; Bryson, 2008), arguing that the spatial shift to services in the UK has been uneven; growth in knowledge and capital intensive services have been concentrated in the South-East and London, whilst labour-intensive (and therefore likely to be lower-paid) services developed in the rest of the UK, in particular the North. This spatial inequality of the UK service economy can be attributed to a number of globalisation factors, but one of importance was the already-established spatial division of expertise between London and the rest of the UK. London had been the capital of the workshop of the world, thus established as a centre of knowledge, so as global markets became more integrated, and with events such as the Big Bang, the size and scale at which Londons knowledge economy operated increased disproportionately relative to the rest of the UKs. Further to this, the divide is exacerbated by exposure to world market forces that results from liberalisation. The financial crisis of 2007 which started in the USA caused the collapse of Northern Rock, RBS, and HBOS, major banks whose headquarters were based in Newcastle and Edinburgh. French et al (2010) argued that their fates signalled the end of Edinburgh and Newcastle as regional financial centres, thus further eroding the spatial equality of types of services in the UK. Indeed, Newcastle is increasingly being known as being a location of choice for outsourcing call centres (Richardson et al 2000). Exposure to world markets was mentioned when discussing spatial inequality caused by globalisation. But exposure has also meant an increased level of competition in the service sector as TNCs expand their operations. An example of this has been the inward foreign investment in the supermarket industry by firms such as Aldi since 1989, creating competition and adversely changing the market structure from the view of domestic firms. Aldi hoped to create 1500 new jobs from 2008-2013 (Wallop 2008), implying that inward foreign investment has brought positive impacts for service sector employment. On the other hand there are some service industries for which increased competition has had very few positive impacts, notably the coastal tourism industry. Blackpools local economy is based heavily upon services related to tourism, but with the advancement of travel technology exposing this market to international competition, the tourism sector has declined considerably in recent years (Singleton 2009) along with its related industries. Figure [ 2 ]: Index of rise in Gross Weekly Real Earnings for full-time males 1978 2008 Source: Lansley (2009) Inequality can also be found at a meso-scale, in particular, the increase in the difference between the highest paid and lowest paid workers. Figure 2 shows that the rate of increase at the 90th percentile in the male wage distribution has been far higher than that at the 10th percentile. Although figure 2 does not isolate service wages from other wages, this rising inequality is still significant as services made up almost 90% of the UK economy in 2008 (figure 1). Van Reenen amp; Bell (2010) showed that the increase in the top end of the wage distribution has been mostly in financial services. Much recent media coverage has indeed focussed on high bankers bonuses. The causes of this may be partially explained with by theories which do not fit in the context of globalisation, for example the decline of trade unions being responsible for lowering wages at the bottom of the wage distribution (Van Reenen ;amp; Bell 2010). However, in a globalisation context, offshoring plays a major role. Offshoring, as explained before, moves lower-skilled jobs to least-cost locations. This means that domestic labour supply is now competing with labour supply abroad. If labour can be supplied abroad for cheaper, the domestic price of labour (i. . UK wages) is depressed, thus explaining the low rate at which low-skilled wages are rising in the context of higher-skilled wages. Alternatively, domestic demand for unskilled labour has fallen, resulting in the lowering of unskilled wages (Slaughter ;amp; Swagel 1997) Furthermore, influxes of migrants, particularly from the EU, have contributed to t he impacts on the labour market. Whilst skilled migrants help to tackle the UK skills shortage, unskilled migrants provide excess labour market supply; lowering unskilled wages and raising unemployment figures. An alternative explanation is the migrant division of labour (Wills et al 2010), where foreign-born workers are more likely to take lower-paid jobs in the UK because the wage is still higher than what they might get paid in their home country, so driving down wages of lower-paid jobs in general. At the other end of the scale, the highest-skilled wages are being pushed upwards disproportionately because as global markets become more integrated, the rate of increase in global demand for skilled labour outstrips that of the global supply of skilled labour. Evidence for the concept of demand outstripping supply comes from Richardson (2009, p. 326): †¦ even in times of relatively high unemployment, employers frequently cite skills shortages as one of the business difficulties that they face. In conclusion, explanations of impacts of globalisation on UK services tend to be constituent processes of globalisation which are inextricably linked: the exposure to world markets due to trade liberalisation, offshoring, technology, and migration, but the impacts they cause vary greatly. Explanations may also rely on economic theory, for example, the impacts on the labour market. Exposure to world market forces, such as the current Eurozone crisis, may mean Londons position within the UK is compromised like Newcastles and Edinburghs was. Additionally, as shown by the contrast between supermarkets and tourism in the UK, impacts and their explanations are industry-specific. However, it must be realised that globalisation offers only partial explanation of the impacts discussed.  Politics, economics, sociology as well as wider geography play a fundamental role in particular, UK governments have played a vastly important role in shaping outcomes of globalisation.

Sustainable Public Procurement vs Green Public Procurement

Sustainable Public Procurement vs Green Public Procurement This section provides the background to the research and overview or outlines the overall framework of the dissertation. It describe the research process that include research problem, problem statement, aim, and objectives of the research, the scope of research being investigated, methodology adopted and finally the summary of the overall research structure undertaken. 1.0.2 Background Sustainability have become a widespread issue in developing countries as the effort to develop the country and conserving the Mother Nature at the same time increased. This effort is also due to the commitment agreed after United Nation Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 established Agenda 21. The Agenda 21 which contains blueprints on sustainability in 21st century was agreed by most of the governments to incorporate the sustainability concept in developments and economic area but still preserving the environment and natural resources. The construction industry is in no exception. Construction industry contributes 3.5 per cent to the countrys gross domestic product in 2011 (Jabatan Statistik Malaysia,2011) . These consist mainly of public sector projects under governments development programme. This indicates that the government have a big role to encourage the sustainability concept since they are the client with the biggest purchasing power. The sustainability developments by the Malaysian Green Technology Policy 2009 are the development of products, equipment and systems used to conserve the natural environment and resources, which minimizes and reduces the negative impact of human activities. While procurement is defined as a process that produces, manages and fulfils contract relating to various works such as construction, leasing properties, discarding properties or give permission for a project (Watermeyer,2004). The local government have the power to incorporate sustainability in its project through sustainable procurement. Sustainable procurement ensures that the project tendered by contractor have the element of sustainability incorporated inside the documents. By using their leverage to opt for goods and services that also respects the environment they can influence the contractor to include more energy efficient building system (Walker H., Brammer, 2009). This give a clear signal to the procurement parties to use environmental efficient technologies in the buildings as stated in the contract. Among the local government in other country that used sustainable procurement system is the Dutch Ministry for Economic Affairs. Their agency, Senter Novem defined sustainable procurement as applying environmental and social aspects in all stages of the procurement process to ensure that it results in the actual delivery of product, service or work in line with such environmental and social aspects. It is also defined as construction that brings about the required performance with the least unfavourable ecological impacts while encouraging economic, social and cultural improvement at local, regional and global level. (Taipale, 2010) 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT Sustainability is one of the five main areas of the Government Transformation Programme. Therefore, in order to achieve this, the policies need to be enforced. This is to ensure the implementation will take place and change can be seen. However, sustainable procurement is also important which are not well known in Malaysian construction industry. There is a need to know the level of awareness of this procurement so that it can help policy makers to do policies that are applicable to Malaysian environment. This is because Malaysia have a strong foundation in the sustainability issue but still lacking in implementation level. As stated by Perera et. al (2007), law and policies are not enough to change the usual traditional procurement system which are based on value for money rather than the whole life of value of the project. According to CIMP 2006-2015, road to sustainability is expected to come by 2015. However, 2015 is getting near and the changes are still yet to be seen. 1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 1.2.1 AIMS This paper aims to discover the awareness of construction industry players of the sustainable procurement. It is can be used to discover the problems that hinder or cause the industry players hesitant to incorporate sustainability in procurement even though there are various policies available nowadays. By using natural materials in the design does not mean the building is sustainable. Everything that came from the Mother Nature does not necessarily sustainable to begin with. For example, tyres which made out of 100% natural ingredient which is rubber. Therefore, it is hoped that the understanding of sustainability itself and the ability to incorporate sustainable into procurement can be done. 1.2.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES a. To identify the awareness of the construction industry players about sustainable procurement. b. To identify the problems in implementation level. c. To find appropriate recommendation to encourage the use of sustainable public procurement in public projects. 1.3 SCOPE OF RESEARCH The scope of this paper will limit on the procurements for public projects as the projects in Malaysia are mostly from the Government development programmes. The scope will limit for government projects in Sarawak only. 1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY The research methodology will explain how the objectives of this study can be achieved. This chapter will show the flow and the method used to gather the data and information to achieve the objective of study. The data and information will be adopted by specific approach depend on the nature of the investigation. It can be categorized into two stages: Data collection methods are an integral part of research design in any research. Data can be collected in variety of ways and in different setting. Data can be obtained from primary and secondary data. The primary data refer to information which gathered from first hand experiences in the specific of studies. Then, the secondary data is the data which are collected from the publish data or the data collected which are already existed. Primary Data Questionnaires Questionnaires will be given out to Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and other construction industry related job such as contract administrators and others. The questionnaires are intended to assemble all the information that needed to prove the objective of the research paper. Secondary Data The Literature Review was carried out to establish some general knowledge of the research topic. A clearer framework of the research was established for secondary data. These are all obtained from: Journals Articles Information from internet Dissertation Publisher research work Books 7.0 TENTATIVE CHAPTER HEADINGS Chapter 1: Introduction The introduction will discuss on issues relating to sustainable construction and sustainability in procurements. Other items included under this heading are problem statements, aim and objectives and scope of the study. This chapter will also line out the research methodology of the research paper and its significant to the construction industry. Chapter 2: Literature Review Chapter 2 will review on the sustainable procurement principles, the distinction between sustainable and green procurement. The chapter will also review the other countries that have taken steps to implement sustainable procurement in the public projects. The characteristics, benefits and the procurement practices in Malaysia will also be reviewed under this heading. Chapter 3: Sustainable Procurement This heading will further discuss on the integration of the sustainability into procurement. The chapter will also discuss the application of sustainable procurement in other countries such as United Kingdom. The National policies on sustainability issues will also be discussed in this chapter. This is to show that Malaysia have strong foundation on policy but lack in implementation. The roles of Government in implementing sustainable procurement will also be discussed. Chapter 4: Data Analysis And Findings This chapter will discuss on the data obtained and findings on the research. Chapter 5: Conclusion and Recommendations This chapter will conclude on the overall issues and recommend the suitable solution. CHAPTER 2:Â  LITERATURE REVIEW 2.0 INTRODUCTION Nowadays, the consumption of goods and services causes the emission of chemical substances, mass use of natural resources and other activity generates waste and pollution. Sustainable procurement ensure the environmental, social and economic objective is achieved. The construction industry uses a lot of natural resources, waste and pollution. In order to control these problems, the solution must start from the procurement itself. Malaysian construction industry has no problem in adopting and implementing the sustainable practices however, due to lack of knowledge and due to financial constraints the progress are slow (Othman R., 2008). 2.1 SUSTAINABLE PROCUREMENT: AN OVERVIEW 2.1.1 Principle According to United Nation, sustainable principle is based on environmental, social and economic consideration. These three objective must be combined together to produce a sustainable procurement. The procurement strategy must consider the life cycle value of the project, social impact and the economic benefits. The life cycle value of the project does not means the value in terms of financial value only. The life cycle value of the project in sustainable procurement also means the project have lower environmental impact. This ensures that the building is not only green initially, but also after end of use. The building components must consist of materials that are Eco labelled. Among the energy rating label on product is Energy Star. Energy Star is an international recognized standard for electrical product. A procurement officer can check whether the product such as air conditioner have an Energy Star label. Other than that, the procurement officer can refer to the specification i n Energy Stars website. This is to ensure the product is energy efficient and have lower environmental impact. Sustainable procurement gives impact socially by supporting the local businesses. Supporting businesses by single mother is also considered helping the social level to progress. When support is given to these local businesses, their business will eventually grow and job opportunity created. Economically, if there is a demand for green innovative product the market will try to supply more of the similar products and probably more competitive price can be obtained from the market. This opens up a bigger market for sustainable products. More variety of products with reasonable price will be available. The assessment of economic sustainability considers not only the initial investment in land and construction, but also questions such as the cost of maintaining and operating a building over a longer period of time. Social and societal sustainability covers issues which are often closely linked with economic and environmental ones, such as access to basic services, upgrading poor housing conditions, creating decent jobs, fair trade of construction materials, transparency. of tenders for contracts., cultural values embedded in old buildings, and accessibility to buildings. (Taipale, 2010). 2.1.2 Sustainable VS. Green Although the term green and sustainability used interchangeably, there is a difference of green and sustainable construction. For green buildings (the middle-size box), common phases of the life cycle for the building are incorporated into construction. Indoor environmental quality is a variable added into the green building model compared to the conventional building model. In green building, the stage of incorporating green character of a building only started during design stage. While for sustainable, the concept are incorporated since the pre-design stage. During pre-design stage, all the design team, owners and all other parties involved need to establish and understand the objectives on sustainability. They also need to share their opinions on sustainability and agree on common priorities including the potential challenges on reusing and refurbishing the building. They need to learn lessons from best practices on other projects to examine possible changes or innovations for th e proposed building. (Taipale, 2010) In sustainable buildings (the bigger box), the numbers of variables and stages of the building life-cycle considered are even larger. Based on the figure 2.1, the concept of sustainability comprises of whole building life cycle value. Variable such as site selection, project planning and urban design, service quality, social and economic aspect and cultural and perceptual aspect are added to this model. In pre design stage, site selection is considered important. Selection of site must not give negative impacts to the surrounding environment. Impacts on groundwater, natural resources, decrease in accessibility, pollution to soil and orientation of sun and wind are several items that need to be considered for site selection. 2.1.2 Why sustainability need to be integrated with procurement? Through procurement that requires sustainability to be incorporated in the construction, the market will see a signal to supply more sustainable products to meet the criteria. This is because where there is demand, there will be supply. Laymans checklist shows that procurement is one of the issues that need to be taken account during construction of sustainable buildings. 2.1.3 Sustainable Procurement: A Global Issue Sustainable procurement is already enforced in New Zealand, United Kingdom..___. The Marrakech Project is a task force formed to do the framework on sustainable procurement as a result from Agenda 21. According to Marrakech Force, Japan According to Shohei Yamada from Ministry of Environment Japan, the key Japans success in green purchasing is due to the law in green purchasing that are strictly enforced and implemented in by Japans government. Switzerland Marrakech Task Force United Kingdom Sustainable Procurement Action Plan 2.2 National Policy On Sustainability Issue Malaysia had taken a step towards sustainability after Rio Summit in 1992. The summit requires various countries to commit on the sustainable development issue. There were 27 principles of sustainable development identified during the conference. During Rio Summit, there is also a guideline on sustainable development which is known as Agenda 21. After Rio Summit in 1992, Malaysian government introduced the Malaysian National Environment Policy. (elaborate) The development of various initiatives and policy of sustainable development in Malaysia started since the Kyoto Declaration in 2002 is signed by various countries. Benefits of Sustainable Procurement There are several benefits listed by Kennard (2006) for sustainable procurements. Among them are: Control costs by adopting a wider approach to whole life costing. When wider approach to whole life costing is adopted, the once considered expensive item will be seen as cost saving in long term. This is through the efficient use of the sustainable material and products. Several research and best practices proved that by evaluating the life cycle value of the building, positive social and environmental impact can be achieved. For example in choosing the type of bulb to be used in a building. The energy saving bulb initial cost is expensive. But it uses less energy which brings to less electricity current. The bulb also long lasting therefore it does not require change regularly. This reduces the maintenance cost of the building operation. Comply with environmental and social legislation. There are various tools implemented by the Government in environmental and social legislation to improve sustainability such as transforming Ministry of Communication, Water and Energy to Ministry of KETTHA. There are also guidelines in developing a sustainable development in National Urbanization Policy. Incentives are also given such as exemption from tax if a developer achieves the Green Building Index certificate. There is also a Green Technology Funding Scheme (GTFS) where the construction fulfils the criteria in Table 2.0. No. Criteria Elaboration Requirement 1 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy By using the building orientation as a method to optimise the consumption of energy. For example to get good natural lighting, the orientation of the building must be towards the sunlight. The building also need to use building services that use renewable energy, ensure proper testing made to the services and do regular maintenance. Minimum Energy Efficient Performance Compliance to minimum requirement of MS1525:2007 Renewable Energy 2 Indoor Environmental Quality Good indoor air quality, acoustics, visual and thermal comfort. This includes using a low volatile organic compound materials, use a quality air filtration system, proper control of air temperature, movement and humidity. Minimum IAQ Performance Minimum indoor air quality (IAQ) performance to enhance indoor air quality in building, thus contributing to the comfort and well-being of the occupants. Low indoor air pollutants, mould prevention 3 Sustainable Site Planning and Management Selecting appropriate sites with planned access to public transportation, community services, open spaces and landscaping. Avoiding and conserving environmentally sensitive areas through the redevelopment of existing sites and brownfields. Implementing proper construction management, storm water management and reducing the strain on existing infrastructure capacity. Environment Management Conserve existing natural area Restore damaged area to provide habitat Promote biodiversity Maximize open space by providing a high ratio of open space to development footprint to promote biodiversity. Earthworks Construction activity pollution control and Reduce social impact to surrounding. Public transportation access Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use. Storm water design to limit the disruption of natural hydrology Reduce heat island effect. 4 Materials and Resources Use products that are from environmental friendly and recyclable source. Implement a proper waste management system, with storage, collection and reuse of recyclables and construction waste and formworks. Materials reuse and recycle content materials and construction waste management. Use of environmentally-friendly Refrigerants and Clean Agents. 5 Water Efficiency Practices rainwater harvesting, water recycling and water saving fittings Rainwater Harvesting to reduce potable water consumption. Water Recycling to reduce potable water consumption. Water Efficient Irrigation/ Landscaping Encourage the design of system that does not require the use of potable water supply from the local water reticulation. Water Efficient Fittings Encourage reduction in potable water consumption through use of efficient devices. Metering Leak Detection System Encourage the design of systems that monitors and manages water consumption. 6 Innovation Use an innovative design and initiatives in promoting energy efficiency that meets the goal of Green Building Index Innovation in design environmental design initiatives that contribute to reduce impact to the environment. Green building accredited facilitator To support and encourage the design integration required for green / sustainable building rated buildings and to streamline the application and certification process. Table 2.0 : Criteria and Requirements for obtaining Green Technology Funding Scheme (GTFS) (Source : http://www.gtfs.my/page/criteria-building-and-township-sector) There are also rebates for those who procure the air conditioning, refrigerator or chiller which are rated 5-star by Suruhanjaya Tenaga. The Government are encouraging the consumers to use energy efficient appliances by listing the 5-star rated products in the website. They also provide a savings calculator to show how much saving the consumer can get if they use an energy efficient electrical appliances. This is to help create a culture of efficient use of energy into consumers and business entities. Manage risk and reputation. In order to implement the sustainable procurement, an organization needs to fully change its policies and procedures. It is vital that the sustainability criteria are integrated into the management itself before it is applied to other areas such as procurement. The existing procurement practice and policies need to be evaluated to clarify what the organization really needed to purchase. The procurement policies need to adopt sustainable strategies in order to manage unnecessary consumption and demand thus reducing the impact of energy use to environment. By producing a guideline of the procurement policy, the performance of sustainable procurement can be measured in future. Thus sustainable procurement goals can be developed from time to time. This process will provide a measurement for re-evaluating the sustainability of the supply chain and build a reputation for the organization as an organization that practices good ethical value of sustainable in procurement. (Kennard, 2006) CHAPTER 3 3.0 INTRODUCTION According to Kallet (2004), a studys validity is judged based on the method section of a research paper which provides all of the information in a study. Therefore, a solid research methodology planning precise description of each action must be prepared prior to the commencement of a particular research study. The credibility of the outcome of the research and how the research can be applied in a general population interest is referred as validity (Kallet, 2004). Therefore, the authenticity of content in a research paper are depending on the degree of the validity of its outcome to the overall population and ability of the research paper to be used as future reference. Hulley et.al (1988) as cited by Kallet (2004), stated that the credibility of a study is solely determined by the degree to which conclusion drawn from a research correctly what actually transpired during a study, known as Internal Validity. Moreover, Kallets 2004 study (Hulley et.al, 1988) stated that as for External validity refers to whether the result of a study depending on the degree of the study can be generalized to a larger population. Planning a research methodology before the execution of a research study is essential in ensuring that the outcome of the study which was based on its objectives can be reached and its degree of validity is credible for future reference. 3.1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY OF THE TOPIC 3.1.1 Objectives of the Study The research on the has three most important goals or objective which comprises of the following: To identify the awareness of the construction industry players about sustainable procurement. To identify the problems in implementation level of sustainable procurement in construction industry. To find appropriate recommendation to encourage the use of sustainable public procurement in public projects. These three main objectives were set out as a guideline in executing the research study on the topic. The methodologies used in order to obtain valuable information for this research study are based on sources from both Primary and Secondary Data. Primary Data for this research study was obtained by means of interviews with numerous individual and site visits. Among the barriers in obtaining the primary data was the restriction due to governmental policies, availability of the person in- charge, communication barriers, bureaucracy hassle, public transportation breakdown, financial limit, time constraint, and weather condition. As for the Secondary Data, the information was obtained from journals, articles, electronic information, dissertations, publisher research work, and book of related topic. 3.1.2 Summary of Research Methodology 3.1.2.1 Primary Data Due to the effect of degree of validity of a research study to the credibility of the outcome of the study, the data obtained for executing the study is scrutinized and filtered in order to obtain only the worthy information. Primary data can be defined as the first hand data that was obtain by the researcher prior to the commencement of the research, it is the foremost sources of information which was obtained from both interviews and site visits. Prior to the these data gathering can commence, a letter of consent for request of approval for using the project as a case study was submitted to the responsible being for approval and official notification. The interviews were carried out largely at the mentioned public department. Among the individual interviewed was the Head of the Developers, Quantity Surveyors, Civil Engineers, Architects, and Contractor and also other parties that involved and understand the procurement content. 3.2.2.2 Secondary Data According to Stacks (2002), secondary data can be defined as report on the outcome of the primary data. It is not as authoritative as the primary data as it often provides broad background and readily improves ones learning curve. Therefore, obviously the secondary data is not as reliable as the primary data. The secondary data used in this research is obtained from books related to the research topic, articles, journals, electronic information, dissertations, and public works research. 3.2 SOURCE OF RESEARCH DATA 3.2.3 Primary data Primary data obtained for the purpose of the study consist of interviews and site visits. Interviews The interviews carried out for the purpose of this study can be divided into two, namely : Semi structured interviews. Informal interviews. 3.2.3.1.1 Semi Structured Interviews Rashid (1998) suggested that it is more desirable to conduct a semi-structured interview which is closer to the qualitative research method in order to be balanced and attempt to obtain additional information that would enrich the quantitative data obtained through questionnaire survey. As the nature of the investigation is a combination of qualitative and quantitative that seek for the answer for open-ended and close-ended questions of why and how therefore, it is more appropriate to conduct semi-structured interview in which it provides opportunities to researcher to capture both data. To ensure the smoothness and to facilitate the respondents in answering the questions, the following guides and procedures were followed: The main instructions were clearly explained during the beginning of interview sessions. Each respondents were requested to discuss on one or more specific projects that has been selected during content analysis prior to the interview in which they were directly involved in the strategic briefing process. The respondents were allowed to express their opinion freely in the future outlook of sustainable procurement in construction industry, in order to explore potential variables and concepts that may have been overlooking during literature review. The questions were design to be short and simple, which developed from objectives of the research. A five-point rating scale were used for close-ended questions with choices of responses of : 1 Not at all aware 2 Slightly aware 3 Somewhat aware 4 Moderately aware 5 Extremely aware 3.2.3.1.2 Informal Interviews Informal interviews were carried out by means of telecommunication such as telephone calls, emails, and Short Messaging System or better known as SMS. This type of interview were conducted in order to acquire basic information such as the availability of the person in charge, hardcopy information for appendix purposes, and other related references. 3.2.3.1.3 Questionnaires The final stage of data collection is a postal questionnaire survey. The primary objective of postal questionnaire survey is to measure the level of clients practices during briefing. It also carried out to measure the level of project success based on perception of the architects in-charged for the selected project. Responses and variables on clients practices during briefing and level of project success obtained from the survey were used to validate findings on semi-structured interview on the previous stage of data collection, in order to have reliable, unbiased and meaningful data. Given that the location of the respondents were relatively remote, financial limitation and constrained by timeline of the study, a postal questionnaire survey was observed as the most appropriate method to collecting data from the respondents. According to Sekaran (2003), the main advantage of mail questionnaire is that a wide geographical area can be covered in the survey. Naoum (1998) added it is more suited to assembling a mass of information at a minimum expense in terms of finance, human and other resources. A set of question was developed for the purpose of the survey in which divided into several sections that covered background of the respondents, level of knowledge and concept of sustainable development and construction, application of sustainability in procurement, barriers to implement sustainable procurement in construction industry and future outlook of the sustainable procurement in construction. To encourage high response rate and to ensure the required information were obtained, the following guides and procedures were followed: The questions were design to be short and simple, and were formatted on A4 sizes paper. The main instructions were clearly printed in the front page of the questionnaire form. The questionnaire was divided into several sections, according to research objectives and category of information required. Refer to Appendix 1 for copy of questionnaire used in the postal questionnaire survey. Secondary Data According to Ober (2008), secondary data is not as good as the primary data , however, it is not the worst kind of data that can be used in completing a research study. Moreover, there are many advantageous in applying the secondary data as a method in completing a research study, this is due to the facts that it is low in term of cost and less time consuming than gathering primary data, therefore, secondary data will help save money, energy, and time. However, it also holds its own disadvantages in terms of the quality of the available data and its availability for a particular topic of a research study. Most of the secondary data gathered in this study was obtained from construction journals and articles. The secondary data for this research was also gathered from the electronic