Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Psychological Needs Of An Organization - 976 Words

organizational performance. Contrarily, Alabi (2010) and Akintayo (2012) in different studies suggested that the psychological needs of employees constitute an important cause of conflict. Comparatively, Tseveendorj (2008) indicated that in Malaysia, bank workers rated other sources such as communication, perception, values, and culture as the sources of conflict even though some of the staff differed in their degree of perception. Similarly, Fakirani (2013) did an empirical research and suggested that different ethno-religious and cultural backgrounds have caused and created certain problems in an organization. The author further revealed that â€Å"conflict has emerged from a pervasive ignorance about others who inhabit a shared socio-geographic space, an ignorance that breeds misunderstanding and mistrust† (p. 115). Thus, if conflict is born out of ignorance, it is necessary to make education and training a priority among employees. This can be done by creating awareness. However, Okolo (1977) revealed that the leading sources of organizational conflict in Nigeria are the conditions of service, opportunity, salary and wages and job security. This is in agreement with the study of Okere; - et al. (2015) who emphasized that employer, employee agreement must be fulfilled to avoid crises. Although there are some similarities between the two different studies; in my thought the needs of the people in different regions are a contributing factor in conflicts. In anotherShow MoreRelatedProject Management And The Changing Psychological Contract812 Words   |  4 PagesPROJECT MANAGEMENT AND THE CHANGING PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT Dainty et al. (2004) explored the nature and content of psychological contract amongst key management group in construction industry in the UK. Psychological contract is defined by Rousseau (1995, p.9) as â€Å"individual beliefs, shaped by the organization, regarding terms of an exchange agreement between individual and their organization†. They are informal, unwritten mutual expectation of input and subsequent output in employment relationshipRead MoreFive Models of Organization Behavior729 Words   |  3 PagesMoney | Support | Team work | Caring,Compassion | Employee orientation | Obedience | Securityamp;Benefits | Job performance | Responsiblebehavior | Psychologicalownership | Employee psychological result | Dependenceonboss | Dependenceonorganization | Participation | Self discipline | Self-motivation | Employee needs met | Subsistence | Security | Statusamp;Recognition | Self actualization | Wide range | Performance result | Minimum | Passivecooperation | Awakeneddrives | Moderate enthusiasm |Read MoreInside Terrorism : Psychological And Behavioral Factors1742 Words   |  7 PagesTerrorism: Psychological and Behavioral Factors Terrorism is a difficult issue to understand and grasp for many people. What is even more difficult to understand is what drives an individual to become radicalized to the point of joining a terrorist organization and committing terrorist acts. While there is not specific criteria or a â€Å"cookie cutter† approach to understanding what motivates and radicalizes an individual to participate in such atrocities, there are however, several psychological and behavioralRead MoreHow Best Can Managers Ensure Employees Are Motivated At Work?1555 Words   |  7 Pagesthey can. Therefore, the term motivation is introduced, in order to make people want and willing to do things. This essay will be looking at how best managers can ensure their employees are motivated at work, because this is important for an organization to achieve its goals. Before we start, we have to clarify the term: motivation. Motivation has to do with a set of independent/dependent variable relationships that explain the direction, amplitude, and persistence of an individual’s behaviourRead MoreEthical Principles, Morals And Values Of A Company Or Organization Essay1612 Words   |  7 Pagescompany or organization. Organizations such as the National Association for Social Workers (NASW), and the National Organization for Human Services (NOHS) have ethical codes in place for individuals working within the Human Services field. The American Psychological Association (APA) have ethical principles for psychologists. Furthermore, journalist’s and corporations have ethical codes they must follow, yet their codes are significantly different compared to the NASW, NOHS, and APA organizations. SimilaritiesRead MoreThe Benefits of a Psychological Contract in Employee Performance1477 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Psychological contract is expectations of an employee or workforce towards employer that somewhat loosely refers to the actual. It represents basic senses that are obligations, rights, and also rewards (www.wikipedia.com.my). An obligation is a duty of employee of their task. The employee must know their task and do it effectively. Everyone have their right, employees also have it. So the employees and employers must know their right. While reward is one of the powerful influencesRead MoreThe Attack Of A National Disaster1498 Words   |  6 Pagesfinancial effects, and psychological effects. In the wake of a national disaster, a psychological support agency would be critical to the recovery of victims of the event. To develop an ideal agency to act in response to psychological symptoms that develop, this research paper will create a framework for an agency, outlining the size, qualifications and skills of employees, services provided, components and mission of the agency and how the agency will work with other organizations. The MissionRead MoreFor Maximum Productivity And Employee Satisfaction In The943 Words   |  4 PagesFor maximum productivity and employee satisfaction in the workplace, employers should employ effective strategies in the workplace. In this paper, we are going to discuss three of these techniques: employee selection principles and techniques, psychological testing, and working conditions. Before we apply these theories or techniques to the Grenadian workplace, we will describe them briefly as to can get an idea on what each entail. Something that is frequently seen in the Grenadian workplace is theRead MoreThe Psychological Contract by Denise Rousseau1173 Words   |  5 PagesThe Psychological Contract Denise Rousseau (1989) develops the concept psychological contract. It is a mutual understanding, and unofficial obligations between employer and employee. It is different from the formal contract which identifies mutual duties and responsibilities. For example, remuneration, the provision of training, security, interest and work-life balance in exchange for flexibility, effort, loyalty, commitment and innovation from the employee. There is strong positive relationshipRead MoreReasons For Improving The Level Of Commitment And Employee Motivation Among The Staff At The Radio Station846 Words   |  4 PagesQ6. Decisions that need to be made. Right now Currently, there is the need to help improve the level of commitment and employee motivation among the staff at the radio station. Long-term In the long-run, there will be the need to alter the organizational structure to set up clear and efficient lines of command, developing a clear mission and vision that would guide the activities of the firm and enhancing the working conditions at the radio station by improving the nature of their working relationship

Friday, December 20, 2019

How I Read Music Like A Pro - 7017 Words

Music 101: How to Read Music like a PRO in 24 hours By Jean Rhoda Nambassa Copyright ? 2015 Introduction. Musical notes are a language that has evolved over thousands of years and the notation that we know today, there are more than 300 years. Music notation is a representation of sound by symbols of a simple notation for pitch, length and timing to more advanced features of expression, timbre, and even special effects. This book will show you the basics of reading music, some more advanced methods and how you can learn more about the subject. This guide focuses on musical notations and symbols found on sheet music; note counts, accidentals, time signatures, key signatures, breaks, codas, ornaments, and articulations, to mention a few. This guide will also include pictures and simplified definitions to make it easier for you to understand. Modern musical notation was derived from European Classical music and is still used by musicians around the world. In the middle of the 19th century, it was said that the monasteries in Europe began developing notations for Gregorian chant using neumes* or the earliest musical notation. The roots of modern musical notation symbols are originally from the Roman Catholic Church. Neumes These were the earliest form of musical notation, used during the middle ages by Christians, which are still being used for Gregorian chants and plainsongs (or plainchants) nowadays. Quick Trivia ?Did you know that the earliest form of musicalShow MoreRelatedHow The Piano Is Put Off By The Idea Of Spending Long, Boring Hours Learning Music Notes1156 Words   |  5 PagesMany people who want to learn to play the piano are put off by the idea of spending long, boring hours learning music notes. If you are serious about learning to play the piano, the first thing you will need to do is put those negative thoughts behind and start with an open mind. It does take time and yes, you have to learn the music notes, but it does not have to be boring, and it certainly does not have to take forever before you learn to play on your own. Follow these seven steps carefully, andRead More Music Censorship is a Violation of Free Speech Essay1619 Words   |  7 Pages Music is one of the most popular ways of expression and has been for generations. It makes us want to dance, inspires, soothes, relaxes, and sometimes tells us a story. Music is something the whole world shares and has brought together different kinds of people. However, there has been a question on whether some music has affected society negatively and crossed the line with some of its lyrics, content, and the persona of the artists. Certain music has been boycotted and even banned in the U.SRead MoreSatirical Essay : Satirical Abortion1592 Words   |  7 Pagesautomatically view these shows as as fictional, so discussion about controversial topics can be brought up and audiences are less likely to be offended. When topics that are difficult or uncomfortable to talk about are covered in different mediums, like articles, novels, and non-animated shows, it is easier for them to be ineffective, and the topics can be taken too far. If cartoons are not presented in a fictional setting, such as those used as magazine covers, the satire within them can be takenRead MoreThe Museum Is A Great Education Tool Of World War I944 Words   |  4 PagesCity, I gained a valuable knowledge about the World War 1. The overall message that the museum convey about the Great War was to remember and appreciate the soldiers, men and women who served in World War 1. There was so many visual images all around the Museum that gave a better mind picture of how it was during the war. For example, the scenes of life size trenches and crater, pictures during the war, different types of clothing each country wore, Reflection room with World War 1-era music, etcRead MoreAmerican History: Impact of Globalization on American Life657 Words   |  3 Pagesworld, makes for a more homogenized society. I see a Starbucks everywhere, as well as McDonalds. One impact of globalization that has both pros and cons is that English has become the predominant language. English enables people from different countries to communicate, but it also means that people in the English speaking countries have an advantage. The popularity of rap music around the world is one of the positive signs of globalization. Rap music evolved as an art and cultural form of expressionRead MoreMusic Censorship1016 Words   |  5 PagesVazquez English 101 October 9, 2007 Music Censorship I enjoy and love music very much. I feel that music artists should have the right to freely express their work and I feel that I should argue about the censorship attacks on these artists. I’m tired of listening to a good song on the radio with some of the words censored. It ruins the song and I can’t stand it. Some people think that rap is a bad influence and causes the young to behave badly. But I think all this censoring has something toRead MoreHow I Develop Healthy Attitudes And Behaviors Of Her Life1184 Words   |  5 Pagesefforts to get Cecilia to think about how she can apply healthy attitudes and behaviors to her life, I utilize solution-focused approaches to my work with her as I have read about in the De Jong Miller (1995) article How to Interview for Client Strengths. I have tried to help Cecilia think about her long-term goals in life. Cecilia has expressed that she is interested in finishing her GED program, attending college, and wants to become an x- ray technician. When I asked what her end-goal was, she statedRead MorePersonal and Mobile Computing Essay1454 Words   |  6 Pagesthat many people no longer buy newspapers from a news stand , but instead login to an online news cite by using his/her mobile device to read or find out different information. Furthermore, mobile computing will be discussed along with the different types of computing devices ; such as laptops , smart phones ,tablets , I pads , and E Book Readers. Likewise, the pros and cons will be deliberated as well, along with the history, and lastly why is technology currently playing a huge role in diverse peopleRead MoreChildren At An Early Age1692 Words   |  7 Pagesreading environments in order to help them understand that books are symbols that can have meaning and can be read. At first, a young child could probably see a book as one more of his toys but as he or her are continually exposed to reading they will learn to turn pages by themselves and later they will pretend to read a book and make vocal sounds when â€Å"reading† a book. When parents read to their children, children have the opportunity to see a variety of things that are new to them children butRead MoreBehavior Project to Help Me Focus Essay example1559 Words   |  7 Pagesmyself in line I kept data. On the data I used calendars and on the days that I had homework or to study I wrote down how long it took me to do it and what subject it was for. For this to happen I had to come up with some type of plan. Right? If you do not have a plan and do not follow that plan you will be out of line and the behavior change will not work. The plan that I advised myself to use was this. I choose five ways to modify changes that helped me reach my targeted behavior. I used: 1.Focus

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Inclusive Education Situational Analysis †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Inclusive Education Situational Analysis. Answer: Introduction Samoa is a country situated in the central SouthPacific Ocean. It is one of the westernmost island countries ofPolynesia. The Samoansmake up around 92.6% of the total Polynesian population.They form the second largest branch of Polynesians. The people generally occupy islands of the Pacific from New Zealand to Hawaii and from Easter island to Fiji (AhChing, 2013). This report aims to illustrate the wellbeing of people belonging to this ethnic group with respect to their education among children belonging to the age group of 7-11 years. Status, cause and impacts Samoa is a lower middle income country. In 2015, it had a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of nearly $761 million. According to 2012 reports of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization), approximately 193,000 people receive education in Samoa on a land area that encompasses around 2,820 square kilometers. These lands mainly comprise the two main islands of Savaii and Upolu. 8 small islands also belong to this region. The report further suggests that literacy rate in Samoa is around 99% in adults, which is way higher than 71% average literacy rate in the Pacific. Data from community profiles suggest that during the early 1970s, many Samoans migrated to Australia for educational programs that were sponsored by the latter government. The first schools in Samoa were founded by several missionaries in the 1830s. The New Zealand school system is generally followed by all Samoan schools (Kearney Zuber-Skerritt, 2012). The Department of Education takes the responsibility of providing learning opportunities to all students. Non-governmental organizations are involved in providing early childhood education in Samoan schools. Education is considered crucial for the improved life quality. Hence, the ministries and education departments have employed several strategies to improve the access to learning opportunities and outcomes. Initially the participation rate was low. However, the non-formal and formal institutions are now working towards ensuring inclusive primary education in all sections of the society. When compared to the Pacific community or a majority of world population, all Samoan schools demonstrated effective educational program characteristics. However, if there is an increased emphasis on primary school retention of students and role of informal education, the effectiveness and quality of education will possibly improve in Samoa. Evidence from the recently published Samoan national report highlights formal primary education as an essential issue that can perpetuate rural poverty. The Samoa Hardship and Poverty Report, published in 2013 demonstrated a significant correlation between vulnerability statuses, poverty and education level among Samoan citizens. It was found that men without any tertiary education in urban locality were more likely to become vulnerable to poverty when compared in demographics (Zealand, 2013). Approximately 12% Samoans were shown to be formally employed, and most of them lived off of low-paid employment opportunities and informal wages in formal and informal sectors. This did not require any trainingbeyond secondary education. Solution/Pathways employed To increase enrollment and completion of 8 years at primary schools among children belonging to the intermediate age groups, the government has identified several strategic areas that need focus. It aims to progress teaching quality, improve the coordination between policy development and planning, upgrade resources and facilities, make training opportunities more accessible and strengthen the linkage between the policy formulations at all levels. The education act proposed in 2009, has made primary education compulsory for all children aged between 5-14 years. A primary education certificate examination has been developed (SPECA) to fulfill the framework of assessment policies that target learning objectives (Cahill, 2016). The assessment helped in illustrating the role of communicative and managerial functions of educational assessments. An equity goal between the number of males and females enrolled for primary education was achieved (21,124 boys and 18,514 girls) (Richards Vinin g, 2015). Other approaches that have been taken by the government to enhance primary education is the development of bilingual primary curriculum to ensure that the young Samoan children are able to learn the basics of English and Samoan language from early age (Mayeda et al., 2014). The Samoa School Fees Grant Scheme (SSFGS) was designed in 2010 with the aim of providing technical and financial assistance to primary schools in lieu of fees. This helped in reducing financial burden for the parents and transferred a part of the monetary responsibility to the schools through government funding (McDonald Tufue-Dolgoy, 2013). It helped in contributing more number of children to primary education in the long term. The Compulsory Education Act passed in 1992 made it mandatory for students to remain enrolled in primary schools till they reached 14 years of age (Lameta, 2013). Hence, these initiatives taken by the government were effective in ensuring holistic wellbeing of the children by increasing their participation in primary education. One major issue that affects educational wellbeing of the students is the high dropout rates and low attendance among Samoan children. The National Youth Council report suggests an alarming dropout rate of 78.93% in primary and secondary levels. Moreover, some parents do not monitor their childs progress. This often leads to poor outcomes and drop in attendance (Tuia Iyer, 2015). Recommendations Though the recently passed Education Act carries the power of detaining and questioning any children belonging to compulsory age group who do not attend school, it is not properly utilized. A strict legislation needs to be enforced that can detain parents to ascertain the reason for not allowing their children the access to compulsory education. This will also give the parents a responsibility to ensure that their children are fulfilling the requirements for compulsory attendance and are taking part in all school activities (Rieser, 2012). Face-to-face interviews of the parents with the school communities will help them realize the importance of primary education for the all round development of their child. Moreover, orphaned or children who live with chronically ill parents are found to be at a greater risk of dropping out of school due to financial constraints. Teachers and school authorities must reach out to those families to demonstrate the use of governmental funding in reduci ng the burden of school fees (Forlin et al., 2015). That will help the parents make informed decisions regarding the health and wellbeing of their children. References AhChing, P. L. (2013).Polynesian Interconnections: Samoa to Tahiti to Hawaii. Lulu Press, Inc. Cahill, F. (2016). Crossing the road from home to secondary school: A conversation with Samoan parents.Waikato Journal of Education,12(1). Forlin, C., Sharma, U., Loreman, T., Sprunt, B. (2015). Developing disability-inclusive indicators in the Pacific Islands.Prospects,45(2), 197-211. Kearney, J., Zuber-Skerritt, O. (2012). From learning organization to learning community: Sustainability through lifelong learning.The Learning Organization,19(5), 400-413. Lameta, E. (2013). Samoan inclusive education situational analysis: Students with disabilities.Samoa: Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. Mayeda, D. T., Keil, M., Dutton, H. D., Ofamo'Oni, I. F. H. (2014). You've Gotta Set a Precedent: M?ori and Pacific voices on student success in higher education.AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples,10(2), 165-179. McDonald, L., Tufue-Dolgoy, R. (2013). Moving forwards, sideways or backwards? Inclusive education in Samoa.International Journal of Disability, Development and Education,60(3), 270-284. Richards, J., Vining, A. R. (2015). Universal primary education in low-income countries: The contributing role of national governance.International Journal of Educational Development,40, 174-182. Rieser, R. (2012).Implementing inclusive education: a Commonwealth guide to implementing Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Commonwealth Secretariat. Tuia, T. T., Iyer, R. (2015). Samoas education policy: Negotiating a hybrid space for values.International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives,14(2), 125-133. Zealand, S. N. (2013). Census QuickStats about culture and identity.Wellington: Statistics New Zealand.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation

Question: Describe about the Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation. Answer: Introduction There are multiple forms of procurement methods in the construction industry. This report has focused on analyzing three different procurement methods. These are: traditional method, design and build method and management method. Traditional method separates the functions of the consultants/design team (architect, quantity surveyor, mechanical engineer and structural engineer) and the construction team (main contractor, subcontractors and suppliers). Design and build method is where a client appoints a contractor who takes the responsibility of design and construction works. The entire project is under a single entity, contract and work. Management procurement method is where the client appoints a management contractor, pays him a fee and assigns him total or partial responsibility for design and/or construction works. Therefore each procurement method is suitable for a different kind of project. This means that if a particular method suits one project, it will not necessarily suit t he next project. Traditional procurement method This procurement method has been used in the construction industry for many years. It is undoubtedly the oldest procurement method for construction projects. Its components are: designing, bidding and building (design-bid-build). The method separates design work from construction work (Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, 2008). The design team is responsible for design work (designing the project/structure) while the construction team is responsible for executing the construction works. The design team, in conjunction with the client/developer, prepares a detailed plan of the project and gives it to the contractor before preparing the cost estimates. The contractor is responsible for dealing with all issues related to construction materials, workmanship, subcontractors and suppliers. There are 3 forms of contracts under traditional procurement method. These are: lump sum contracts, measurement contracts, and cost reimbursement. Lump sum contracts are where the total sum of the contract is determined and agreed between the client and contractor even before the start of any construction works. Measurement contracts are where the total sum of the contract is determined on completion of the project and after taking re-measurements of work done. The re-measurements are done jointly between the client and contractor. Cost reimbursement is where the total sum of the contract is determined based on actual costs of materials, plant, equipment and labor then an extra fee is added to cover profit and overheads. Under traditional procurement method, the client hires consultants and they work together to determine the design, quality and cost of the project. Tender documents are prepared first before inviting bidders. After awarding the tender, the contractor will depend on the instructions and information provided by the consultants. The consultants are also the ones who deal with all issues related to valuation of the project and payment. Advantages This method enhances accountability because the client selects the design team and construction team on a competitive basis. It gives all contractors a level ground to bid for the tenders. Thus contractors have a competitive equity The client and design team have a direct influence on the project and therefore they can determine and improve the overall quality of the design The total price of the contract is known at the time when the contract is being awarded. This price certainty makes it clear on what the client has to pay and what the contractor will get (guaranteed lump sum) on completion of the project. It clearly specifies what each party should do. This promotes responsibility among the parties involved because their works are clearly separated It is a very common procurement method that has been tried and tested hence many clients and contractors are familiar with it. The client carries almost all the design risk. In this method, the contractor does not take any design management risk Contract changes or variation can be easily arranged and managed as the project continues Disadvantages It takes a lot of time before producing complete tender documents. Clients have to spend significant resources, including time, to prepare complete designs and tender documents so as to reduce or avoid disputes The method usually increases the overall duration of the project. One of the reasons for this is because construction works cannot commence until all required design documents have been produced. Therefore it is not suitable for fast track construction projects The contractor does not contribute to the design and cost estimation of the project and therefore risks are allocated in his absence. In most cases, the contractor is appointed after the design and planning stages of the project. This exclusion is likely to cause disputes, especially those related to the design When to use traditional procurement method This method of procurement is recommended to be used when: There is adequate time to execute the project. This allows sufficient time to prepare the design and contract documents and also follow all other procedures related to bidding and awarding the tender The design of the consultant is warranted. This reduces design risk The client wants to select consultants and contractors individually Price certainty of the project is needed before the construction starts The quality of the final product or work is of great importance There is need to distribute risks between the client and contractor. Under this method, the client and consultant are responsible for design risks while the contractor is responsible for construction risks The value of the construction project is small Design and Build procurement method This is a procurement method where the client appoints a contractor to take responsibility of design and construction works. Here, the roles of design team and construction team are integrated (Design-Build Institute of America, 2016). This means that design and construction services of the project are under a single entity, single contract, and single work. The client only manages one contract. If the client has no expertise on the project, he may appoint consultants who will advise him on issues related to his design needs and cost. The contractor, who takes partial or total responsibility of the design, may also appoint consultants to help him design and execute the work. There are two ways in which a client may appoint a contractor under design and build procurement method. These are: competitive tender and negotiated agreement (Sarah, Stanley and Hugh, 2009). Competitive tender is where the client, with the help of his consultants, prepares his design specifications or documents then invites contractors to bid. The contractor is selected based on a competitive basis. In negotiated agreement, the client only involves one contractor to discuss the project This method can be more effective if there is straightforward and timely communication between the client and contractor. The two teams have to work as partners with a common goal (The Chartered Institute of Building, 2010). Advantages The client only deals with a single firm thus reducing the amount of time and other resources that could have been used to look for contractors and designers separately Post certainty is higher and is usually determined before start of construction because the client states his requirements first and changes can only be done with his approval The contractor can save time and cost by using his own strategies considering that he knows the guaranteed maximum price even before starting the project. This allows the contractor to complete the project early and move to the next The contractor is involved in the design process and therefore he has the advantage of innovating ways of improving construction methods It enhances faster project delivery There are less disputes and conflicts between the client and contractor The client only requires a few technical staff because it is not his responsibility to examine the completeness and accuracy of the design teams work (Legislative Analysts Office, 2005). Disadvantages It may be quite challenging for the client to prepare a comprehensive project brief that adequate information and/or his requirements It can be quite expensive for the client if he introduces changes to the project scope It is challenging for the client to compare bids since each contractor submits a different design, project plan and schedule, and prices It locks out small contractors since most clients using this method always look for contractors that are well established, qualified, experienced and with a proven track record It limits guarantee of quality control. This is because the client does not provide the final design of what he wants at the time of awarding the contract hence he has limited control regarding the quality of the work (Simon Millman, 2013) The contract is awarded subjectively, which sometimes ignores some crucial issues such as unique needs or complexity of the project When to use design and build procurement method This procurement method is suitable under the following circumstances: If scope design provided in the brief can be changed If the project is simple (not complex) If the structure being constructed is more functional (not prestigious) If it is possible to overlap activities in the project plan If only one firm is needed to take risk and responsibility of design and construction works If the project value is of medium size Management procurement method This method focus on who will be responsible for the overall management of the construction project. There are three kinds of management procurement method: management contracting, design and manage, and construction management (Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, 2008). Management contracting is where the client appoints a management contractor and a separate professional team. The contractor takes responsibility of all construction works and has direct contractual dealings with all other contractors involved in the work. Construction management is where the client appoints a management contractor, pays him a management fee for him to prepare the project plan, facilitate design and construction works, enhance collaboration among all stakeholders and manage the project professionally. The management contractor organizes and manages works contracts but these work contracts are directly between the works contractor and the client. Here, the management contractor only acts as an agent. Design and manage is where the client appoints a contractor, pays him a few and gives him the responsibility to oversee both the design team and works contractors. Advantages The client only deals with a single firm so the method promotes collaboration and coordination between design and construction teams It allows time saving as the works can be started earlier and the design and construction works can also overlap It is possible to get competitive prices for works packages Since the contractor is involved in the design stage, constructability is improved There are clear roles, responsibilities and risks for all parties involved The client can make changes to the design as construction progresses Disadvantages Price certainty cannot be attained until after letting the final works package The client must be proactive and well informed about the project to get better results Price certainty is usually very low It requires close information and time control for the project to be completed successfully The project can only be completed if the client provides all the necessary resources The client may not control the design quality directly since it is influenced by the contractor The client incurs high administrative costs It may be difficult to allocate a single point of accountability regarding the quality of work or time of completion When to use management procurement method If the project has to be completed fast and early If the project is large and complex If there is trust and confidence among all parties involved If design and construction works can overlap If the management contractor is ready to put his interest in the project If the client understands the project comprehensively and can make informed decisions about it Conclusion Each construction project has its own uniqueness. This is because each client, design requirements, contractor and construction site is different. Therefore there is no single procurement method that can suit the needs of all construction projects. Each procurement method in the construction industry has its strengths and weaknesses. It is therefore important for stakeholders involved in a construction project to evaluate each method, including their associated risks and effect on the client, design team and construction team, before selecting the one that suits them best. References: Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, 2008, Building Procurement Methods, CRC Construction Innovation, Brisbane. Design-Build Institute of America, 2016, What is Design-Build? Viewed September 7, 2016, https://www.dbia.org/ABOUT/Pages/What-is-Design-Build.aspx Legislative Analysts Office, February 3, 2005, Design-Build: An Alternative Construction System, LAO, California. Sarah Lupton, Stanley Cox and Hugh Clamp, 2007, Which Contract? RIBA Publishing Simon Millman, August 19, 2013, Design and Build Procurement: Cutting through the Misconception, viewed September 7, 2016, https://www.fgould.com/middle-east/articles/design-and-build-procurement/ The Chartered Institute of Building, 2010, Procurement in the Construction Industry, CIOB, UK.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

How Has Film Influenced Lifestyles And Human Behavior In The 20th Cent

How Has Film Influenced Lifestyles and Human Behavior in the 20th Century? How Has Film Influenced Lifestyles and Human Behavior in the 20th Century? During the 20th century, film has been a powerful media in which to influence people's lifestyles and human behavior. Film is for people who do not enjoy reading or other more stimulating leisure and want to be entertained or escape from everyday life. Movies gave society a great way to see vintage fashion, including how to wear period accessories that accompany the clothing. Movies also gave society a view of actors portraying wartime heroes, rebels or gangsters, which may influence peoples human behavior. The film industry introduced flapper movies in the early days. The flapper wore short hair and a short skirt, with turned-down hose and powdered knees. The flapper must have seemed to her mother like a rebel. Flappers offended the older generation because they defied conventions of acceptable feminine behavior. They used make-up and wore baggy dresses, which often exposed their arms as well as their legs from the knees down. The flapper movies were modern and influenced a revolution in fashion. During the time of the Great Depression, film was a source of cheerful escapism for most. People were out of work, but they did manage to find money to go the movies. Even during the darkest days of the Depression, movie attendance was between 60-75 million per week. The balancing act for film making was to both reflect the realism and cynicism of the Depression period. They also provided escape entertainment to boost the morale of the public by optimistically reaffirming values such as thrift and perseverance. During The Golden Age of Hollywood, movies were under strict enforcement and censorship. Film studios submitted their films for review and if they met the strict standards of decency they could be released. Regulations of the code included censorship of language, references to sex, violence, and morality. Without a seal, films were threatened with negative publicity and potential box-office failure. Movies were not allowed to portray gangsters as heroes. Movies of this time, basically influenced people to have better moral standards. The American film industry was extremely prolific, affluent, powerful and productive during the war years. The world was headed toward rearmament and warfare in the early to mid-1940s, and the movie industry, like every other aspect of life, responded by making movies, producing many war-time favorites. These movies offered escapist entertainment, reassurance, and patriotic themes and morale boosters for the audience. In the period following the war, post-war affluence increased choice of leisure time activities, conformity, middle-class values, a baby boom, the invention of television, drive-in theaters, and a youth reaction to middle-aged cinema. When most of the films were idealized with conventional portrayals of men and women, young people wanted new and exciting symbols of rebellion. The film industry responded by producing a number movies with portrayals of young men and women rebelling against the establishment. "Rebel Without A Cause" was a movie about a rebellious, misunderstood, middle-class youth who had difficulty relating to his parents. This movie influenced the audience that it was okay to act in a rebellious way to get attention. When looking back on the film history of the 20th century you begin to realize the great impact these films had on people's lifestyles and human behavior. Movies influenced they way people dressed and the way people acted. We as, movie goers, must choose what is morally right or wrong and not be influenced by the film industry. We must also choose what is a fashion statement and what is not. The film industry may be protected under the freedom of speech amendment, but we do not have to be influenced by what they project in their movies.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Data mining titanic dataset Essays

Data mining titanic dataset Essays Data mining titanic dataset Paper Data mining titanic dataset Paper Titanic dataset Submitted by: Submission date 8/1/2013 Declaration Author: Contents Dated: 29/12/2012 The database corresponds to the sinking of the titanic on April the 15th 1912. It is part of a database containing the passengers and crew who were aboard the ship, and various attributes correlating to them. The purpose of this task is to apply the methodology of CRISP-DMS and follow the phases and tasks of this model. Using the classification method in rapid miner and both the decision tree and INN algorithms, I will create a training model and try apply the class survived or didnt survive. If I apply a decision tree to the dataset as it is, I get a prediction rate of 78%. I will try various techniques throughout this report to increase the overall prediction rate. Data mining objectives: I would like to explore the pre conceived ideas I have about the sinking of the titanic, and prove if they are correct. Was there a majority of 3rd class passengers who died? What was the ratio of passengers who died, male or female? Did the location of cabins make a difference as to who survived? Did chivalry ring through and did Women and children first actually happen? Data Understanding: Describe the data: Figure Class label: Survive (1 or O) 1 = survived, died. Type = Binomial. Total: 891. Survived: 342, Died: 549 Attributes: 10 attributes 891 rows The dataset have primarily a categorical type of attribute so there is low information content. This might indicate a decision tree would be an appropriate model to use. I can see that the number of rows in the dataset is indeed 10 to 20 times the number of columns, so the number of instances is adequate. There doesnt seem to be any inconsistencys in the data. Pappas: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd class. Type: polynomial. Categorical, 3rd class: 491, 2nd class: 216, 1st class: 184 0 missing Name: Name of Sex: Male, female. Type: binomial. Male: 577, Female: 314 0 missing Age: from 0. 420 to 80. Average age: 29, standard deviation of 14+-, Max was 80. 177 missing Sibs (Siblings on board): Type: integer. Average less than 1, highest 8. This suggested an outlier, but on inspection the names where there were 8 siblings corresponded. (The name was sage, 3rd class passengers, all died. ) O missing Parch: number of parents, children onboard. Type: integer. Average: 0. 3, deviation 0. 8. Max was 6. O missing Ticket: ticket number. Type: polynomial. To me these ticket numbers seem quite random and my first inclination is to discard them. O missing Fare: Cost of ticket. Type: real. Average: 32, deviation +- 49. Maximum 512. There seems to be quite a disparity in the range of values here. Three tickets cost 512, outliers? O missing Cabin: cabin numbers. Type: polynomial. 687 missing From looking at this data I think I can discount one of my initial questions about cabin numbers. If there was more data it might be an interesting factor as regards cabin locations and survival. As it stands the quality of the data is not good, there are Just o many missing entries. I. E. Greater than 40%. So I will delete (filter out) the cabin attribute from the dataset. The age attribute could cause a problem with the amount of fields missing. There are too many to delete. I might use the average of all ages to fill in the blanks. Explore the data: From an initial exploration of the data, I was able to look at various plots and found some interesting results. I have tried to keep my findings to my initial questions that I wanted answered. Was there a majority of 3rd class passengers who died? You can tell from Figure 2 that this was true. This graph Just shows survival by class, 3rd class fairing the worst. Again this is shown with a scatter plot but with the added attribute sex. You can see on the female side of the first class passengers, only a few died. Interestingly it shows that it was mostly male 3rd class passengers who perished, and it is demonstrated that more males then females died. There is a clear division in classes demonstrated. This graph answers my other question. What was the ratio of passengers who died, male or female? From this we can see that mainly males did not survive. Although there were more males on board (577), about 460 perished. From the females (314), about 235 survived. Another attribute that needs attention is the age category. I wanted to find out if the women and children first policy was adhered to, but there are 177 missing age values. This is going to complicate my results on this. From leaving the 177 as they are, I get this graph: but this is not conclusive in Figure 5. I thought that the fare price might indicate a childrens price and therefore allow me to fill in an age, but the fare price doesnt seem to have much pattern. Another idea I thought might help would be to look at the names of passengers, I. . Miss might signify a lower age. (In 1912 the average age of marriage was 22, so anyone with title miss could have an age less than 22. ) Names which include master might indicate a young age as well. Figure 5 also indicates possible outliers on the right hand side. From this graph I could easily see the breakdown of the different class of passenger and where they embarked from. It is obvious that Southampton had the largest number of passengers get on board. Question had the highest proportion of 3rd class passengers compared to 2nd and 1st class at that port, and its also interesting o note that this was an Irish port. This graph further explores the port of embankment and shows the survival rate from each, as well as the different classes. To me it seems that the majority of 3rd class passengers were lost who came from Southampton port, although they did have the highest amount of 3rd class passengers. A closer look at Southampton port. The majority who didnt survive were 3rd class (blue), also noted is the handful of 1st class passengers (green) who died, yet Southampton had the highest number of 1st class passengers to board. See figure 6. Verify data quality There were a number of missing values in the dataset. The highest amount of missing data came from the cabin attribute. As it is higher than 45% (687 missing) I decided to filter out this column. There are also 177 missing values from the age attribute. This amount of missing data is again too large a percentage to ignore and needs to be filled in. I can see that the dataset contains less than 1000 rows, so I think that sampling will not have to be performed. There doesnt seem to be any inconsistencys in the data. There are still 2 missing pieces of information from the embankment attribute. I see that they are 1st class passengers so from my graph on embankment I think I can put her embankment from Churchgoer. The other passenger is a George Nelson, which I will add to Southampton. I decided to filter out names also. I dont see how it can help in the dataset. It may have helped with age, by looking at the title as I said, but for this I Just used the average age to replace the missing values. Another approach to filling in the missing age fields might be linear regression. Remove possible outliers? I can see that there may be some outliers. For instance in the fares attribute, there re three tickets which cost 512 when the average is 32. They were first class tickets, but the difference is huge. Data Preparation: Here is the result of using x validation on the dataset before any data preparation has taken place. I will now sort out the problem of 667 cabin numbers missing. With it being higher than 40%, Vive decided to delete the attribute entirely. Vive also deleted the name attribute, as I dont see how it will help. By deleting cabin, name and ticket, here is the result I get: I replaced the missing age fields with the average of ages, this increased the accuracy lightly and gave these results with x validation: I used detect outliers and picked the top ten and then filtered them out. This gave this result: The class recall for survived has not improved much. Increasing the number of neighbors in the detect outliers operator improved things, also limiting the filter to deleting 5 made a better accuracy. I decided to use specified binning for the ages and broke the ages into three bins. For children aged up to 13, middle aged from 13 to 45, and older from 45 to 80. I tried different age ranges and found that these ranges yielded the best results. It did increase the accuracy. I also used binning for the fares, splitting them into low, mid, and high which also improved results on the confusion matrix. I used detect outlier to find the ten most obvious outliers, and then used a filter to get rid of them. I have decided to remove cabin from the dataset, and also there are 177 missing age values which I have tried various approaches in changing. I changed the ages to the average age, but this gives a spike in the number of ages 29. 7. Example of average age problem: Modeling: I tried to implement both the decision tree and inn algorithms, seeing as the dataset as primarily categorical. I found that inn yielded the best results regarding accuracy. This was set at k=l . The accuracy was not great at 73%. The parameter of K is too small and may be influenced by noise. INN: 5 worked the best at 82. 38%. This seems to be the optimal value for k, and the distance is set right. Class precision is about even on each class. Decision tree: The decision tree algorithm didnt give me as much accuracy, and I found that turning off pre pruning gave me a better accuracy. From the decision tree, the age binning seemed to predict middle aged males (13 to 45) with a low fare well. The class recall for survived was not great at 67. 85%. Generate Test Design I used x-validation to perform cross validation on the data. I initially used 20 for the number of validations, but then found 25 achieved a better result. I used the apply model and performance operators as these are best used for classification tasks and work well with the polynomial attribute. This then presented me with a confusion matrix where I could measure the accuracy of my model by comparing the accuracy, recall and precision. I found that throughout my various testing of operators and valuating the confusion matrix, raising the class recall on true 1 (survived) most difficult. After all my efforts I managed to raise it to 73. 6%. I. E. 91 were incorrectly predicted as surviving. Figure Final result Workspace: From my initial objectives I was able to determine the answers using rapidness. I wanted to find out if those who perished were in the majority 3rd class passengers. I found this to be true, and also that the majority who died were male 3rd class passengers. Female passengers and children fared better than most which leads me t o believe that the rule of women and children first applied. This may have been sighted more to the first and second class passengers as demonstrated in Figure 3. Because the dataset had such a large amount of data missing concerning age, this was more difficult to determine. I found the embarked attribute to be interesting in the graphs I could generate from it. There seemed to be a large number of 3rd class passengers who died that had embarked from Southampton. If all the cabin numbers were present I wonder if Southampton 3rd class passengers had cabins close to where the iceberg hit? Did this have a bearing on their survival? From the different algorithms I used I found that Inn yielded the better results.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Business report on A service experience for local consumers Essay

Business report on A service experience for local consumers - Essay Example The analysis revealed that there are some problems with customer service, product fit, promotional efforts, parking, employee involvement, and parking of Starbucks. Surprisingly, the packaging is the only aspect where there are no objections at all. The recommendations proposed in this report include first, offering discounts, coupons, free benefits, rebates, premiums, lotteries. Second, increase the volume of promotional activities. Third, train and manage employees in such a way that they could associate themselves with the company. Fourth, at off peak one employee must greet the customers at the door and the other must help customers with their parking problems. Table of Contents Introduction 4 Discussion 5 Target Market of Starbucks 5 Pricing 6 Promotion 7 People 8 Product 9 Process 10 Physical Evidence and Place 11 Recommendations 12 Conclusion 12 References 14 Appendices 15 Appendix # 1 – Questionnaire 15 Appendix # 2 – Respondent # 1 18 Appendix # 3 – Resp ondent # 2 19 Appendix # 4 – Respondent # 3 20 Appendix # 5 – Respondent # 4 21 Introduction It was in March 1971 in Seattle, when three people Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker decided to open their coffee shop with the name of Starbucks (Bussing-Burks, pp. 26-34, 2009). The name came from their favorite novel Moby-dick but at that time they did not realized that this name would remain restricted to Seattle, but it is going to rule the hearts and minds of millions of people all around the world (Pride & Ferrell, pp. 36-38, 2007). With 2010 revenue of more than 10.71 billion US dollars, Starbucks is the biggest coffee house on the planet earth. With its 16,858 stores in more than 50 countries, Starbucks is one the corporations that have been able to survive when its fellow brands were failing due to revelations of corporate scandals, manipulations, socially irresponsible behaviour but despite going through all this, it was able to make it through to what it i s today (Armstrong et al., pp. 312-317, 2009). Currently, Starbucks is operating almost 23 stores in various parts of Australia. This report is an attempt to explore, investigate, and critically examine the service experience of the Starbucks shop at 201 Elizabeth St, Sydney, New South Wales. The report would first start by drawing lines to highlight the target market of Starbucks in Australia. The report has collected its data from four different people that fit in the picture of Starbucks’s target market and have who have recently been to Starbucks. The data collection method was primarily through an interview questionnaire, which is a part of this report under the heading of Appendix # 1. Furthermore, the responses of these people, in form of the brief bullet points and notes are also there in the appendix section. This report would be profound importance of to the Starbucks executives of Australia. For the past few years, Starbucks has been struggling in Australia to prod uce the same results that it has been showing in rest of the world. It was in the year 2000, when Starbucks entered the Australian market with hopes that it would capture the market and become the market leader as it is in the US and many other parts of the world. Important here to note is that this was the time when Starbucks was touching its peak. â€Å"Open a store a day and beat the competitors away† was the policy of the company (Michelli, pp. 255-256, 2007). However, Starbucks soon realized that this model is not producing the intended results and in mid 2008,