Classification Of Forests By Functions Environmental Sciences Essay

Forests play a critical function in the development and in guaranting environmental sustainability of the state. Besides providing wood merchandises for economic development, woods besides contribute significantly to cut downing inundation and storm amendss by keeping and chairing H2O flows, providing H2O for production and support activities, extenuating erodings, landslides, and bring forthing hydroelectricity. Forests besides heighten clime control, conserve biodiversity and familial resources, and supply chances for eco-tourism and out-of-door diversion. Forests besides hold a important portion in the Earth ‘s clime by absorbing and hive awaying C – therefore cut downing planetary heating. Franklin D. Roosevelt, one of the greatest work forces in the US history has said: â€Å" A state that destroys its dirts destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, sublimating the air and giving fresh strength to our people † . In Viet Nam, a state that the bulk of population still depends on agribusiness, forestry significantly contributes to sustainable, economic growing, stabilisation of society. However, as the state grows economically, the demand for forestry additions quickly, therefore influences the biodiversity every bit good as the ecosystem. This essay will show the function of wood in Vietnam, so travel on to the categorization of wood and eventually illustrate key issues that impacting woods and forestry.Discussion of findingsFunctions of woodsAs the natural woods are greatly of import to the state, the functions of woods in Vietnam are shown in assorted facets. Forests are beginning of nutrient. In many parts of the state, particularly some distant countries, woods play an of import portion in human nutrient supply. Human nutrient from woods can be classified into 2 chief groups: workss and animate beings origin. The group of workss includes gathered fruits, seed, foliages and mushroom. Because of the natural growing, workss nutrients are wholly fresh and incorporate a high degree of foods such as saccharides, fructose and other micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, for case ( Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department 1996 ) . In some instances, seeds or olives and palm fruits can be pressed to bring forth vegetable oils, which is highly healthy for human by incorporating a big figure of Calories and no cholesterin ( Simpson & A ; Ogorzaly 1995, p.315 ) . The 2nd group, carnal nutrients, includes insects, larvae and hunted animate beings. Forests are beginning of medical specialty: Since the early age of human history, workss have been proved to be particularly utile for handling diseases. Many remedies for black diseases were originated from workss ( Simpson & A ; Ogorzaly 1995, p.376 ) . These yearss in Vietnam, wild workss are still considered as the chief medicative beginning for pharmaceutical industry. It is possible in the close hereafter that more utile botanical drugs, will be found as different workss are tested ( Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department 1996 ) . Forests are the chief stuff beginnings. In Vietnam, forests hold an indispensable portion in providing stuff for human. Wood harvested from plantations is the chief stuff beginning for edifice houses and bring forthing domestic equipment. Forests besides provide natural stock for forest merchandise processing industry and firewood for dependent cultural minorities in cragged countries ( Tien & A ; Thong 2008 ) . Forests protect home grounds. Forests provide shelter for human life and wildlife. They have an highly ecological map with the environment. Forests significantly take portion in doing the clime equable, minimising negative effects of inundations and battling eroding. Harmonizing to Tien & A ; Thong ( 2008 ) , forest ‘s part in keeping the stableness and birthrate of land dirt is undeniable. It is estimated that the sum of dirt eroding where close woods are available is equal to merely 10 % of those topographic points without woods. Forests provide relaxation and amusement: with fresh air and a cool atmosphere, woods are perfects finishs for those seeking for peaceable topographic points to loosen up in holidaies, avoiding pollution and bad effects from noisy urban countries ( Tien and Thong 2008 ) . Coastal protection: woods contribute to protect the state ‘s sea seashore, particularly mangrove woods. They are really utile for screening moving ridges, air current, storms and sea invasion. Many studies about function of woods in the defence against tsunami have been done after the atrocious tsunami in December 26th, 2004 caused the decease of 100s of 1000s people in assorted states in Asia and Africa. Shuto ( 1987, cited in Latief and Hadi 2007 ) said that: Forests may cut down tsunami impact and asserted that a wood is effectual for several grounds: 1 ) it stops driftwood and other jetsam ; 2 ) it reduces H2O flow speed and flood deepness ; 3 ) it provides a life-saving trap for people swept off land by a tsunami run-down ; and 4 ) it amasses wind-blown sand and create dunes, which serve as a natural barriers against tsunamis. Forests play an of import function in C segregation and storage. Forests contribute unusually to cut down the heating of the Earth and life environment. Forests provide the indispensable environmental universe service of recycling C dioxide into O. 40 per centum of the O is produced in tropical rain woods ( Boland 2009 ) . In other word, they are â€Å" Lungs of the Planet † . This map besides evidently belongs to natural woods in Vietnam. Therefore, forest loss could do unexpected alterations in the ambiance and natural catastrophes. Forests contribute to the society: forestry creates occupations for Vietnamese, particularly for people in rural and cragged countries. In recent old ages, the development of ecological touristry besides contributes to lifting income degree for local people and cut downing poorness ( Tien & A ; Thong 2008 ) .2.2. Categorization of woods by mapsEntire land country that the Government planned for forestry is 16.24 million hectares. It is divided into 3 forest classs. Special-use wood: the land planned for development of special-use woods is 2.199.342 hectares, which accounts for 13.5 % of the entire country. Special-use wood has been identified in order to continue nature, protect species of the forest ecosystem and conserve cistron beginnings. It besides provides for research, protects historical and cultural relics and caters for remainder, diversion and touristry. Harmonizing to Vietnam Administration of Forestry 2011, special-use wood is a combination of National Parks, Nature preservation countries, Landscape protection countries and scientific experimental and research countries. Protection woods: the land planned for protection woods is 4.832.962 hectares, which makes up 37 % of the entire country. Protection woods, which are chiefly planned to protect and modulate H2O resources, contribute significantly in the procedures of protect dirt, prevent eroding, limit natural catastrophes, moderate the clime and guarantee the ecological balance and environmental security. There are 4 chief types of protection woods: watershed protection forest, air current and sand interruptions forest, wave breaks protection forest, protection wood for ecology and landscapes. Production woods: the land planned histories for the bulk of entire country with 8,495,823 hectares, which is tantamount to 52.3 % . Production forests chiefly serve the intent of bring forthing both timber and non-timber wood merchandises for the market and at the same clip to protect the environment and continue the ecological balance ( Vietnam Administration of Forestry 2011 ) .2.3. Key issuesVietnam forestry is confronting up several issues. Harmonizing to Coe 2005, forest coverage in Vietnam has fallen 29 % over the last 60 old ages. Pressure on land and wood merchandises is increasing due to the development of agribusiness and the growing of population ( Raven, Evert & A ; Eichorn 1992, p.698 ) . Meanwhile the job of feeding people in cragged countries is highly difficult to work out because of the deficiency of agricultural land and free population motion. Deforestation for agricultural productiveness every bit good as lumber exports has led to serious jobs. The biodiversity o f natural wood is diminishing as a effect. Vietnamese Government had taken some action against deforestation and it seemed to hold brought some consequence. From 1993, the sum of lumber cut down illicitly was strongly minimized ( Hill 1997 ) . However, there are still a scope of jobs presents. Forest direction is non united and sustainable. The figure and the ability of forest officers do non run into the demands. Therefore, in some parts of the state, deforestation for illegal lumber exports is still out of the control. In recent old ages, forestry has made some accomplishment but its part to GDP is still really little. Forestry has non efficaciously helped people cut down poorness because the income of people working in this field is extremely unstable. Most of the workers in this field come from distant countries. Their lives can non be wholly dependent on the forestry. Meanwhile, the engineering is non developed plenty to run into the demands. The available methods to utilize 1000000s hectares of natural wood are limited. As a consequence, it could non convey the income to local people ( Forest Science Institute of Vietnam 2009 ) .DecisionVietnam National Forest contributes greatly to environment protection, land care, eroding control, inundation decrease and supplying home ground for wildlife. Meanwhile, forestry and forest merchandise processing industry holds an indispensable portion in the national economic system. In recent old ages, Government ‘s policies to better forestry and protec t natural woods have made some alterations. The consequences show in the addition of forest coverage and accomplishment of merchandise processing industry. However, there are still several jobs such as deforestation and force per unit area on land and wood merchandises. It is extremely pressing for the Government to happen effectual solutions to work out the state of affairs and heighten the forestry of Vietnam.Word count: 1508

Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium Essay

Figure 1 the center of gravity model According to the requirement from City Council Members, the weighted of important places (included the Population Center) had ranked in the table above. The highest weight mean the important of that location. Therefore, according to the center gravity model, the best result of the training stadium site is the red dot in the figure 1. 2) Weighted Scoring Model Table 2 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (Considering the Cost) According to table, the best stadium site from all the candidate would be Site C, because the weighted score of Site C is the highest among all Sites. However, the weight ranked by the important of the issues in the future. On the other hand, the Site C does not include the Cost of the Land, because it is a wetland and preserve area, so that it is not fair to other sites, which they have the land cost. Therefore, I come up with the new Table that not consider the cost of the land. Table 3 Calculation of Weight Scoring Model (without Considering the Land Cost) Therefore, it turn out to be that the Site D has the best score among all the sites. PS: The minus sign means the value is negative because it is a cost. 3) Combine the result from Center of Gravity Model and Weight Scoring Model Accord to the answers from Figure1 and Table3, the best result would be the Stadium Site A because it in between the â€Å"Best Point† and the weight scoring is nearly the same as site-D 4) Final Recommendation According to these analysis and modeling, the best site would be the Site A  for two reasons. First, Site A is closed to two major Shopping Malls, which this could provide the jobs in the area and generate more revenue in the area. Second, it is very close to the Interstate 75 (I-75) which means it is very easy to access the stadium from the Airport and the stadium would be the new landmark for the city, because the stadium would huge enough for seeing from the I-75. However, the cost of the utility is highest among those sites, but for the long-run with revenue that generate from the long lease with Red Sox team, it is a guarantee that the revenue will cover all the cost and generate a really nice profit for the city. Therefore, Site A is the best suite for the new Boston Red Sox Spring Training Stadium that generate the better economic in the local businesses in the shopping malls and area around there and also created the new landmark for the city that is very easy to access from the interstate 75.

Logistics and supply chain management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Logistics and supply chain management - Essay Example Vulnerability of organisational logistics process and SCM resilience Analysis Vulnerability in organisational logistics processes needs to be tackled to make business functions lean, flexible and responsive. Companies are immensely dependent on each other and are vulnerable in increasingly integrated supply chains. The time and relationship dependencies are significant to manage vulnerabilities (Svensson, 2002). The time and relationship dependencies between two companies in the supply chain network can be described through the interactional model of Hakansson. Dependence of companies cannot be easily constructed until their functioning is performed to check their assumed time and relationship dependencies towards their suppliers and customers. The functionality process of the dependence construct has turned a bit with the research performed by Hammarkvist et al. (1982)) and Mattsson (2000)). There have been five dependency dimensions identified by Hammarkvist et al. (1982)), which a re: 1. Technical Dependence. It happens when two companies sell compatible products and adjust their business functions with each other in technical way. ... 3. Knowledge Dependence. It is related to the communication process between two organisations, gaining from the strengths and weaknesses of each other. This interaction helps in finding ways of resolving issues. With regard to this dimension, we can say that Seal Honey used this dependency appreciatively by engaging supermarkets as point-of-sales and realised increased sales. 4. Social Dependence. It is related to increased communication between two companies because of individual level contacts. It means that social environment and increased compatibility level between the executives of two companies create an impact on their business functions. Again, Seal Honey was able to use its contacts to sell its products through superstores and leverage from this dependency. Economical/Judicial Dependence. This is related greatly to the formal written format of depending, entered into by the companies themselves to strengthen their dependence of business functions in the economical and judic ious way. Case studies on both the companies do not indicate that they have entered into any such formal contract with their suppliers to comment on this dependency of the Seal Honey and Fresh Mart (Svensson, 2002). Mattsson has added two extra dimensions to the list of Hammarkvist et al.’s, namely: 1. Market Dependence. It is related to a company’s reputation and ranking that might have a positive impact on the other company’s reputation and ranking. It can also enhance the brand value of the other company in the market. Of course, both the companies are leading players in grocery market and dependent on market forces to a great extent as dealing in perishable goods. 2. IT Dependence. When the two companies follow the same IT

Character Profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Character Profile - Essay Example These include a diary, three mobile phones, a laptop, spectacles, and an office desk. In addition, the interviewee appears to be working because his eyes are trained on the laptop screen while his right hand appears to be manipulating the mouse. The photograph has been taken from close quarters, clearly depicting the subject’s facial expression and current activity. Viewers can see that the participant is focused on his work and can relate to the themes of employment and directorship. The photograph has been shot wide, meaning that viewers can easily understand the context of the participant (Goc & Tynan 2011: 312). The participant has an office, so the photograph shows typical office materials. The sharpness of the photograph is crucial in accentuating the physical appearance of the subject. In the profile, it is mentioned that the participant is of Asian (South Korean) origin, and the photograph validates this information. As a result, it is safe to say that the photograph meets photojournalistic standards because it tells the same story as the profile (Caple 2013: 28). The profile is based on principles of story-driven (rather than objective) journalism (Goc & Tynan 2011: 316). It is also structured in a narrative format that encourages flowing readership by any news audience. However, the context of the profile is objective because it is relevant to international students, particularly those from Asian countries who wish to live and study in Australia or already live and work there. Since he is of Asian origin, Jason’s story appeals to this category of students, who can easily relate to his experiences. The profile has also been written using a formal journalistic style. In this sense, the paragraphs are well-organised, the punctuation and grammar are accurate, and the language is formal (Goc & Tynan 2011: 318). It is also worth noting that

This is a continuation of your first assignment. Imagine your company Essay

This is a continuation of your first assignment. Imagine your company does not currently have an ethics program and you believe - Essay Example Its aim, as far as workers are concerned, is to ensure that they work in a favorable environment that supports their career development and are treated with dignity. St. Louis Delights, though a small company when compared to international players in the chocolate industry, has a diversified workforce. The company is also committed to ensuring that it remains profitable and preserves cordial relationships with its suppliers. For the company, its stakeholders are a kind of extended family which it treats with respect. St. Louis Delights also strives to maintain the best possible service for all customers while actively looking for ways in which it can contribute to their further development. The community at large is guaranteed high quality food products and a commitment to meet and fulfill universally accepted ethical values. The company also aims to be a participant in the social as well as economical development of its community. The internationally known chocolate company, Mars, I ncorporated, has a group of five principles that it strives to adhere to in its operations in different nations. These include Mutuality, Quality, Efficiency, Responsibility, and Freedom (Karunakaran and Chatterjee, 2008). Mars Incorporated has also recently been recognized for its efforts towards ensuring that cacao harvesters in third world nations, who are its main suppliers, also benefit from the business. In West Africa, the world’s largest Cacao producer, Mars Incorporated has started programs such as the ‘Sustainable Cocoa Initiative’ to make it possible for poor farmers to operate sustainable businesses by increasing incomes along the cocoa chain of supply (Hosmer, 2008). Mars Incorporated also aims to meet other environmental preservation targets such as minimizing water use, and stopping the use of fossil fuels as an energy source in the next three decades. Other famous international corporations such as Barry Callebaut and Kraft Foods which took over C adbury’s, along with seeking to improve working conditions for third world suppliers, have also vowed to deal only in cocoa that is ethically sourced (Karunakaran and Chatterjee, 2008). All over the world, consumers, particularly in developed nations, are increasingly becoming interested in only procuring socially conscious products. St. Louis Delights is well aware of this and aims to make the necessary changes before the ethical market for chocolate grows too large to accept new entrants. Analyze ways ethical challenges affect your business and create a code of conduct for your company. Provide a rationale on how these specific codes enhance your company’s ethics program. St. Louis Delights, though not an international corporation yet, is aware of the conditions that most West African suppliers work with. The biggest ethical issue concerns the use of child labor; or, more specifically, child slaves. In West African communities where cacao is grown, poor children are used to harvest the crop without being paid in most cases (Karunakaran and Chatterjee, 2008). The children may be provided with a single meal as payment for their services. However, for them, as well as their parents, they may feel that this is adequate because they would not have any food otherwise. In places where they are paid, they receive extremely low wages. At present, there is no fail safe strategy that can be used to

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems Essay

Knowledge Management Foundations of IT Systems - Essay Example In addition, this process engages bringing jointly fundamentally enhanced business procedures, technology solutions and shared e-commerce to carry-out step for change developments in operational productivity and customer service (The Knowledge Management Forum, 1996) and (Levinson, 2011). Moreover, knowledge management offers suggestions to solve various serious issues of corporate adaptation, continued existence and capability against fundamental discontinuous environmental transformation. Fundamentally, it exemplifies an organizational procedure that looks for synergistic arrangement of data and information processing capability of information technologies, and the inspired and inventive capability of human beings. However, knowledge management is more and more concerned with the practical implementation as it is not in the theoretical description though in real world implementation wherein lie the maximum opportunities and challenges. Thus, all the scenarios regarding knowledge ma nagement must be understood inside the precise context of predictable performance outcomes and value propositions that respond the issues (Brint, 2011) and (Knowledge Management Gateway, 2011). Why Knowledge Management? Knowledge management is a wide-ranging task and fundamental component of corporate activities. Perhaps at the present organizations are interested in developing their personal business knowledge management competencies, to develop into a more efficient player in the worldwide knowledge financial system, or turning into a more viable knowledge leader and knowledge ambitious organization (Knowledge Management Online, 2011). Additionally, at the present knowledge management is implemented across the globe, in all the types and industry regions, private and public organizations and humanitarian institutions as well as international charities. In this scenario, efficient knowledge management is recognized to be a very critical way of new knowledge and novel ‘ideas' to the modernism procedure, to new inventive products, services and solutions. However, knowledge management, as a way, must help organization attain organizational goals, or still go beyond their aims and objectives. In addition, the idea of knowledge management is not to immediately turn into a more knowledgeable organization, however to be capable to produce, shift and implement knowledge with the purpose of attaining objectives (Knowledge Management Online, 2011). Implementing Knowledge Management System An organization that is interest in implementing KM system they must immediately take some of or all of the below given steps of efficient knowledge management. Additionally, these steps are outlined as separate steps, as well as sequentially, however they ultimately require to be measured as inter-related mechanisms, as fraction of a holistic technique to knowledge management. In this scenario, one initial step is to rapidly assess organization or team’s directions as we ll as willingness for knowledge management. I have outline below some important steps of KM technology application for any corporation. Thus an organization must follow these steps for successful completion and achievement of the project: (Knowledge Management Online, 2011) Free KM Assessment Survey Knowledge Management Education Knowledge Management Consulting Knowledge Management Roles and Responsibilities Knowledge Management Processes, Methods and Tools Knowledge Competencies Knowledge Networks Knowledge

Research paper about an artist and one of his artwork - 1

About an artist and one of his artwork - Research Paper Example This is what David Hockney faced in Bradford, West Yorkshire, where he came from (The Telegraph). He was a young gay guy with fantasies and longings that did not fit with where he was (Dorment). Being gay was not the only trait that made him different. He was also a conscientious objector (The Telegraph). Of course he was also an artist, and it was said that he broke all the rules (Dorment). The early days of his career in art were situated in an interesting time, historically. His art was part of the exhibition that ushered in British Pop Art (The Telegraph). In 1963, he visited New York and connected with Andy Warhol (The Telegraph). He visited Los Angeles, fell in love with it, and he became intrigued with swimming pools and the relaxed Southern California culture (Walker Art Gallery). He painted a series of pool theme pictures, including â€Å"Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool† in 1966 (Liverpool National Museums). In a review of an exhibition of this and Hockney’s other Los Angeles works from this period, it is stated that Hockney’s arrival in Los Angeles was like an airplane taking off, the way his career so quickly gathered force and lifted off to become one of the great artistic careers of the 20th century (Dorment). The Hippie movement was happening at the time. The structure of the family, gender roles, sexual expression, standards of privacy and openness were all subjects of experimentation. David was young enough to be influenced by the waves of social change but old enough to be a little more mature than some. The painting perfectly affirmed what he loved and aspects of life he wanted to hold up for the pleasure of others (Dorment). However, he expressed himself honestly while maintaining respect and decorum. One of the main techniques he used to do this was leaving a border or frame of unpainted canvas around the painting. Hockney wanted to emphasise the process of picture-making and the artifice

Media journal and analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Media journal and analysis - Essay Example The film is directed by British filmmaker Justin Chadwick. The film reveals Mandela’s resistance and leadership within African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa. The story continues with Mandela’s life in prison as part of struggle during apartheid, and long-awaited election during which he becomes first black president of South Africa. His election characterizes the close of apartheid rule in South Africa. The film uses different scenes to capture extensive amount of action involved during apartheid struggle (Abrahams). Who are the characters? The characters in the movie include; Ideris Elba as Mandela, Naomie Harris as Winnie Mandela, Mark Elderkin as Sophia town Policeman, Robert Hobbs as Chief Warden, Tony Kgoroge as Walter Sisulu, Riaad Moosa as Ahmed Kathrada, Jamie Bartlett as James Gregory, Lindiwe Matshikiza as Zindzi Mandela, Terry Pheto as Evelyn and Deon Lotz as Kobie Coetzee. Who/What is missing from the text? The producers of the movie â€Å"Mandela : Long Walk to Freedom† tries to deduce Mandela as a martyr, despite refusal by the judge to grant Mandela such opportunity. The movie tries to reduce Mandela’s ideas to what is known as impassioned sloganeering. Consequently, these ideas results into unmoving montage sequences, whereby Mandela’s 27-year of imprisonment is considered as foundation of his credibility. The scene creates a captivating proof of Idris Elba’s struggling character. The makers of the film are portrayed as having good intentions within the scenes but not capable of effectively dramatizing necessary qualities making their subject great. Deep Analysis of the ideological implications of the patterns found in the text Mandela’s life in the film is punctuated and defined by sense of optimism. Mandela started the struggle as a young lawyer, where he petitions for equality from the ruling authority which by then practiced some form of favoritism. However, the situation is changed a fter brutal torture of a man found drunk and lacked proper documentation. The event, though happened in a flush, imposes profound effect on Mandela leading him and other like minded individuals to form African National Congress (ANC). The formation ANC is followed by crowd protests as a result of euphoric rallies and powerful speeches by Mandela. The main character in the film is treated as hallowed figure especially after Mandela’s trial and imprisonment. However, the film makers attempts to portray Mandela as human figure. The idea of portraying Mandela’s promiscuity only assists in adding pathos to his entire life story, despite this; the film displays Mandela s a romantic icon. The various scenes by ANC protesters are portrayed as context-free awe (Abrahams). There is a raw synergy within the film and history especially on the description of South Africa and Africans. The first representation focused so much on the negative aspects of South Africans, portraying the m as the most violent race in the world. This is purely from a Racists perspective. The elaborate representation of black freedom and power struggles across political spectrum leaves everything on self-focused consumerism. The black-focused films from the white-man perspective as depicted are marred with violence while African focus on black films presents the rich history of the continent from cultural to economic aspects. The perspective from the second argument disputed the fact that post-colonialism is all about the relationship between Africa and their

Business Information Systems and Competitive Advantage A Case Study Essay

Business Information Systems and Competitive Advantage A Case Study - Essay Example Apart from Tesco’s big competitors, a research has shown that smaller grocery stores are also emerging in the broader business scene to compete with Tesco and other giant grocery retailers based on increasing market share and promising annual growth rates (Silvera, n.pag.). Tesco’s success, to a large extent, can also be credited to its progressive innovations in business technology that has helped the company to deliver its promises. Tesco not only operates several neighborhood and superstores in towns but it also operates online shopping through its website. All orders made by the customers online are paid via credit cards or debit cards with an efficient delivery system which delivers within a day depending upon the time the order is placed. Tesco also offers superior customer service to its customers through its free phone or mobile help lines and by post. Each help department is classified in terms of grocery, clothing, wine, Clubcard, and so on with a separate dedicated free phone number. In the prevailing trend of price differentiation in the grocery retail industry, the lines between the giant superstores is blurred which is why customer service and value is at forefront for Tesco so as to enable the company to maintain its position in t he competitive environment. As Tesco puts it in simple statement â€Å"we make what matters better, together†, it makes a case for its sincere objectives beyond mere profit maximization (Tesco, Core Purpose and Values n.pag.). Tesco’s core purpose revolves around providing the best for families and the society at large thereby solving bigger world problems through responsibility and integrity. The company has a defined set of values that employ its economies of scales to provide better quality goods for more value with a particular focus on the treatment of customers so as to build up trust and loyalty among its consumers. In

Leadership diary 7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Leadership diary 7 - Assignment Example The news revealed that the following leaders have agreed on the pay cut and remit these salaries to furloughed federal workers: President Barack Obama, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Hagel, and Attorney General Eric Holder (Harding). This situation evidently describes leaders’ commitment to uplift the condition of workers, under their jurisdiction, by augmenting their income through personal resources, as a pledge of unselfish support and for the improvement of these workers’ conditions. Situation 2: Another remarkable leader is U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin of Rhode Island, who is reportedly afflicted with quadriplegia, but his disability did not detract him from being a public servant. He was recently awarded with the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award, â€Å"a new international Award designed to identify and honor people living with disabilities for their work and influence on the global disability community of more than one billion people† (NINE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL DISABILITY COMMUNITY RECEIVE THE 2013 HENRY VISCARDI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD). His leadership in the local community was exemplified through his commitment as the chairperson of the â€Å"bipartisan Disabilities Caucus and is leading the fight for stem cell research funding and strengthening amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act† (NINE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS: U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin par. 1). His exemplary endeavors and behaviors, despite physical challenges made him a perfect example of a contemporary leader in fulfilling leadership tasks and responsibilities. Harding, Alison. "Kerry pledges to donate portion of salary to charity." 5 April 2013. CNN Politics. 6 April 2013 . "NINE EXTRAORDINARY LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL DISABILITY COMMUNITY RECEIVE THE 2013 HENRY VISCARDI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD." 4

Ford Motor Company Essay Example for Free

Ford Motor Company Essay Strengths Ford Motor Company is a Multi international Company with 90 plant and facilities selling vehicles in 200 markets. It is the second biggest plant in the world, with approximately 345,000 employees The Ford Motor Company is the Fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world and the second in the U.S. with a total (Sales 2010) of 4,988,031 vehicles manufactured including Cars, land craft vehicles (LCV), Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) and Heavy Buses. Ford Motor merges with Hertz Rent-A-Car, the worlds leading vehicle renting organization, operates from approximately 8,100 locations in 143 countries worldwide. Ford Motor Company is in ten place in 2011 Fortune 500 list (Us), with Revenues of (Millions) 128,954.0 and Profits of (Millions) 6,561.0 and in the 2011 Global 500 list, Ford Motors in twenty fifth place. †¢ Ford is a Household name brand †¢ Has physical presence in all major continents †¢ Ford motor credit company helps finance, lease and sell insurance customers †¢14,400 international patents, copyrights and trademarks †¢2nd highest market share in truck sales †¢Sponsor special-rate financing programs available only through Ford Credit Programs increase Ford Credits financing volume and share of financing sales of their vehicles Weaknesses Ford Motors doesn’t have a fuel efficient stander pickup or cargo van, compared to Chevrolet Silverado (Pickup) that gives 20mpg in city and 23mpg in highway and the Chevrolet Express (Van) that gives a 15mpg in city and 20mpg in highway. †¢ Durable good- in rough economical times it is not necessary to replace †¢ If consumers continue to demand vehicles that are relatively large, have high performance, and/or are feature-laden, while regulatory standards require the production of vehicles that are smaller and more economical, the mismatch of supply and demand would have a negative  effect on profitability †¢ Market share has declined in many regions of the world over the last year. Overall market share in the United States, including PAG-brand vehicles, has declined in each of the past five years, from 20.5% in 2003 to 15.6% in 2007 †¢Stock shares have declined, resulting with volume reductions have had an adverse impact on our results of operations Ford Motor warned its European operations may lose $500 million to $600 million this year. Opportunities Innovation technologies, Sync with My ford touch is a combine technology, that help and assists drivers for a more comfortable drive experience. The Sync technology consist in integrating Bluetooth- enable cell phones and Mp3 players in to the car, providing hand free call and music selection capabilities using voice activate commands. My ford touch replaces many traditional buttons with clear, colorful and user friendly LCD screens. †¢ Block Exemption Regulation (Europe) Makes it easier for a dealer to display and sell multiple brands in one store (Ford, Lincoln, Mercury) without the need to maintain separate facilities †¢Increasing presence in China, with more investment in manufacturing capacity, introduction of new products and expansion of distribution channel †¢Opened a second assembly plant and new engine plant located in Nanjing, China Initial capacity of the plant was approximately 160,000 units annually, boosting total annual passenger car production capacity in China to more than 410,000 vehicles Operates a purchasing office in China to procure components for operations outside of China Threats †¢ Decline in overall market share due to Including increased competition Industry shift away from traditionally stronger segments (e.g., traditional SUVs and full-size pickups) Reduced vehicle sales to daily rental companies †¢Decrease in commercial fleet sales reflected lower industry volume †¢Japanese and Korean manufacturers are increasing their production capacity in Europe Strength †¢ Ford Motor Company is a Multi international Company with 90 plant and facilities selling vehicles in 200 markets. It is the second biggest plant in the world, with approximately 345,000 employees. (http://www.freeonlineresearchpapers.com/ford-diversity-commitment) , (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=7670) †¢ The Ford Motor Company is the Fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world and the second in the U.S. with a total (Sales 2010) of 4,988,031 vehicles manufactured including Cars, land craft vehicles (LCV), Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCV) and Heavy Buses. (Oica.net, 2011) (http://oica.net/wp-content/uploads/ranking-2010.pdf) †¢ Ford Motor diversity in Ford Credit is a subsidiary of The Ford Motor Company that finance vehicles to customer and dealers to support Ford Motor Company sales. They also provide financing on Lincoln vehicles, offering: competitive rates, innovative products, flexible terms (http://www.fordcredit.com/companyInfo/prof ile.jhtml) †¢ Ford Motor merges with Hertz Rent-A-Car, the worlds leading vehicle renting organization, operates from approximately 8,100 locations in 143 countries worldwide. †¢ Ford Motor Company is in ten place in 2011 Fortune 500 list (Us), with Revenues of (Millions) 128,954.0 and Profits of (Millions) 6,561.0 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2011/full_list/index.html) and in the 2011 Global 500 list, Ford Motors in twenty fifth place. (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2011/full_list/index.html) Weakness †¢ Ford Explores rollover and firestone tires recalls controversy announced on August, 2000, approximately 14.4 million tires contain a safety-related defect. Harmed Ford brand image. (http://www.nhtsa.gov/PR/FirestoneRecall) †¢ Ford Motors doesn’t have a fuel efficient stander pickup or cargo van, compared to Chevrolet Silverado (Pickup) that gives 20mpg in city and 23mpg in highway and the Chevrolet Express (Van) that gives a 15mpg in city and 20mpg in highway. (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/bestworstepatrucks.htm) †¢ Ford Motors only has seven subsidiaries, Lincoln, mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin. Opportunities †¢ Fuel efficient cars, Ford Motor Company is launching the most fuel-efficient cars in the market. The All-new 2012 Ford Focus will be powered by a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) and direct gasoline injection that will deliver up to a projected 40 mpg highway. The combinations of these technologies helps to lower gas emission but, still have horse power. For a 4 cylinder 2.0 liter engines it is rated at 160 horse power and 146lbs of torque. (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=33438) †¢ Big donator to charity and victims of natural disasters. October 27, 2000 Ford Motor Company will donate $1.4 million to the San Diego Environmental Foundation (SDEF) for the preservation, protection and enhancement of the San Eliot Lagoon Ecological Reserve, which is one of San Diegos and Southern Californias most precious and unique natural resources. (http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?ar ticle_id=6425) †¢ Innovation technologies, Sync with My ford touch is a combine technology, that help and assists drivers for a more comfortable drive experience. The Sync technology consist in integrating Bluetooth- enable cell phones and Mp3 players in to the car, providing hand free call and music selection capabilities using voice activate commands. My ford touch replaces many traditional buttons with clear, colorful and user friendly LCD screens. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Driving Technology, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) gives out three warnings when a vehicle not visible or enters ones blinds spot. The signals consists in a Yellow light appears in the corresponding side view mirror, an audio alert and a message warning displayed.  (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Rear view camera and Forward Sensing System, helps drives to see on screen when parking in reverse. The Forward Sensing System helps to determine how close are the objects form the vehicle. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS). This technology consists in adapting to the road conditions and help drivers to compensate directional shifts caused by crowned roads surface or steady crosswinds. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Active Park Assistants uses ultrasonic based sensing system and EPAS for parallel parking. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Rain-Sensing Wipes has a optical sensor that auto adjust to the climate conditions. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) Power train and convenience †¢ Adaptive cruise control allows the vehicle to set and mating speed without using the pedals. It also has a radar- based system thats can monitor the vehicle in front up to 600 feet. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Easy fuel or cap less system helps drives when filling the car with gasoline a hassle-free, odor free, and have a more consistent seal compared to traditional manual cap.( http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Eco-Boost gains of up to 20 percent and reduction of CO2 emissions by as much as 15 percent compared with larger, less efficient engines. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) †¢ Dual-clutch Power Shift six-speed transmission combines the responsive performance and fuel economy of a manual gearbox with the convenience of a traditional automatic transmission. (http://media.ford.com/images/10031/Drive_Smart_HR.pdf) Threats †¢ Government regulations. Do to the pollution and the Global warming caused by the Co2, car manufactures are trying to develop fuel efficient cars. In Jul 29,2011 Major car developers and manufactures joined President  Obama to discusses the further in fuel economy and proposed a new Fuel-efficiency standers. Today’s stander is 27.3mpg by 2025 the stander should be at 54.5 mpg. Its estimated that this new â€Å"stander† will save a average of $8,000 on fuel bill per vehicle, and will reduce U.S. oil consumption by 2.2 billion barrels per day. (http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2011/07/government-raises-fuel-economy-standards-to-545-mpg-by-2025.html) †¢ Change of oil price, is one of the most volatile components oil, is very heretical as it prices increases and decreases. Consumer are more aware that fuel efficient vehicle can guarantee more performance for their money. In 26-07-2011 oil crude open at $99.0 an close$99.6 (http://www.livecharts.co.uk/futures_commodities/oil_prices_historical.php) †¢ Increase of raw materials. This effects the manufacturing of the automobile if the steel components raises then the car will have to be a lot more expensive. According to the World Carbon Steel Transaction Prices in Mar,2011 medium steel sections were $719/Ton in April,2011 it was 926/Ton. (http://www.steelonthenet.com/price_info.html) †¢ Recession is another factor that Ford Motor Company has to battle. As the economy declines in activity, more people are not investing or spending their incomes in new vehicles. It is estimate that the US unemployment rates is at 13.9 million persons a (9.1 percent) http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm)

The Sodor Oil Terminal

The Sodor Oil Terminal Introduction The Sodor Oil Terminal project was undertaken by a team of students as a case study in project management. The purpose of the exercise was to organize and plan the project as part of a project team, and deal with events arising during the project life, utilizing techniques and tools learned during the study of project management. Management of the Project Team Team Selection The team selection for the project was left to individuals, who had to form themselves into teams based on personal choice and internal acceptance. In an educational setting random group selection is very common but not realistic as it does not consider the diversity of skills among the students (Blowers 2003). In terms of skill sets the team forming in this project was random in that there was no comparison before a team was selected, merely a choice of friends or acquaintances. This would seem to be negative and, as Blowers (2003) pointed out, totally unrealistic in the business world, where teams of high skill-set individuals would be chosen to give a project the highest possible chance of success. However, the team selection was not as random as it first seemed, as four members of the team had worked together before, and although it was not acknowledged formally, were aware of each individuals skills and working methods. This proved to be a positive feature in the project development. There were an additional two members of the group who were known only to one of the core four, and this also proved to be significant during the course of the project. Team Development Tabaka (2006) paraphrasing Tuckman and Jensen (1977) stated that in the forming stage the team members must acquaint themselves with each other and judge their own and others role in the team. This stage was already accomplished in the team which formed for the Sodor project. Four out of six members had already worked with each other in previous projects and knew each others capabilities. The two extra members were unknown, did not turn up initially, and showed no enthusiasm for participating in the project tasks. They were therefore largely ignored in terms of expectations of the other team members. The second stage according to Tuckman and Jensen is storming where team members try to exert power over one another, and jockey for position within the group. This stage was also already completed within the core team at the start of the project, and the team had already surpassed Tuckman and Jensens norming stage, with the trust having been built up in previous team encounters, and the ability to work together successfully having already been achieved. The team was therefore ready for Tuckman and Jensenss performing stage. Unfortunately the two outsiders to the team never achieved a real measure of trust within the team, so they remained outsiders for the rest of the project, but were allowed to contribute in a small way whenever they expressed a desire. Team Project Management In the initial stages of the Sodor project tasks, most of the project team was missing for the meetings. This would seem to be a very unfortunate and negative feature for the progression of the project. Ericksen and Dyer (2004) maintained that most of the successful project teams they had studied had had a very decisive launch, with solid project management, direction and clarification right at the beginning, as opposed to the teams who had procrastinated and lacked direction. As there was no-one else to take the position, the one team member present in the initial stages of the Sodor project took on the responsibility of project manager, at least for that stage of the project. The team member had to act alone at the start of the project and was able to be decisive and act with direction precisely because there was no-one else to interfere, and no negotiations to be performed, and the project was able to progress. As the team was already normed it was able to move into the performing stage. The reaction of the other team members was approval that the team member had shown the responsibility to take on the task. There was also an underlying understanding that the other team members would accept future responsibilities. This understanding was formulated into an informal contract of work within the team, more out of conformance to the project guidelines than from the need within the team. Throughout the course of the rest of the project the other team members fulfilled their roles as had been agreed in the contract of works. It was decided that the areas of relevance within the project would each have an individual largely responsible for that particular area. The areas of relevance chosen were planning, costing, procurements, and configuration or change management. The four core members of the group accepted responsibility for an area each with little consultation between members, with the two outside members agreeing to assist whenever needed. This seemingly discrete allocation of tasks would have been a negative feature in some teams but was suitable for the character of the team members, all being highly motivated and goal oriented individuals, but also having a high level of trust in their other team members to deliver. There was an element of informal skills measurement in the allocation of the tasks, done on a purely experiential basis rather than empirical evi dence. Tenenberg (2008) questioned whether people who are highly individual can be encouraged into more collaborative behaviour in order to make teamwork more effective. He quoted Cain et al. (1996) and stated that software development should be regarded as essentially social and that the social side of the activity needs to be addressed the same principle could be applied to any projects which are team-based. Tenenberg (2008) stated that teams have in common a set of collective action problems which require teamwork to be solved. One of those problems mentioned is that of dealing with people who do not contribute to the teams efforts. The Sodor project team did not address this problem at all, largely because the team worked as co-operative individuals rather than a team, and those who did not co-operate were simply ignored and their potential workload absorbed by the co-operating members. Akgun et al. (2007) also postulated team processes as a way to improve the chances of a projects success, and put forward the idea of group potency a belief held by team members that they can be effective. Although the Sodor team worked largely as individuals there was a genuine trust among the main members and a genuine belief in the potency factor which may have been mistaken. Summary The team did not behave as a traditional team with a high level of interaction and decision making but rather as a set of co-operating individuals. It did, however, go through the traditional Tuckman and Jensen (1977) stages of development, albeit before the Sodor project began, and also displayed some of the characteristics of a team as defined by Katzenbach and Smith (1993) complementary team members with common goals and approaches who were willing to be held accountable to the other team members. Evaluation of the Project General frameworks of project management can be found from many sources. Gannon (1994) suggested that project management should consist of six functions planning, organizing, executing, monitoring, reporting and controlling. Prodomos and Macaulay (1996) proposed four main activities planning, monitoring, co-ordinating, and reviewing. The Sodor project will be evaluated using the categories of planning, and monitoring and control. The Gantt charts and cost schedules from this section can be found in the Appendix attached. Planning the Project Prodomos and Macaulay (1996) cited Jordan and Machesky (1990) and proposed that the planning stage was the foundation for the other project activities. Dvir et al. (2003) reported that a belief amongst project management professionals (supported by the Project Management Institutes Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge hereinafter referred to as the PMBOK) is that planning is an essential activity which cannot guarantee success, but without which a project will most certainly fail. This belief was reflected in the Sodor case study where half of the activities were on planning the project. Activity Planning Initially, the Sodor project was presented as a textual case study, providing information to construct a work breakdown structure. Andersen (1996) argued that in a real situation activity planning cannot be completed when it is most useful, i.e. at the start of the project, because all of the activities cannot be known then. The Sodor projects activities were identified and provided, so a work breakdown structure could be constructed by the project leader. Other categorizations of the work and different breakdowns were possible but the project team was happy with the project managers decisions. Project Planning Hughes (1995) suggested a Step Wise guide for software projects with details of the stages a project planning team must complete to achieve an effective project plan. PRINCE2 a methodology advocated and required by the UK government also prescribes stages of project development including planning, which reflects the PMBOK areas of Scope, Time and Cost Management. (Siegelaub 2004). Scope management was outside the brief of the Sodor project team as it was provided in the project information. Clear objectives and methods were also provided and no feasibility study was necessary. Therefore the first main planning activity of the Sodor team was in time and cost management to produce a Gantt chart and estimated costs schedule based on the work breakdown structure and provided task precedences to calculate an estimated project end date and project cost. The next stage in planning was to choose vendors.The vendor selection process was carried out by one member of the team acting as project manager. This was where the rest of the team should have had more input, as two important issues in project management would arise which had implications later risk management and quality management. Risk Management The PMBOK devotes a whole knowledge area to risk management and PRINCE2 identifies risk as one of its components. The PMBOK suggests four phases of risk management identification, quantification, response and ultimately control. The Sodor project was totally dependent on third party vendors for both the supply of materials and construction. The biggest identifiable risk for the project would be the failure of a supplier or contractor to deliver on time. This would be particularly relevant to the tasks within the project which were on the critical path in the original estimated plan. Therefore the vendor selection for these tasks should have been carefully considered. Risk is usually quantified as a function of the risks occurrence probability and occurrence impact. (Williams 1996). The probability is a difficult judgement to make but the team was supplied with ratings which were based on how reliable the vendor was. The impact was the penalty cost for late project delivery. The contractors for the two critical tasks of jetty design and construction, and the installation of piping equipment were only rated 2. This proved to cause problems later. Methods of risk management include trying to reduce the risk (Gannon 1994). Of course, reducing the risk by choosing higher rated vendors would have had a cost and would have to have been judged to be cost effective. This was partly taken into account in the vendor selection policy, but should have warranted more attention from the project team. Another way of dealing with the risk in a real situation would have been to deflect it (Gannon 1994) by transferring it to the vendors. Penalty clauses could have been inserted into their contracts for overrunning the quoted task durations. The Sodor project team were not able to do this, so reduction of the risk was the only option available. Quality Management The PMBOK also devotes a whole knowledge area to quality management, so it is obviously an important area for project managers to consider. In the Sodor project the quality of the vendors was the greatest area for consideration. The only indicator of this was the rating provided, which was used in the vendor selection. In a real world situation vendors could have been required to conform to International Organization for Standardization quality standards such as ISO 9001:2008 dealing with Quality Management Systems Requirements, but this was not an option for the project team. After the completion of the planning phase with vendor selection, a final baseline plan and costings were produced. In order to adjust the project end date to conform to the required schedule it was decided to pay overtime to the painting contractor. At this point cash flow should also have been considered by delaying the times for the purchase of materials until necessary but it was not, a potentially huge mistake in the commercial world. Monitoring and Control Gannon (1994) stated that project performance can be measured by the comparison of actual progress to the original planned progress at any stage in the project. The slippages in the Sodor project at 25 weeks were entered into the project Gantt chart and it was found that as a result of slippage in critical path activities the project would overrun by 4 weeks compared to the baseline, and penalties would apply. The project team had 3 choices accept the penalties, reduce the length of an activity on the critical path by paying overtime (known as the time-cost tradeoff problem, (Liberatore and Pollack-Johnson 2006)), or reconsider the precedence requirements (Liberatore and Pollack-Johnson 2006). It was found that paying overtime to the painting contractor to reduce the project duration by 4 weeks was less than the potential penalties and less complicated than reconsidering the precedence requirements. Further problems at the 25 April 2001 stage were caused by the vendor selection for the jetty erection. For the same reasons as above it was decided to pay for overtime on the jetty erection thereby reducing the critical path back in line with the required completion date. By the project closeout it was found that as a result of a reduction in a critical path activity the project completed 2 weeks early and earned bonuses. Summary The project was a success if the criteria was to complete the project in time. But more careful selection of vendors could have also cut the costs of the project the choice of the pipe installation vendor in particular could have produced substantial bonuses. The complete exclusion of any consideration for cash flow was also a major mistake. In the real commercial world, projects can fail because of cash flow problems, so this should have been recognized. Conclusion The Sodor Oil Terminal project was a success in terms of completion of the project within the required time. Pinto and Slevin (1988) measure success simply by achieving the projects time and costs schedule, accompanied by an adequate performance. This approach, however, ignores the factors of commercial success in the marketplace, and how the future of the organization as a whole has been affected by the project, factors recognized by Shenhar et al. (1997). The Sodor project could have been completed within a smaller budget, with greater commercial success and larger profits for future investment in the organization if greater attention had been paid in the areas of vendor selection in terms of risk management. The financial pressure of the large project on the organization could have been offset by greater attention to costings in terms of cash flow optimization. These negative conclusions can be directly attributed to the project teams lack of real teamwork in not questioning each others actions enough or discussing relevant issues.

Construction Issues and Reflective Assignment

Construction Issues and Reflective Assignment Introduction This report evaluates and analyses 4 issues which arose from a construction project and solutions have been recommended. A reflective essay is included to provide an amicable solution to the issue. Background Information Smart Developments are a commercial development company based in Leeds with goals to provide new sustainable buildings in Leeds. The first development is a  £10,000,000.00 project to build new accommodation, retail, sports and leisure facilities. Modern Contractors are a respected and hard-working medium sized contracting organisation operating in Leeds and throughout the region. Modern Contractors had signed an 18month contract with Smart Developments to complete the building works, based on JCT Standard Building Contract with Quantities 2011. The following issues have arisen: 1. On the date that Modern Contractors were due to start the project the main entrance to the site (as stated in the Bills of Quantities) is blocked by materials left by the Client. These materials are not removed from site for 1 week. 2. During the removal of the cellar a gas main was found and British Gas was called to relocate the main which took 16 working days. Some works could continue but the repositioning of the gas main caused a delay to the progress of the main groundworks. 3. Then, during the excavation of the substructure works ancient roman coins are found. This leads to a further delay of 1 month to allow for archaeological investigation work. 4. Monthly payments are agreed in the contract particulars and these should be in Modern Contractors account by the 15th of each month. In August and six months into the contract period payment was not paid until 5th September. When Modern Contractors complained to the employer they said â€Å"that’s the trouble with banks these days – you just can’t rely on them† and Modern Contractors â€Å"should know better than to complain about the situation as this is standard industry practice†. As Modern Contractors have some issues with cash flow they are proposing an additional clause in their contracts with their sub-contractors that will provide for them to pay the sub-contractors only when they have been paid. Issue 1 On the date that Modern Contractors were due to start the project the main entrance to the site (as stated in the Bills of Quantities) is blocked by materials left by the Client. These materials are not removed from site for 1 week. Before going deep into the roots of the contract, it is important to note that all site works are under responsibility of Smart Developments. What does the contract say? In the case ofFreeman v Hensler (1900)where it was held that it is an employer’s duty (of co-operation) to give the contractor possession of the site within reasonable time to enable him to carry out and complete the work on the completion date. According to JCT 11 SBC/Q, the employer has to co-operate fully with the contractor so that the site is handed over within reasonable time, and the contractor will be able to perform the works as per schedule. If the employer fails to do so, it is possible for the employer to defer giving possession of the site for a period not exceeding six weeks calculated from the relevant Date of Possession stated in the contract. (Clause 2.5) Such clause prevent the employer from being in breach of contract and liable to damages, but the contractor will have alternative remedies which are listed in clause 2.29.3 (extensions of time) and clause 4.24 (loss and expense). The fact that materials were blocking the main entrance can be taken positively. The contractors could have notified Smart Development who would have organized for an alternative entrance or simply moved the materials somewhere else. It can be argued that one week’s time loss is not substantial and will not hinder the project or cause the project to continue beyond completion date. Assuming buffers/float were added for activities, Smart Developments can argue that the whole project duration can accommodate the loss of time (1 week) and they negotiate with the contractors to start the project after one week and still finish the project on time. Recommendation In the event that the contractors do not agree and decide to go forward with a claim of extension of time or loss and expense, it is advisable for Smart Developments to allow for reasonable extension of time. Though the process isn’t simple, the contractors need to notify the employer that they will be delayed in starting their work. The Contract Administrator need to do the follow up and find out if this event is a Relevant Event or not. This process may take another week. (Note: Deferment of Possession is a relevant event under clause 2.29.3 / 2.5) Concerning loss and expense claim, it is advisable for Smart Developments to verify the claim amount to know if there has been any mobilisation cost or machinery transferred to site or any valid claim, before proceeding to any payments. Issue 2: During the removal of the cellar a gas main was found and British Gas was called to relocate the main which took 16 working days. Some works could continue but the repositioning of the gas main caused a delay to the progress of the main ground works. What does the contract say? There is a mechanism in the contracts to deal with delays. Usually foreseen or unforeseen events which appear during progress of work have to be dealt with by a protocol. JCT 11 dictates that the Contractor has to inform the Contract Administrator or the Architect in writing when cases arise where they deem to have been delayed significantly. And to stipulate the number of days they think the delay will cause them prejudice/prevent the contractors to continue their job. It can be noted that an extension of time granted for a cause of delay which may seem to have financial implications does not necessarily mean that there will be additional payments. The design team of Smart Developments should have carried out proper site surveys prior any designing and notify the Contract Administrator of possible works concerning gas pipes. It is inevitable for British Gas to be present and complete the repositioning of gas’ main. JCT 11 SBC/Q defines that statutory undertaker such as British Gas (being responsible for gas supply and regulated by law) should carry out their work diligently. Recommendation At this point, it is advisable for Smart Developments to fix the completion date and allow for extension of time for the contractors to complete the work in progress, based on clause 2.27, 2.28 and 2.29 To prevent any further problems concerning loss expenses, Smart Developments can review the rate at which Liquidated Damages are governed and reduce at its free will. Under clause 2.30, once a certificate has been issued, deductions can start after the first payment but Smart Development can bargain with the Contractors for a review of the rate and withhold deductions until practical completion has been reached. If both parties agree, only extension of time will be granted because of the delay caused by British Gas. Issue 3: Then, during the excavation of the substructure works ancient roman coins are found. This leads to a further delay of 1 month to allow for archaeological investigation work. What does the contract say? According to JCT 11 SBC/Q, the clause 2.29.4 acknowledge that compliance with clause 3.22.1 (Antiquities) or Architect’s/Contract Administrator instruction under clause 3.22.2 is a valid Relevant Event. Recommendation Valid Relevant Events are entitled to Extension of Time; Therefore Smart Developments should fix the completion time and allow an extension of time. The contractor can claim for Loss Expenses since excavation was being carried out and it had to stop to allow for investigation. Since 1 month of delay is fairly considerable lapse of time, Smart Developments should allow the contractor to claim for its Loss Expenses, Smart Developments can only compute a reasonable amount of loss incurred. The other side of the coin is that if there is part performance only, then Smart Developments can only pay for the work that has been carried out. Since the contract has not been fully honored, both parties can wait and accept the delay in project. And resume work after the coins’ investigation has been completed. Smart Developments will forfeit the right to claim for Liquidated Damages if the contract completion date is fixed again. Issue 4: Monthly payments are agreed in the contract particulars and these should be in Modern Contractors account by the 15th of each month. In August and six months into the contract period payment was not paid until 5th September. When Modern Contractors complained to the employer they said â€Å"that’s the trouble with banks these days – you just can’t rely on them† and Modern Contractors â€Å"should know better than to complain about the situation as this is standard industry practice†. As Modern Contractors have some issues with cash flow they are proposing an additional clause in their contracts with their sub-contractors that will provide for them to pay the sub-contractors only when they have been paid. What does the contract say? The dates provided in the contract particulars are to be used to distinguish if there has been a breach of contract for delayed payment or not. According to JCT 11 SBC/Q clause 4.12.1 the final date of an interim payment is 14 days from the due date. Therefore money due in August should have been lodged in the contractors account by latest 29th of August. Since payment was received on 5th of September this amounts to a breach of the contract. The contractor has the right to suspend any work as a result of the breach of contract or to terminate his employment under clause 4.16.7 / 4.14.1 Recommendation It is advisable for Smart Developments to pay the contractor simple interest on the amount due from 29th August till 5th of September as per clause 4.12.6 and to make sure that all payments are done within the time frame. The fact that Modern Contractors are altering their contract with the sub-contractors doesn’t not affect Smart Developments because of privity of contract, though Modern Contractors have to notify the employer of the sub-contractors they will be employing as per CDM Regulations stated in clause 3.23.3 Reflective Essay Modern Contractors could have moved the materials on site themselves or notify Smart Developments of the problem that the main entrance is blocked by materials, and expect the Employer to clear the entrance. Concerning the 1st issue: Though the delay is only one week, the employer cannot use any available float to absorb this type of delay. Modern Contractors should apply for extension of time for this delay and make sure that extra time is allowed for the float as well. Concerning the 2nd issue, British Gas has to complete their work as per law, Modern contractors being hindered in doing their job can claim for extension of time. Though Modern Contractors have been trying to complete other works in sections, this delay can be reflected in the overall project hand-over time. Therefore Modern Contractors have to apply for extension of time and moreover claim for Loss Expense as it is accrued for 16 days of not performing actual work towards achievement of project. Concerning the 3rd issue, since the event could not be foreseen by any parties, Modern Contractors are entitled to extension of time and have the right to claim for Loss Expense. The cost would include plant provided on site for excavation, labour, lorries waiting for excavation etc. Concerning the 4th issue: Modern Contractors have the right to suspend any performance until payment has been effected. It is possible to terminate the contract as well because of the breach caused by Smart Developments in delaying payment. By adding extra clauses to the contract, Modern Contractors cannot forego their duties to pay their Sub-Contractors. The payment has to be processed by Modern Contractors no matter what is the outcome with Smart Developments. An amicable solution for problems is direct negotiations between Modern Contractors and Smart Developments. For Issue 1: Either parties could have cleared the materials and go forward with the project. As 1 week is not considerable time and both parties can absorb this delay within float For Issue 2: The design team should have known that there are live gas lines within the cellar, therefore British Gas would have been called during the first week to relocate the pipes. Modern Contractors would have been given possession of site 2 weeks after British Gas had fix the lines. For Issue 3: The best option would be to pay Modern Contractors a minimum rate for the delay caused. That rate would cover for plant hire and labour for example, there would not be any profit for Modern Contractors. Or allow Modern Contractors to carry alternative works on other site until Smart Developments are ready to accommodate them again. For Issue 4: Smart Developments can negotiate to allow for some extra time before payment can be released to Modern Contractors and waive retention money for part of works carried out.

The Struggle of an Outsider Essay -- Race Relations, Native American

Throughout our readings this semester, the theme the outsider has been present. The outsiders in these selections have all had similar roles. One of the main roles was subjection that developed from the feeling of unequal standings. This subjection silenced and forced many from the mainstream. The Native Americans were outsiders to the Europeans. The Europeans had different beliefs and ideas about life which they forced upon the Native Americans. Suddenly with the arrival of Europeans, Indians became strangers on their own territory. They lose the stability which came with knowing the simply pleasures that surround them. They could not longer listen to wind or feel the sun’s touch but they were forced to fight just to keep a place on the land in which now could be owned. â€Å"Could there be a more efficient way to distress and murder them by inches than the way they have taken† (Apess 484).Even if the Indians were successful in keeping a small portion of land, they were afraid of when it would be taken from them. Before the Europeans, they never knew this world. They were somehow â€Å"ignorant of time, either by the sun or moon; nor do they reckon by the month or year. They understand the seasons in terms of the ripening of fruits, the dying of fish, and the position of stars† (Cabeza de Vaca 32). The perplexing thought for most Native Americans was the Europeans claimed to be Christians but seemed so engulfed with hatred toward this people constantly causing destruction to this innocent group of people. William Apess of both European and Native American descent writes of Europeans who â€Å"would think it no crime to go upon Indian lands and cut and carry off their most valuable timber or anything else they chose† (Apess 484).Slowly, the N... ... control. Simon Rosedale is also an outsider in this society although not for the same reason as Lily. Mr. Rosedale Jewish background prevents him from acquiring a position in this society. Although Rosedale is quite wealthy, he cannot advance in this society unless he can marriage a member that has rank in society like Lily at the beginning of the novel. â€Å"Why should I mind saying I want to get into society† (Wharton 200). Mr. Rosedale intentions are obvious and he uses his wealth to try to succeed in obtaining a role in this society. Lily and Rosedale both posses attributes of outsiders trying to earn their way in a vain society. Many of the outsiders in our readings tried desperately to gain acceptance to the inside. They were subjected to the ideas and beliefs of others. They also were forced to take off their identity to gain acceptance in their society.

Traditional and Internet Dating Essay -- Dating Social Values Changes

Traditional and Internet Dating At some point in our lives where we are searching for that special someone. The methods of going about dating have changed quite dramatically over the years. Going out has grown from traditional dating, to internet 'dating', to group dating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Traditional Dating has changed over the years. In my generation the girls can ask the guys, there is no telling where they might go on a date, or they might just hang out at home, which did not happen as much 25 years ago. My generation's moral values are changing too: sex on the first date happens more frequently now. Many Years ago a guy would go pick the girl up at her house, was introduced to her parents and have a talk with them before taking their little girl out for a first date. Now, however, guys and girls meet somewhere or the guy just beeps the horn and in many cases the parents do not meet the guy with whom their daughter is going out. When my parents were young, dating was something taken seriously, and knew someone for a period of time before ever asking her out on a date. Today a date may be just something to do for fun or if you are bored. Nowadays many people "hook-up" at bar, clubs or random parties. : I wonder what changes are to be in the futur e of dating.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What kind of person goes online and uses personal ads to meet their mate. The Internet changing everything from the way we shop to the way we find driving directions. Cyberspace has become the hottest pick-up jo...

Biology of Mangroves :: Research Essays Term Papers

Biology of Mangroves One of the most unique and least understood environments found in nature is that of the mangrove. This ecosystem is found at the junction between land and sea. Author, Loren Eiseley (1971) wrote vividly about his encounter with a mangrove forest in the book The Night Country: A world like that is not really natural. Parts of it are neither land nor sea and so everything is moving from one element to anotherÃâ€"Nothing stays put where it began because everything is constantly climbing in, or climbing out, of its unstable environment. The actual word à «mangroveà ­ can be used in two ways. It can refer to an individual species of plant or it can indicate a group or forest of plants that contains many species (Figure 1). To determine what constitutes a mangrove species many aspects are considered including: (1) air temperature within a certain range, (2) mud substrate, (3) protection, (4) salt water, (5) tidal range, (6) ocean currents and (7) shallow shores. To clarify, each of these aspects will be considered in turn. The best mangrove development has been found to occur only when the average air temperature of the coldest month is higher than 20 degrees Celsius and where the seasonal range does not exceed ten degrees. Most extensive mangroves are associated with muddy soils along deltaic coasts, in lagoons and along estuarine shorelines. In order for mangroves to survive a protected coastline is essential as mangrove communities cannot develop where high levels of wave action prevent the establishment of seedl ings. In terms of salt water, there is increasing evidence that most mangroves have their optimal growth in the presence of some additional sodium chloride. The tidal range plays an important role in mangrove development. The greater the tidal range, the greater the vertical range available for the community. Also for a given tidal range, steep shores tend to have narrower mangrove zones than do gently sloping ones. Another aspect of mangrove communities is ocean current. The currents are essential since they act to disperse the mangrove propagules and distribute them along the coasts. The need for a shallow shore is the last major aspect of mangrove forests. This is apparent when considering that seedlings cannot become anchored in deep water and that the mangrove requires a large proportion of its body to be above the water (Hutchings and Saenger, 1987). Mangrove forests are established in various regions of the world and one of the most prominent regions is the continent of Australia.

Avon’s Dividend Policy Essay

A firm’s decisions about dividends are often mixed up with other financing and investment decisions. Some firms pay low dividends because management is optimistic about the firm’s future and wishes to retain earnings for expansion. Other firms might finance capital expenditures largely by borrowing. All the above are examples of dividend policies which can be defined more precisely as the trade-off between retaining earnings on the one hand and paying out cash and issuing new shares on the other. In order to understand the dividend policy we must understand that this phrase means different things to different people (R.A. Brealey & S.C. Myers, 2003). Avon Products, Inc. announced both a change in its business focus and a reduction of its dividend in June 1988. To offset the likely stock price effect of the dividend reduction, Avon announced at the same time an unusual exchange offer under which it would take up to 25% of its common stock. The case traces the history of Avon from 1979-88. We will evaluate Avon’s efforts at diversification in the early 1980s, and will relate that effort to the company’s dividend history. Moreover we will evaluate Avon’s operating and financial strategies from 1979 to 1988 and the company’s financial condition in mid-1988. PERFORMANCE OF AVON’S STOCK FROM 1978-1988Based on Exhibit 4, Avon’s stock price has declined from $50.75 in 1978 to $24.125 in 1988 (decline equal to 52.5%). At the same time, S&P 500 has increased from $96.11 in 1978 to $266.69 in 1988 (increase equal to 177.5%). This rather poor performance of Avon stock contradicts with the performance of the overall market. Moreover, based on Exhibit 1, ROE decreased from 31% in 1978 to 21% in 1988. This is due to the following factors: Avon in the early 1980 made the major strategic decision to diversify its business by entering the health care field. In order to support its diversification strategy it invested heavily in subsequent acquisitions of Health care companies. It acquired Mallinkdroft in 1982, Foster Medical in 1984, Retirement Inns in 1985 and  Mediplex in 1986. Even though its health care division showed increasing net sales from 1982 till 1984, the situation changed during 1985, with a sudden drop of more than 50% in net sales. The inability of the health care sector to grow at attractive rates worsened in the years to come (largely because of the change in Medicare in 1986) and proved that it was a strategic mistake to go for diversification. Not only did not the market appreciate this decision, but also the firm found itself highly leveraged with a long term dept of $816.4 million in 1987, because of subsequent acquisitions. The heavy borrowing of the Avon obliged it to announce a dividend cut from $3.00 to $2.50 in 1982, and to $2.00 from 1983 till 1987. This dividend cutting policy, which was already expected and negatively perceived by the market from the early 1981 severely influenced Avon stock price (a decline in the share price from $30 to $20.375 immediately after the announcement of the following dividend policy) and contributed largely to its poor performance. This poor performance was also partly due to the disappointing financial results of the Beauty care sector from 1982 till 1985 (Exhibit 2). It was only in 1986 that the Beauty care sector showed again positive signs of improving prospects. The wrong commitment of Avon to its Health care sector together with the demographic shifts of the 1980’s, that decreased both its sales force and customer base are the main reasons for the Beauty Care sector’s disappointing results. EVALUATION OF AVON’ S FINANCIAL CONDITION IN MID-1988Avon in mid-1988 divested its healthcare business and acquired fragrance companies. In that way, Avon has demonstrated renewed commitment to beauty business and continued investment in that business. While its long term debt was only $4.1million in 1979 and its net earnings amounted to $250.7 million, Avon found itself heavily burdened with total long term debt of $816.4 million in 1988 decreasing net earnings of $159 million and just before divesting two of its health care businesses probably at considerable book losses. The decision of the company to finance its acquisitions with debt, starting from 1982, resulted to high interest expense payments every year (Exhibit 1). These high interest expense payments, combined with the decreasing net earnings made it very difficult for Avon to meet successfully its generous dividend payment policy. So the company had to reduce its yearly dividend  payments starting from 1982 and onwards. Under its financial condition in 1988 Avon has no other choice but to go for further reductions in dividends. That way the company will be able to meet its heavy debt obligations and at the same time finance the â€Å"come back† to its core beauty products business. PURPOSE OF THE EXCHANGE OFFERThe purpose of the exchange offer was to avoid having a dividend reduction drive down the stock price and find the â€Å"golden mean† between its own interests and the interests of its 25 large Institutional shareholders. Those shareholders owned 46.5 % of total Avon’s outstanding shares (Exhibit 5) and expected high dividends from them. Some investors, as it is mentioned in the case, have stated that they held Avon stock because it paid high dividends. Hence, a reduction of dividends would most likely have caused investors to sell their stocks and evoke share price delay. Therefore, Morgan Stanley, the financial adviser of Avon offered to exchange one share of a new $2.00 PERCS for each of up to $18 million of Avon’s 7.17 million outstanding common shares. PERCS are mandatory convertibles that work as equity-linked hybrid securities and automatically convert to common stock on a pre-specified date (Yan, A. et al, 2003). The PERCS assured the same dividends ($2.00 a year) until September 1991. The company would also have an option of redeeming the preferred shares for either cash or common shares after that date. In addition, the exchange offer was made in order to support the following four key elements that Avon should have taken into consideration (Ross, S.A., et al 2008):†¢Select Additional capital budgeting projects. Through the capital savings Avon will be able to finance additional projects with positive NPV. †¢Available funds for further acquisitions. To avoid the payment of dividends Avon might use excess cash to acquire another company. With this method the company will be able to support more efficiently its turnaround strategy towards the beauty business. †¢Repurchase shares. Avon will be able to support its market price which has reached the lowest level of approximately $24 by repurchasing shares. At the same time shareholders benefit from the fact that when selling shares they pay lower taxes than when they receive dividends. †¢Personal taxes. Money earned from dividends is considered as personal income so it is taxed. EVALUATION OF THE TRADE-OFFEach decision to go for either the new preferred stock or to keep the common stock has pros and cons. The new PERCS should be appealing to the majority of its institutional investors, since they guarantee to them a stable and relatively high enough quarterly dividend of 50 cents, which is always paid before any other common dividend payment. In this way its large institutional investors can feel certain that they will have a secured return on their investment, without incurring any transaction costs when selling off shares for current consumption. The holders of the new PERCS can also share the benefits of a stock price increase up to $31.5 but also the losses in case of a stock price drop. The great opportunity that the holders of the new PERCS are loosing is in case Avon stock price goes beyond $31.5. Its stock is currently undervalued to approximately $24 and there is a high probability that within the predetermined 3 years its stock price will increase beyond the price of $31.5, as Avon is undergoing a restructuring towards its core beauty care business and the market is expected to react positively to that news. If that will be the case, then they will loose any excess gains incurred beyond the $31.5 stock price. Being a common shareholder, an institutional investor experiences losses in revenues because of the dividend reduction. What is extremely important though is that this implies a policy of retaining earnings to help finance the business, which is currently being restructured. So having a long term perspective an institutional investor can select common stocks and bet on a stock price increase far beyond $31.5. If that will be the case then he will certainly outperform any losses he has experienced so far because of the dividend reduction. In addition, based on Exhibit 5 we can distinguish four types of institutional investors depending on their preferences:†¢Yield. In this case the institutional investors have as a primary objective, the amount of dividends they will receive divided by the purchase price. This is not an accurate measure of total return, since it does not factor in capital gains. (http://www.investorwords.com/5362/yield.html)†¢Turnaround. A speculator may profit from a turnaround if he or she accurately anticipates the improvement of a poorly performing company. (http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/turnaround)†¢Mixed. An investor with a combination of yield and turnaround incentives. †¢Index. Investors trading index options are essentially betting on the overall movement of the stock market as represented by a basket of stocks. These investors are considered to care a lot about acquiring stocks that help them diversify the risk of their overall portfolio (http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Index+Option). Concluding we assume that according to investors’ preferences we would have a different selection. The yield investor will probably prefer the PERCS, the turnaround investor would keep its common stocks, the mixed would consider both options and finally the index investor will first look at its entire portfolio and decide to keep the stock or not irrespective of the benefits that PERCS or common stock offer as he mainly cares for risk diversification. REFERENCES †¢Ross, S.A., Westerfield, R.W., Jaffe, J., Jordan, B.D. â€Å"Modern Financial Management†. McGraw-Hill, Eighth Edition, (2008)†¢R.A. Brealey and S.C. Myers, â€Å"Principles of Corporate Finance†, McGraw-Hill, Seventh Edition, (2003). †¢Yan, A., Nandy, D., and Chemmanur, T. â€Å"Why issue mandatory convertibles? Theory and empirical evidence, February (2003) Retrieved on 18.3.2008 (http://ideas.repec.org/p/ecm/nawm04/456.html)†¢http://www.investorwords.com/5362/yield.html. 18/3/2008. †¢http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/turnaround 18/3/2008. †¢http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Index+Option 18/3/2008.

Han and Roman Attitudes Toward Technology Essay

Technology is an important aspect in all civilizations, and depending on the point of view looked at the opinions vary greatly. Especially when comparing opinions of lower class and upper class people, or gender. During the early first centuries of the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire there were a lot of mixed feelings toward technology. Depending on whose opinion you heard the answer would vary between negative and positive outlooks. Most opinions seemed to have been based off of the following categories, practicality, citizen’s use, and beauty. Opinions varied depending on the major concern of the point of view and the class they belonged to. When opinions were weighed on practicality their major concern was the efficiency of the technology and if it was easy to use. One Han government official wrote to local officials in the early second century (B. C. E) concerning flood prevention (doc. 1). His opinion was well educated because being of an upper class and being a government official meant he was well educated, and also his opinion was of a situation he witnessed and he had proof to support his thoughts. His opinion was unbiased and trustworthy because his concerns were not for himself but for all the people of the civilization. This is proven when he states more organization is needed in order to stay on top of issues that affect everyone of the dynasty. He felt technology was advanced enough to prevent flooding more efficiently but there needed to be a greater effort into establishing a greater number of water conservation offices in each district. Overall he did not believe that technology was lacking but the organization of the use of technology was. Huan Tan, an upper-class philosopher in about 20 C.  E also had an opinion weighing on practicality (doc. 3). Being a philosopher you can assume he was well educated and therefore his opinion is educated. Huan’s point of view was based on practicality because he had a positive opinion on technology due to the efficiency and usefulness of tools and the fast progression of it. He proves the technology is efficient by stating facts like that the pestle and the mortar were modified and were made capable of allowing the weight of the whole body to be used. Since Huan included these sorts of facts it shows he’s well educated in the area of technology. Overall Huan Tan had a very positive outlook on technology, feeling that it evolved at a steady pace. The source History of the Early Han Dynasty was a government sponsored source that comes from the period of about 200 C. E. (doc. 4). This opinion is clearly biased and untrustworthy because its government sponsored and therefore was written to support the government and make it look successful. This is proven when the governor of Nanyang, Tu Shui is made to look good by the statement that he improved technology because he loved his people so much he wanted to make life easy as possible for them. Although this point of view is untrustworthy it is still weighed on practicality due to the supposed concern of the efficiency and having technology be beneficial without having to do much work. The last opinion formed by practicality was one of a Seneca upper –classman philosopher and adviser to Emperor Nero (doc. 7). This point of view again is someone of a higher class with more money and therefore does not rely on technology as much as someone of a lower class. His opinion of technology was negative; he believed tools were invented by unintelligent men. His opinion was based off of practicality and was proven by his statement that recent inventions were not only inefficient but also were useless. He felt inventors no longer, no matter how intelligent, did not think outside the box and only tackled mild issues that were not of large concern. Overall he felt greater issues needed to be taken on by people of both intelligence and creativity. Other opinions seemed to have most concern with citizen’s use. When weighing on this, the point of view was most affected by the knowledge of who used the technology or the convenience of the access to the technology. A government official by the name if Huan Guan has a negative outlook on technology based off of citizen’s use (doc. 2). This perspective is from an educated upper class man who therefore does not do much manual labor. Foundry work and salt boiling were at one time allowed to be done by workers as long as they followed two conditions, they has to report they were doing so and they had to pay a tax. During the earlier time the tools that were used to do these jobs were made by families and were efficient and well-made. Later on the state forced citizens to only use the iron tools manufactured by them, which were nonfunctional. This is known as convict labor, and in doing so they also monopolized the salt and iron trades. This issue angered Huan Guan because this caused the salt and iron prices to rise and made it so lower class citizens could not afford to buy either. Huan felt technology was being weakened by the government and that making it more difficult for families to continue their businesses was not right. Another opinion based off of citizen’s use was one of a Cicero upper-class Roman political leader of the first century (B. C. E. ). This opinion comes from an upper class man who does not do any handy-work and therefore cannot state and accurate opinion on technology. He believed there was a fine line between the difference of a â€Å"gentleman† and a man. He felt certain jobs were degrading to men, such as manual labor or â€Å"handy work†. He states, â€Å"Vulgar and unbecoming to a gentleman are all the jobs hired workers take on†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (doc. 5). He feels the work they do is paid by the labor they do and not the skill of their work. In conclusion he doesn’t see any importance in the area of technology, also he doesn’t necessarily have a negative nor positive opinion he just doesn’t value it, h cares more about his status. The last source weighed on citizen’s use is one from Frontinus, a Roman general, governor of Britain and water commissioner for the city of Rome (doc. 8). His opinion is biased because he is governor of Britain and therefore feels his civilization is the most advanced and has the greatest technology because he is in charge of it. This is shown when he says that Roman technology exceeds any other including both the Egyptian’s and the Greeks. Frontinus feels that the works of those two civilizations are useless, he states, â€Å"Compare such numerous and indispensible structures carrying so much water with the idle pyramids, or the useless but famous works of the Greeks. † He feels only Roman technology has both the beauty aspect while still being efficient. He feels his technology is so successful because the aqueducts were so successful they made it possible for people of any class to have an abundance of water, which proves his opinion was based on citizen’s use. Lastly, some opinions were made by the beauty of technology. Very simply this is when the point of view is confirmed by the appearance rather than the efficiency or usefulness of the technology. Plutarch, a Greek-born Roman citizen and high official of the second century describes Gaius Gracchus a Roman political leader of the first century’s opinion on technology (doc. 6). This source is unreliable because it is not a primary source and therefore is not as reliable because the opinion could have been slightly altered by misinterpretation or on purpose. The major concern according to this source, of Gaius Gracchus was the appearance of everything and not the usefulness of it; he wanted everything to be pleasing to the eye. All roads were straight; both sides of bridges had to be â€Å"equal and parallel height with the result that the road for its entire course had a level and beautiful appearance. † (doc. 6). Overall the appearance was the greatest factor when it came to Gaius Gracchus. Again just as all the other documents the point of view belonged to an upper-class male, we have no opinions from a woman or someone of a lower class. Out of all the documents the point of view missing in order to truly decipher the overall attitudes towards Han and Roman technology is the opinion of a lower class person such as a peasant. All the documents come from the perspective of an upper-class male. Therefore the ultimate attitude toward the technology of Han and Rome cannot be determined. Each documents perspective varied depending on how they made their opinion, whether it was weighted on practicality, citizen’s use, or beauty.