Analysis & Discussion about gold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Analysis & Discussion about gold - Essay Example People value gold and perceive it to a sign of purity and success. It is a metal used for jewelry, as investments and also as monetary exchange. Gold jewelers are considered to be the most successful business as they deal in something that has only seen appreciation in value most of the time. The value of gold is quoted in financial news and it fluctuates on daily basis. The gold rates are quoted for price in dollars for gold bullion which is the raw form of the metal. All countries publish gold prices in their respective currency on daily basis. Analysts link the value to the international gold rates quoted in the global markets. The market generally shows an upward trend of the gold prices but its fluctuations are based on the demand and supply of the metal itself. The sudden surge in the gold price is attributed to the shortage of this metal as compared to its demand. But some analysts argue that gold hoarders have led to artificial price hike at times. Although international laws and regulations keep a check on the gold prices and monitor its trading in a prudent manner. Gold was used as reserve currency for many decades. The use of gold coins and issuance of money equivalent to the gold reserve has been a very common in the past. In the second half of the nineteenth century an international gold standard was established. â€Å"The gold standard was created by the free market, the citizenry, and it operates to manage the supply of paper currency under self adjusting market system.† (Lewis 103) The use of gold as a monetary exchange was abolished and replaced by fiat currencies in the 20th century. Before currencies were convertible into gold but the declining gold reserves and the increasing international trading required currency interchange and thus currencies were made legal tenders by the government and were used for transaction and reserve purposes. â€Å"The price of a thing at any moment is determined by the quantity of money which has to be given for it, but ‘the quantity of money’ is a magnitude, which is in part determined by the nature of the unit of account employed.† (Gregory 4) The price of currencies previously was linked with gold and the purchasing power of the currency would be maintained in terms of gold. The same amount of currency, irrespective o f its metallic weight, whether it is a coin or a note, would be convertible to the same amount of gold. Thus the purchasing power in terms of the value of gold would be same and this determined the value of currency as well as the gold prices. But the scarcity of gold mines and deposits around the world has lead government to remove the gold and currency purchasing power equation and has made the paper currency a legal tender for all the transactions. The same amount of currency will have the same purchasing power or not cannot be guaranteed in the fiat - legal tender currency system. The gold has now become a commodity of exchange rather than i ts previous function of maintaining currencies purchasing power. â€Å"In today’s government controlled fiat money system, gold has lost its monetary function. However, gold has remained a kind of ultimate means of payment, protecting investors against financial crises and inflation.† (Belke & Polleit 13) People buy gold jewels, gold bars and gold coins from the investment point of view. The investment options may differ for

Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source Assignment

Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source - Assignment Example The essay "Company Case Notes Payless Shoe Source" talks about the Payless Shoes on the fashion market. It was in 1995 that Payless Shoes made drastic changes in its marketing mix and pricing strategy. With fierce competition from Wal-Mart, Payless focused on collaborating with well known marketing developers and designers to target the young women. As the company launched branded shoes, it shifted from its previous EDLP (everyday low pricing) strategy to offer shoes at prices as high as $60, thus selling at higher prices than Wal-Mart and other low price stores. Psychological pricing is the strategy of taking advantage of customers’ emotional responses to products with different prices. It is a strategy adopted by most retailers who fix their product prices at odd amounts like $1.99. It gives the customers illusion that the price is closer to $1 whereas in reality it is as good as equal to $2. Since Payless has to sustain their market share within growing competition from gia nt retailers like Wal-Mart therefore it has increased their price by collaborating with branded shoes Aerosport, Airwalk, American Eagle, Dexter Comfort, and so on (â€Å"Payless: All Brands†). In order to refrain from shocking the customers with sudden increase of prices, the common tactics could have been the above mentioned psychological pricing strategy. However, Payless did not pay attention to this and did not implement any such strategies. Payless shoes targets the young women to sell stylish and fashionable shoes at affordable prices.

Philosophy take home final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philosophy take home final - Essay Example According to the law of nature, every action has an opposite reaction and an evil action done by a person is returned back to him with all its power and strength. A pain caused to others brings unhappiness to them and the same feeling is directed back to the pain giver. According to Kant the people who are unethical and immoralist does not have the right to be happy. According to Kant, happiness is a state where there is enjoyment in life and there is continuous contentment and satisfaction in one’s own existence. According to him a person can qualify to be happy if he has followed the universal law of goodwill. 2.How are fatalism, hard determinism, and predestination different ? Some may use these terms synonymously; however there are important distinctions for the philosopher. What are they? Fatalism is a doctrine where all the actions and events are subjugated to fate. Whereas, hard determinism is the stronger version of determinism where one person believes ardently in fre e will and give importance to cause and effect. Here the random elements of Universe are disregarded. On the other hand, predestination is a theological theory which asserts that all actions and events are happening according to the will of the God. ... For a philosopher fate is something already determined by our past action, hard determinism is the quality of a person and predestination is the act of God. Hence these three concepts cannot be related philosophically. 3.Major differences exist between Aristotelian and Kantian ethics. Discuss the views on morality of both these philosophers and highlight those areas that are constitute the main points of disagreement. Do some of the problems with Kant's categorical imperative which Solomon mentions strengthen the arguments of the relativists ? Morality is proper behavior and action by a person and Aristotle and Kant both have different thought about morality. According to Aristotle, the people who do actions with an aim to achieve goodness can be termed as a moralistic person. He believes that money, honor, wealth or pleasure cannot bring happiness to human kind. It is the combination of all brings happiness. According to him proper genuine virtue and hunger for spreading goodness an d welfare among men is the real morality. On the other hand, Kant believes that morality of a person is based on rationality. According to Kant, a man has a reasoning ability and he understands his duty which is to do good human kind. Hence one acting upon his duty and universal law of goodness is a moral person. Some main points of disagreement of Aristotle and Kant is that the former believes an action which is good and desirable itself is moralistic and latter describes morality in a universal perspective as which is categorically imperative to a human. Moreover Aristotle explains that good action gives the feel of happiness and this is morality while Kant believes that good will is good because it by nature itself is good and hence is morale. Solomon’s statement does

International Marketing Essay Example for Free

International Marketing Essay UK is one of the major centers for commerce and international business in the world. It is one country that has had to raise its economy through free trade and other business related portfolios. It later developed to principles of liberalization of international trade and investments in order for it to expand and grow especially in the 20th century. It has been able to attract large investments from multinational countries in order to meet the demand for the larger British population thereby minimizing unemployment rates. This paper will therefore examine the investment opportunities and challenges in UK (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006). Foreign investments Opportunities The UK has very many opportunities in terms of foreign investments. It is one of the fifth largest economies in the world and second in the European Union. The country’s capital, which is London, is considered a haven of investments especially in the financial sector. The country has a GDP of $ 2. 1 trillion and a GDP growth rate of 2 %. (2007 estimates). Most of the opportunities lie in the service sector (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Industries UK has very many industries that can be invested in by any foreign country and the major ones are; agriculture, telecommunications, manufacture, fishing and tourism. The UK is one of the leading countries in agricultural exports and this is the main driving force for its economy. (Bailey, 1999) International trade statistics Major exports The dollar value for most of the export trading has been improving due to increase in demand for exports going by recent statistics on total exports from the UK. The trend however has been found to be fluctuating and that it depends on other factors such as; political stability, foreign policies etc. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) The major exports the country has been undertaking are the agricultural produce; wheat, rice, maize and tea. In the manufacturing the sector, the country exports agricultural machinery such the tractors and its implements, food, tobacco, paper, printing, textiles, paper and publishing. In the service sector, the country has developed high-tech networks in the telecommunications industry. The leading company in this sector is Vodafone and it has also gone global in its service provision. Major imports The major imports that are imported to the country include automobiles, horticultural produce, tea, coffee, and oil. The dollar value for most of the imports is low as the demand for the products reduces in the country. The dollar value increases when oil products become scarce due to international demand. (Bailey, 1999) Balance of payments situation According to the Office of National statistics, the manufacturing industry accounted for approximately 19% of all the national output in UK last year and also made up to 16% of all the employment in the country. The British economy does not however depend entirely on this and it may decline in the next two to three decades. Other industries are coming up especially the service sectors with a view to balance payments situation in regard to treasury bills. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Exchange rates Exchange rates in the UK have been changing since the year 1999 and today, the exchange rates are way below the 0. 54 mark. This can be attributed to the changing events of the decade and globalization (Bailey, 1999). The following table shows the changing exchange rates-over the counter- for the Sterling pound, Euros and the dollars. Year ? /USD USD/? ?/EUR EUR/? 2005 ? 0. 5500 $1. 821 ? 0. 6842 â‚ ¬1. 463 2006 ? 0. 5426 $1. 859 ? 0. 6815 â‚ ¬1. 467 Source: Office for National Statistics, UK 2006 Trade restrictions 1. Embargoes Embargoes are political trade tools that are put by trading bodies or governments in order to support a justified peace process. Trade embargoes in the UK has been used to support either the EU or the UN in order to deny individuals the opportunity to use money from international trade in buying weapons of mass destruction. This will be used for the purpose of containing retrogressive countries the financial capability to use trading activities for insecurity purposes. Such countries which have been blacklisted by the UK include; Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Zimbabwe etc. (Neid, 1988) 2. Quotas Tradable quotas are policy instruments aimed at restraining trade of certain commodities in the UK. Limiting the production or importation of non-environmentally friendly automobiles can reduce taking for example greenhouse gases. The UK has been able to meet its environmental objective through the implementation of quotas systems. (Neid, 1988) 3. Import taxes Import taxes are designed to protect local industries from international competitors who may be financially stronger than them. This strategy has been utilized by the UK in order to protect vulnerable sectors of its economy. Although it allows importation of textiles, the country charges high import taxes on all unprocessed hides and skins to protect its local industries. (Lawrence, 2002) 4. Tariffs Trade tariffs are the main hindrance to trading between two countries. These trade tariffs depend with policies formulated by individual countries concerning how the countries wish to conduct its trading. The United Kingdom has however developed a smooth and business free environment for most countries in Africa, Asia and the U. S. this has made investment more conducive for many multinational firms. (Neid, 1988) 5. Licensing Licensing is one of the techniques used to promote international trading. The UK has been able to utilize licensing agreements with other international firms to boost its trading. The country has also been able to license many international firms to operate in the country as a means of encouraging investments. (Lawrence, 2002) 6. Custom duties Custom duties are one of the main sources misunderstandings between countries due to the fact that they favor the home-based industries. Custom duties are usually employed by the government top curb influx of external products into the country. The UK has been able to utilize this remedy effectively especially in sectors which the government feels threatened such as energy, education, transport and manufacturing. (Bailey, 1999) Extend of economic activity not included in cash income transactions The extent, to which other economic activities which does not include cash income transactions, is not wide and especially that the economy is entirely dependent on two core industries. I. e. service and manufacturing. The rest which may not involve cash transactions. (Neid, 1988) Counter trades The UK has used counter trade strategies to improve their international presence in almost all its sectors. Counter trades function effectively when the trading countries agree on issues such as import duties, taxes and tariffs (Bailey, 1999). Labour force The UK labor force currently stands at 31 million going by 2007 statistics. Majority of this labor force are concentrated in the private sector and some of them in the public sector. Most of the employees in sectors such as the health sector may have been imported to the country to serve as nurse this has been caused by the worldwide shortage of the same. The unemployment rates in UK currently stand at 5. 4 %( 2007 estimates) most of whom are fresh graduates and the poorly educated young men and women in the country. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Inflation rates The inflation rate for the UK as at 31st December, 2006, was 2. 3% and a poverty rate of 17 % by then. The inflation however, fluctuates depending on the economic situation of the country (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Developments in science and technology UK is one of the European counties which have invested heavily on innovation and technology. Almost all sectors of its economy are coping up with changes in technology. The country is using technology as means of out-competing its competitors in the manufacturing and service sectors. That is why most firms in the country are investing in research and development. The government has been able to utilize 5. 4 % of the GNP on RD in the last fiscal year ending March 31, 2007. The technological skills of the current labor force in the UK can be rated good depending on which sector one is referring to. With reasonable levels of literacy (79% at the moment), the country’s population can improve. (Office for National Statistics, UK 2006) Conclusion There is a team of science and technology promoters under the department of UK Trade and Investment whose role is to help firms realize their international potential through partnership support and knowledge transfer. It mainly enhances competitiveness of companies trading in the UK and also those involved in international trade. The UK has been able to attract high quality foreign direct investments through this department which offers guidance and direction including available opportunities and marketing. References Bailey, M.(1999): Exchange rate trends and trade performance; Waldwick Archive, Vol 12 Ferguson, N (2004): Empire, The rise and demise of the British world order and the lessons for global investments. Basic Books, Oxford, p 90 Lawrence H. (2002): Exchange rate between the United States dollar and forty other countries and its effects on investment, Macmillan, Washington. P 34-40 Neid H. (1988): Multinational investment strategies in British Isles, Routlegde, UK. P 122-131 Office for National Statistics (UK 2006): The Official Yearbook of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. P 45-57

Project Planning And Challenges Facing Planners Construction Essay

Project Planning And Challenges Facing Planners Construction Essay This chapter will review the literature which has been used for this dissertation. A number of important aspects will be covered, including an overview of Construction Planning as well as determining what challenges are faced on a daily basis by construction planners. This chapter will also review research relating to Planning techniques used and software packages available within the Construction industry. 2.2 Construction Project Planning Project Management can be seen as the application of tools and techniques utilised to guide the use of resources towards achieving an intricate task within the constraints of time, cost and quality. From conception to completion, a mixture of these tools techniques is necessary to fit the task environment and project life cycle. (Oisen 1970). The British Standard for project management (BS6079 1996) defined project management as, The planning, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved in it to achieve the project objectives on time and to the specified cost, quality and performance. The UK association of Project Management (APM) have produced a UK body of knowledge UK (BoK) which also provides a definition for project management as The planning, organisation, monitoring and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all involved to achieve the project objectives safely and within agreed time, cost and performance criteria. The project manager is the single point of responsibility for achieving this. Project Management as we know today has evolved in order to plan, coordinate and control the complex and diverse activities of modern industrial, commercial and management change projects. (Lock 2007) To allow for effective planning and control of projects, a requirement for systematic and logical methods should be applied along with proven techniques, thus ensuring a successful project outcome for all concerned parties, particularly the client. Without planning it is difficult to envisage the successful conclusion of any project or the effective control of time, money or resources. Planning is also essential in order to deal with construction risks and devise safe working methods. (Cooke 2008) Project Planning is defined as the establishment of a set of directions in sufficient detail to tell the project team exactly what must be done, when it must be done and what resources to use in order to produce the deliverables of the project successfully. (Zwikael 2008). Construction planning is an essential and challenging activity in the management and implementation of construction projects. It occupies the choice of technology, the description of work tasks, the estimation of the necessary resources and durations for individual tasks, and the identification of any interactions among the different work tasks. Hendrickson (1998) believes a good construction plan is the basis for developing the budget and the schedule for work. It is therefore common to adopt a conspicuous importance on either cost control or on schedule control as illustrated in Figure 2.1. Fig 2.1 (Hendrickson. 1998) Walker (2007) considers that by having a project schedule to work to and sticking to it, you will well be on your way to delivering successful projects. This would be dependant on effective communication and efficiency at all stages of the project and with an aim to reducing risk, time and cost. 2.3 The Construction Planner Construction project planning is receiving growing attention as the limitations of formal deterministic planning are becoming more widely recognised. (Winch, Kelsey 2004). There is growing concern over the failure of construction planning to achieve its goals in spite of the considerable resources allocated to it. Deficient planning techniques are commonly blamed for this state. (Laufer, Tucker, 1987) There has been considerable debate over the last decade or so on the effectiveness of construction project planning. However, there is remarkably little research into what construction project planners actually do. Laufer and Tucker provide a critique of construction planning. They protest that:- the planning and evaluation of planning processes are non-existent there is over-emphasis on critical path methods planners lack construction experience planners have poor information gathering methods planning is control-oriented instead of action-oriented Plans are been poorly presented with overly-complex information. In a subsequent paper (1994) Laufer and his colleagues look at the definition and allocation of planning work. They found that there was no clear system at work and planning was done in a multiplicity of ways. They call for the process to be properly co-ordinated by a single individual who will own the planning process and improve communication. Winch and Kelsey (2005) believe the specialist planner has the time to do the work but incomplete practical knowledge. The line manager has the practical knowledge but does not have the quality time to carry out the task. The specialist planner has better strategic decision-making skills than the short-term decision-making focus of the line manager. They then go on to say Line managers see the delegation of key decision-making to another as a threat to their position. These problems are confirmed in Laufer (1992) wider project management study and can result in: The planner preparing a plan which has incomplete information and in-adequate decision making authority. The line manager treating such plans as merely an irrelevant forecast prepared by another. Allen Smallwood (2008) believe Construction planners and the role they perform are little understood both within the construction industry and the wider environment where construction has a daily impact. Planning occupies a central position in the functions of the manager. His responsibilities may vary with organisational philosophy and contingency but planning invariably remains an essential ingredient of his duties. (Steiner, 1979). Much Research and Development effort has been made during the last three decades but progress with techniques has not removed the dissatisfaction with the application and results of construction planning (Choudhury 1981, Mason 1984, Morton 1983). Effective construction planning demands that it is carried out by competent and experienced personnel. While the estimator must remain in charge or pricing the work, most contracts, today, are too complex for the estimator to handle the technical content of pre-tender appraisal. It is here that the construction planner has a major function. 2.4 Planning Techniques Most planning techniques aim to express the work to be done, to a time-scale; some also include resources, and perhaps cost and value. In simple terms, they intend to help control time and cost. The other major factor in project control, quality, is controlled by its own family of control techniques; and quality is related to time and cost through the skill and judgement of the project management team. Neale (1989) believes the major components of planning techniques are: Activities: literally, being busy, expending energy, consuming resources, taking time; in construction planning, this means a job to be done; for example preparing a drawing, an order to be places, a hole to be dug, bricks to be laid in a wall, a flow of water to be diverted. Activity durations: the time required for the completion of each activity Project time-scale: the time structure of the project; it is usual to give each week in the project a number (this makes calculation easier), and these then have to be related to calendar dates, holidays, etc. Event: an occurrence at a specific point in time; for example, the granting of planning consent, of the start or end of a traffic diversion. Work method: the plan must be expressed in some logical way, indicating the sequence of operations, and which activities and events are interrelated; this may be implicit (as with bar charts) or exlicit (in network analysis, where work method is usually called logic.) Resources: often called the four Ms (men, machines, materials and money) but can include overheads (for example, site accommodation), and even such essentials as managerial skill. Costs: what the work has or will cost, often derived directly from the unit costs of the individual resources. Value: what has or can be earned by payment for work done derived from the bill of quantities, the estimate or an internal budget. The calculation of value-to-date can be used as an overall measure of project progress. The following four techniques are often used in construction planning; Bar charts, Network analysis, Line-of-balance Linear programmes. 2.4.1 The bar chart/ Gantt Chart Drafting of a bar chart is popular because it produces results which are easy to understand and not too searching of the planner. Its use is limited to planning straightforward work with simple relationships between the activities. This graphical technique still forms the foundation for most resource scheduling. Its major drawback is that even minor deviations from it require extensive redrafting as a result making it more difficult to having to hand a contemporaneous bar chart that is a reliable indicator of future events. The main features of the bar chart are as follows: The activities are listed on the vertical axis Time is shown on the horizontal axis. This may be an appropriate time unit, such as months or days. Each bar is divided horizontally into two, with the top half representing when the activity is planned to take place, and the bottom shared in, as proportions of the activity are completed. A vertical movable marker line indicates the current time, thus enabling the observer to note if any activities are behind programme, and to what extent. Refer to Figure 2.2 for additional information. Figure 2.2 Typical bar chart The format of the bar chart presumes that the end user (client) can involve the same judgment that was in the mind of the planner when he was compiling it. In highly repetitive or simple work it can be implied that the users will better understand the thought process of the planner. However as project complexity increases the users ability to monitor the project in relation to the programme is reduced unless it is understood: What work is important to progress? Of the activities currently behind programme what, if any, effect do they have on overall progress? On the contrary, if most of the actual work is ahead of programme, does this mean that the current prediction is that the project will be complete in advance of the targeted completion date? The answer is definitely not an automatic yes. To provide an informed response, an understanding of the relationships between programme activities is crucial. Neale (1989) consider these deceivingly simple questions contradict issues which are at the heart of many construction disputes, namely considerations for extension of time. 2.4.2 Network Analysis Unlike a bar chart, activities are not shown on an axis of time. What the network portrays is the logical relationship between activities. Network analysis is a powerful, logical and analytical technique. It is most effective when used for complicated projects, especially those with external constraints and complex interrelationships. The technique is based on drawing the logical relationships between construction operations, and from an analysis of the relative durations, establishing which operations have the most crucial effect on the project duration. It can be drawn in a number of ways, the most well-known in the UK being the arrow diagram. Figure 2.3 Network diagram The technique is sometimes known as the critical path method (CPM), and critical path analysis (CPA). A version which incorporates a statistical method for calculating the probability that a project will be completed on a specific date is called the programme evaluation and review technique. (PERT) The identification of a critical path focuses the attention of the individuals managing the project and highlights to clients and their advisors the tasks that require to be particularly well managed with regard to time. The duration of critical path represents the shortest duration in which the project can be completed. Delays to activities on the critical path transmit directly through to extend the project completion date. This provides advanced warning of the pending delay to completion and enables the contractor (or employer) to invoke recovery action at a useful point in time rather than waiting until it is manifestly obvious that the completion date is threatened. If the employer or his Architect/Engineer (A/E) instructs additional work which affects the activities on the critical path then the contractor has grounds for a claim for an extension of time. The term critical path is widely used in the construction industry; what is not fully appreciated is how easily the critical path can change. Figure 2.4 Network diagram showing critical path Network analysis has a good and inclusive logical basis, lends itself easily to computer processing, and can be used as an effective control tool. These exceptional characteristics are also known to be its principal weakness as it is easier for the planner to be drawn into a level of planning and analysis that is much to detailed and advanced for most construction projects. 2.4.3 Line of Balance Line of balance is a specialised technique used for repetitive work. It derived from the manufacturing industry and has been found to be effective in planning work truly repetitive. Examples of success applications include planning the construction of identical floors in high rise construction, and large housing developments. Line of balance has been found to be difficult to use on projects which have a high demand for trades or operations to construct each identical unit. The problems arise not from the technique itself, but from the difficult of showing all the information on one chart, particularly when using the technique to monitor progress. When used to plan, it can be an excellent means of relating resources, activity durations and the general pace of work on site. Neale (1989). Illingworth (1993) considers the line of balance approach has largely fallen out of use in todays industry due to the fact it was designed primarily for housing and did not readily provide clear visual appreciation of the situation at a glance. Figure 2.5 -Typical line of balance diagram 2.4.4 Linear Programme (or time-chainage chart) Linear programming is a specialised technique for linear work. This is a basic tool of UK road contractors. Other successful applications include the construction of a large canal in a developing country, and it is especially useful in tunnelling. Illingworth (1993). Similar to line of balance, this is a simple two- dimensional graphical technique and can show clearly only a limited amount of information and limited degree of complexity. Figure 2.6 Linear Programme (Neale 1989) 2.5 Which technique? The experienced planner in construction needs to be aware of the techniques available, together with the value of each, both in the planning analysis role and how then can be applied to give effective control and communication to management on site. Illingworth (1993). Like any other professional, the planner has to select the right tool for the job. To make the correct decision, it is therefore a requirement to examine what is wanted in a particular situation programme. Illingworth (1993) believes the main points of this choice are as follows: Does the method aid initial analysis of the situation and especially in establishing the best sequence of events? Are deficiencies in progress shown up as the work proceeds? Can visiting management obtain and immediate view of the contract situation on arrival on site? With the preponderance of subcontractors on site today, does the programme method give assistance in cash flow control? According to Illingworth, from these questions it is unlikely to be the answer to all desires. Therefore it is said to be better to consider the situation in two stages tender planning on the one hand and the operational planning after the contract has been won, on the other. 2.6 Planning Practice In order to explore further the reality of construction project planning semi-structured interviews were conducted between July and December 2000 with 18 experienced planners from five leading UK construction firms. Most of the planners interviewed were currently involved in planning at the tender stage including assembly and presentation of the tender documentation. About half of those were also involved at the tender/ pre-construction stage. Only a few were further involved during the site works. (Refer to figure 2.7). Generally, although a number of the interviewed planners had on-site experience the typical pattern is that a planner works either at the pre-tender, pre-execution stages or on site but not simultaneously. The exceptions tend to be where planners work for some time on a single large project. In such cases it may make sense (from the employers point of view) for their work to carry on to the execution stage. Figure 2.7 Planning Practice, G.M Winch and J.Kelsey 2.7 Programming Considerations at the Tender Stage Upon receipt of tender documentation, the contractor will appoint human resources tasked with compiling a tender submission based upon the tender enquiry. One of the main individual in this team is the person accountable for producing the tender programme, the construction planner. Whether or not the contractual terms require a programme to be produced or not should be irrelevant at this stage. The tender programme is an important document produced by the contractor which is used for measuring many risk and cost related issues. In particular, the assessment of cost of the contractors time related preliminary items as drawn off the content of the tender programme. For example, the anticipated on site durations for different members of staff, periods of scaffold hire and duration for site accommodation are items that cannot be priced by the estimator without reference to the tender programme. When compiling the tender programme, the construction planner must incorporate the information supplied with the enquiry noting any specified constraints contained in either the contract bills, specification or drawings. Conflict between documents often exists and a view had to be taken on how to proceed. Clarification may be sought from the employer or his agents, assumptions made and stated along with the submission or the conflict may be ignored and the information that best suits the contractor is assumed without qualification or statement. It is accepted in the industry that many bids are won or lost on the programme duration alone. This happens frequently where a bill of quantities is being priced and the experienced contractors tend towards similar prime cost for similar items. On completion of reviewing tender documents, drawings, specification and bills, which may be typically done over a period of one or two weeks, the construction planner will establish the work scope which will be addressed in the creation of a tender programme. The main objective is to be aware of the specified period for construction. Additional to the completed programme should be a schedule of resources which corresponds with the programme and a series of method statements signifying construction techniques and equipment to be employed in carrying out the work. 2.8 Programming on Site When the contract is won, the site planning is equally important. It is usually at this point that the site manager will have his first chance to examine the methods on which the job was priced. What is important to recognise, at this point, is that planning must be seen as an addition to management. Thus the site manager must have the right to question the planning methods on which the contract was priced. To do so, site managers require the technical expertise to assess what has been put forward. In so doing, the manager concerned must, for his part, accept that if he wants to change the method from that in the priced tender, he must demonstrate that his alternative is obviously cheaper, or at least as cheap, as that priced in the tender submission. When final agreement has been reached, the planning function can be established on site and develop the final method to be adopted. This, in turn, will lead to the contract master programme and such subsidiary programmes as may be necessary. On completion of all methods being confirmed the construction planner continues to have a significant role on site. First, in developing control and short-term programmes for all organisations contributing to the contract under the main or managing contractor. Second, the construction planners cherished knowledge of how the work was originally planned makes him uniquely placed to examine the potential consequences of alterations to what has to be built. In this area he is a valuable source of information to the site quantity surveyor when assessing where possible contractural claims may arise. Today, with the ever increasing use of trade sub-contractors as well as specialist service contractors, the experienced construction planner has the option of either seeing the role as satisfying its own right, or as an essential ingredient of experience for becoming a successful site manager. Illingworth (1993). 2.9 Purpose of a Programme The values applicable to the mechanics of construction planning are similar whether you are a main contractor submitting a quotation to an employer, a sub-contractor quoting to the main contractor, or even a construction manager providing programme assist to an employer. Common principles apply when compiling a construction programme, that of methodical analysis. The contractors construction programme is an important common reference. It shows how the planner they have interpreted the contract documents and other information from which the statement of intent for construction is issued. As the key programme for the construction work, its content is of the utmost significance to all parties charged with handing over to the employer a building fit for purpose within the contract time stated. A well prepared programme is vital to every construction project. Many activities have to be cautiously defined and given a time scale, and it necessary not only to assemble and list the information but also to display it visually in terms of the contracts objectives and the calendar. The working sequences and the relationships between individual activities must be clearly conveyed in this visual presentation. The Chartered Institute of Building (2001). They consider the construction programme to be a statement of intended actions, which when properly used provides management with its plan of campaign. It should communicate with ease, providing the common reference for the timing of all activities related to the project. 2.10 Construction Planning Software An expert planner faced with the task of producing and analysing a network for a project containing only few activities will undoubtedly produce the fastest results by drawing a freehand arrow diagram and analysing it mentally. Lock (2007). He believes it is likely to take longer when using a computer because of the formalities needed to set up the new project files in the system and enter the data. David Arditi and Ann Rackas compiled a short report in May of 1986 with an aim in ascertaining the need for computer software to assist is construction planning and scheduling. This report concluded, the individual needs of a given construction company are the primary reasons for choosing a particular software package. For example, one of the participating general contractors basic requirements was to have a 40-character activity description field: a particularly individual need. They continued to suggest if a program is to survive the inevitable shakeout that occurs after the initial development and interest have peaked; it must offer the features and capacities that are required by the user. In addition, every effort should be made to make computers less mysterious and confusing as they will be dealing with the construction market. Today there are many planning software packages available to the construction industry. Asta Powerproject, Microsoft Project, Primavera, PERT Master to name a few. Each package is commonly suited to the individual needs of the planner. Some programs present a blank Gantt chart on the screen as soon as they are booted up, and it is apparent to the user that task data can be typed in immediately. Most programs allow the user/ planner to establish project durations, critical path network, allocate resources, assign costs to tasks and monitor progress throughout the project. As a result, most construction planning professionals use such packages daily. 2.11 Construction Planning Challenges Lock (2007) considers anyone planning a project of significant size will soon find out that there are a number of factors, both inside and outside the project organisation that can have an effect on the planners intentions. These are as follows: 2.11.1 External Factors Figure 2.8 External Factors (Lock, 2007) All projects are subject to risk, many of which can have an enormous impact on plans. Lock (2007) deems the following are just four from the long catalogue of happenings that can be categorised as Acts of God: An earthquake devastates a project organisations headquarters. A hurricane and flood put a project site under a metre of water and delay the start or ruin the work in progress. An influenza epidemic puts half the project workforce out of action. (Swine flu outbreak 2008 recorded thousands of people off work for over 5 days.) The project manager (a keen golfer) is struck by lightning. The national government can play an important part on the smooth running of a project. E.g. the project could be government-funded and is cancelled or abandoned through a political decision. Lock (2007) also considers less immediate concerns which are the wider and longer-term economic consequences of government policy leading to downscaling of projects, delays and cancellations in all sectors of industry. Decisions made outside the project team can also have an affect on many characteristics of planning. E.g. a decision is made at directorate level to carry out a project in a different company within the group from that initially anticipated or a strategic decision is made to cut short all new staff recruitment resulting in a lower number of available resources formerly expected to be available for projects. 2.11.2 Working Factors Figure 2.9 Working Factors Lock (2007) These are items which are likely to affect the project team on a daily basis. Examples include availability of resources, materials etc. People are believed to be a construction organisations greatest resource. Construction operations depend on the knowledge and skills of people planning and executing the work. Muir (2005.) Research has been carried out to reveal that the construction industry is typically viewed as being one of the least attractive industries in which to work. Safety plays an important part in the running of a project. Construction by nature is unsurprisingly dangerous with a high degree of hazard and risk. The Health Safety Executive believe each year: Over 1 million injuries and 2.3 million cases of ill-health are experienced by workers; Around 40 million working days are to lost; and Over 25000 individuals are forced to give up work because of injury or ill health. These cost British employers on average  £3.3 to  £6.5 billion each year. Most organisations are oblivious of these figures and are often astonished to find out what the actual costs are. Recent HSE Examples (2009) An injury to a worker using an unguarded drill cost a small engineering company  £45,000. And that was not all. The managing director was prosecuted from which two employees had to be made redundant to keep the company afloat. At the other end of the scale the Piper Alpha explosion killed 167 people and incurred estimated costs of over  £2 billion. Accidents in construction can account for 3 6 % of total project costs. 2.11.3 Contribution of effective Planning Figure 2.10 Contributors of effective Planning (Lock, 2007). Effective Planning and scheduling influences the results of a project as is promotes well-organised working. Personnel who are not trying continually to overcome crises caused by bad planning can dedicate more time to achieving high quality standards. A well-planned project stands more chance of being completed on time and on budget. 3.0 Methodology Based on the findings in Chapter Two, a questionnaire was compiled aimed towards Construction Planners, Project Managers and other Construction Professionals. The questionnaire was developed in order to reach a significant conclusion on what is happening in the industry today, confirming what challenges are faced on a day to day basis and what can be done for improvement. The author contacted various professionals in the industry whom were contacted via Chartered Institute of Building website in order to get a mixed response. A letter was sent to each individual asking if they could spare time to answer 20 questions which were related to the research. The letter can be found in appendix. In addition, an online link to the questionnaire was sent to over 40 professionals in the industry, from which over 23 people took the time to fill it in. All results can be found in Chapter 4. 3.1 Introduction The aim of this study is to analyse current planning techniques used within the construction industry and determine what influence the construction programme has in terms of project success. In order to achieve this aim, sufficient research has to be carried out. Research design is an action plan for getting from here to there, where here may be defined as the initial set of questions to be answered, and there is some set of conclusion (answers) about these questions. (Naoum 2007.) Between here and there may be a found number of major steps, including the collection of analysis of relevant data. (Yin 1994.) Developing a successful strategy was an important step towards the collection of key research information. 3.2 Research Strategy Research is the systematic and rigorous process of enquiry which aims to describe phenomena and to develop and test explanatory concepts and theories. Ultimately it aims to contribute to a scientific body of knowledge. (Bowling 2009.) There are two types of research strategies, namely, quantitative research and qualitative research. Deciding on which type of researc

Handling The Great Depression :: essays research papers

Handling the Great Depression Hoover and Roosevelt had very different ideas on how the Depression should be handled. This was almost entirely a result of two important differences in their schemas; Hoover was a Republican and considered conservative, and had basically worked his way through life, while Roosevelt was not only a Democrat, he had basically been born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. Roosevelt was considered a liberal. As one can easily see, in many ways these two are complete opposites; in fact, if one looks at both their upbringing and their political affiliation, it seems that Roosevelt's and Hoover's policies must have been different in a great many ways. Hoover was brought up in a poor family, and worked almost his entire life. When he was eight years old, his parents died so he went to live with his uncle. His uncle worked with him, and later became rich. Hoover had endured a great many hardships in his life, and knew what it was like to do without. In fact, Hoover was very poor as a child, although not necessarily living in poverty. This effect on his schema would be rather interesting, as it seems that he should have had a better understanding of how to handle problems with the poor than Roosevelt. As Hoover was born poor, one would think that he would know how to run the country like a business, so that it would stay afloat; however, when confronted with the Depression, he repeatedly cut taxes. Hoover was basically a hard working Republican, the quintessential self made man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roosevelt, on the other hand, had been born into a very rich family; He grew up with education at Harvard, had his own pony and sailboat, and had everything basically taken care of for him in his childhood by his mother. This gave him a sense of security, of being able to do anything he wanted, most simply because he didn't fail early on. He had never lived through what the American public was going through, so his view of the world, his schema, did not necessarily include what it was like to live in poverty. He believed that the Depression could be solved merely by putting as many people to work for the government as possible. This could relate to how, growing up, he himself did not have to work in any way, shape, or form.

Geography Coursework Keswick

General aim: To find whether Keswick is a honeypot site. Specific Hypotheses: To test the general aim to prove that Keswick is a honey pot site, we will investigate 3 specific hypotheses: 1. Keswick town centre caters mainly for its tourists in its land use. 2. Keswick demonstrates some of the key problems associated with honeypot sites. 3. Keswick attracts a high proportion of non-local visitors. What is a honeypot site? A honeypot site is a site where there is attractive scenery or historical interest, and tourists visit in large numbers. Honeypot sites are areas which attract many tourists. They are so called because tourists flock to these places like ‘bees around honey'. Problems with a honeypot site The large number of tourist causes many problems in and around Keswick. These problems include – * Litter and pollution * Noise pollution * Vandalism * Traffic Congestion – This is a problem in the village to both locals and visitors. There is a large car park, with space for coaches, and public toilets but as peak times the parking provision is not enough and the congestion spoils the character of the village and affects its enjoyment by all. You can read also Classifications of Restaurants * Footpath erosion resulting from overuse. This is particularly the case around popular natural attractions. * Conflict with other landusers e.g. farmers and walkers How are these problems are being tackled? Footpath erosion – Improvements such as surfacing paths in local stone or re-routing certain paths have been undertaken to reduce the impact of erosion. An increasing number of litter bins have been provided throughout the village. What benefits are created by Tourism in the area? Social Benefits: * Jobs are created * Crime reduces due to higher levels of employment Economic Benefits: * Jobs are created. Therefore people have more money to spend on local goods and services. * Multiplier effect – by creating a factory and providing new jobs, the local economy grows by more than the original cash injection What is a National park? * National parks provide for tourists facilities * They encourage tree planting * They give advice to land uses * They arrange talks and guided walks * They mark out footpaths for you to walk along * They buy land to protect its character * They monitor and clean pollution * They provide on information service * They encourage suitable developments * The refuse permission for unsuitable buildings * The lake district is the largest National park in England * It is 885 square miles in size * There is 11 National parks in England * There are 1800 rules for footpaths in the countryside Introduction to Keswick Tourism is the world's largest industry, with annual revenue of almost $500 billion. And it is growing fast, with airline arrivals expected to double by 2010. In 1950 25 million international arrivals were recorded worldwide a figure which has risen to 500 million by 1996. Leisure is estimated to account for 75 per cent of all international travel. The World Tourism Organisation estimated there were 694 million international tourist arrivals in 2003, a drop of 1.2 per cent (attributed to the problems of the Iraq conflict, SARS and a generally weak world economy). Arrivals have picked up in 2004, and they are expected to reach 1.6 billion by 2020. Domestic tourism (people going on holiday in their own country) is generally thought to be 4-5 times greater than international arrivals. Globally, tourism accounts for roughly 35 per cent of exports of services and over 8 per cent of exports of goods. Tourism is now the world's largest employer. In 2001, the International Labour Organisation estimated that globally over 207 million jobs were directly or indirectly employed in tourism. In the UK alone, 10% of total employment is in the tourism sector. People who have employment within the UK usually earn a high salary compared to the rest of the world and people consider that they must strike a work/life balance and hence spend more time on holidays. The UK has seen a greater increase in car ownership since the 1950's when in 1951 only 1 in 20 families's had a car, by 1996 this figure had risen to 71% of all UK families owned at least 1 vehicle and by 2005 this figure has risen with many families owning 2 vehicles. The increase in car ownership obviously goes hand in hand with an improvement in the transport system of the UK which since the 1950's has seen improvements in roads especially motorways and urban by-passes have resulted in driving times between places reduced and encourage people to travel more frequently and greater distances. Keswick has excellent an excellent road system and is easy to reach being just 20 minutes along the A66 trunk road from junction 40 of the M6 motorway. As mentioned above a major factor for the increase in tourism in the Keswick area has been a change in lifestyle compared to the 1950's, people are retiring early and living longer and are able to take advantage of their greater fitness, also many people due to retiring early and greater disposable income has seen an increase in people buying 2nd homes in the Keswick area. There has been an increase in active holidays compared to the 1950's with a lot more people involved in water sports and fell running etc which the Keswick area offers a wide choice of such activities. Since the 1950's now almost everybody has a television and many have access to the internet, there is a greater ability to access information about holiday and tourism in general and the tourism industry use all means of advertising. There has been an increase in Green tourism or sustainable tourism which the Lake District and Keswick are a prime example where tourism is needed to benefit the local economy and the environment with people visiting the area and not spoiling the natural beauty of the area. With the increase in tourism since the 1950's there have been several areas described as Honey pot Sites In geography, a honey pot is a particularly popular attraction within a managed tourist area, such as a national park. Honey pot sites are often encouraged because they concentrate the damage caused by tourists on small sites, making conservation easier in other parts of the managed area. The problem is how to preserve the honey pots natural beauty and their unspoilt quality while providing facilities for the hordes of people who arrive at peak summer periods. The main problem with Honey pot sites is too many tourists overcrowding small places. Due to the fact that footpaths are been overused, they get eroded casing the council to pay out a large sum of money to repair these paths. There is a high level of litter, vandalism and trespassing on Honey pot sites which causes discomfort and trouble to those who live there this has sparked off a conflict between local farmers and tourists which has caused, restricting tourists access to footpaths, bridleways and separating activities, e.g. Water Skiing and Angling. Also roads have been congested by heavy Lorries, local traffic and tourist traffic which has caused scenic routes separating local and tourist traffic. A National Park is an area of great natural beauty can be preserved and enhanced, and so that enjoyment of the scenery by the public can be promoted. There are12 National parks in England these 11 parks contain some of the most diverse and spectacular upland and a variety of scenery which in turn provides a wide range of recreational activities. All the parks provide basic opportunities for walking, riding, fishing and water sports. These parks are within easy reach of both urban and rural conurbations, they all have motorways running near them which make them all easy access sites. National Parks are mostly owned privately (81%) , mainly by farmers with 6% owned by the Forestry Commission, 5% to the National Trust , 3% to the ministry of defence , 3% to the water authorities. The aims of National parks were updated in 1995, the aims were: 1. To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks. 2. To promote opportunities for the public understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks. The idea for a form of national parks was first proposed in the United States in the 1800s where National Parks were established to protect wilderness areas such as Yosemite this model has been used in many other countries since, but not in the United Kingdom. After thousands of years of human integration into the landscape, Britain lacks natural areas of wilderness. Furthermore, those areas of natural beauty so cherished by the romantic poets were often only maintained and managed in their existing state by human activity, usually agriculture. In1931, Christopher Addison chaired a government committee that proposed a ‘National Park Authority' to choose areas for designation as national parks. A system of national reserves and nature sanctuaries was proposed: 1. To safeguard areas of exceptional natural interest against (a) disorderly development and (b) spoliation; 2. To improve the means of access for pedestrians to areas of natural beauty; and 3. To promote measures for the protection of flora and fauna. In 1947 by a Government committee, this time chaired by Sir Arthur Hobhouse, which prepared legislation for national parks, and proposed 12 national parks. Sir Arthur had this to say on the criteria for designating suitable areas: â€Å"The essential requirements of a National Park are that it should have great natural beauty, a high value for open-air recreation and substantial continuous extent. Further, the distribution of selected areas should as far as practicable be such that at least one of them is quickly accessible from each of the main centers of population in Wales and England Lastly there is merit in variety and with the wide diversity of landscape which is available in England and Wales, it would be wrong to confine the selection of National Parks to the more rugged areas of mountain and moorland, and to exclude other districts which, though of less outstanding grandeur and wildness, have their own distinctive beauty and a high recreational value.† History Granted its market character by Edward in 1276. Keswick was an important wool and leather centre until about 1500. Location Keswick is standing on the shore of Derwentwater at the junction north, south east and west routes through the Lake District. It is situated in the north of the Lake District it is surrounded by lots of tall mountains. Carlise to Keswick 39m, Penrith 20m, Windermere 23, and Workington 22. Maps Here are some maps to show you where about Keswick is positioned. Map of Great Britain Map of North West Map of Cumbria Map of Keswick As you can see Keswick is very accessible due to the many roads that go through it and pass close by. Landscape around Keswick The Landscape around Keswick has stunning scenery, it has many lakes and mountains near by and it has vast countryside. It also has a well kept old town centre which is very popular for tourists, where they can buy souvenirs and enjoy dinner at the many restaurants. Here are some pictures to show why Keswick is a honeypot site because of its breath taking scenery. Here is at the centre of Keswick where there are many shops. Here is a picture of one of Keswick's beautiful lakes Here is one if the breath taking views that attract hikers and walkers to go to Keswick. A glacially eroded landscape Tourists are attracted to the Lake District by the spectacular landscape, which has been formed mainly by glacial erosion. The world's climate is continuously changing. Between 14 and 20 glacial periods have occurred in the last 1 million years. The most recent ice age started 100 000 years ago and ended 10 000 years ago. During it, ice sheets covered most of Britain north and the Midlands and changed the landscape by glacial erosion and deposition. A glacier is a mass of moving ice. It erodes by two main processes: * Plucking: water enters cracks in the rock and freezes so that it is attached to both the rock and the glacier. When the glacier moves, the block of rock is pulled out of the ground. * Abrasion: Blocks of rock (or load) in the base and sides of the glacier are scraped over the rock surface. They scratch it, making parallel groves called striations. Abrasion has a sandpaper effect so the rock surface looks smooth. Frost shattering also occurs in glacial environments. This is a weathering process, not an erosion process. When water enters a crack in the rock it expands by 10 per cent. The ice pushing on the sides of the crack it widens it. Blocks of rock can then fall on to the glacier from the valley side above. Frost-shattered rock surfaces are easier for glaciers to erode by plucking. Corries are produced by glacial erosion. Red tarn corrie is an armchair-shaped hollow on the eastern side of Helvellyn mountain in the Lake District. It is 0.5 km wide and 1km from the front to back. The steep back and side walls are up to 220 m high. A small round lake called Red Tarn lies in the hollow in the base of the corrie. The water is kept in by a rock ridge on the floor of the corrie called a rock lip. The quickest way to identify a corrie on a map is to find a round lake less than 0.5 km in diameter with a U-shaped pattern of contours. How ever many of them do not have lakes in them. Here is Red tarn corrie Conclusion My conclusion is that Keswick is defiantly a honeypot site, and that it is a honypot site because of its location and beautiful scenery. I also think that in time to come Keswick will still be honeypot site for years and years.