Vietnam Facts, History, and Profile

In the western world, the word Vietnam is almost always followed by the word War. However, Vietnam has more than 1,000 years of recorded history, and it is much more interesting than just the events of the mid-20th century. Vietnams people and economy were devastated by the process of decolonization and decades of war, but today, the country is well on its way to recovery. Capital and Major Cities Capital: Hanoi, population 7.5 million Major Cities: Ho Chi Minh City  (formerly Saigon), 8.6 millionHai Phong, 1.6 millionCan Tho, 1.3 millionDa Nang, 1.1 million Government Politically, Vietnam is a one-party communist state. As in China, however, the economy is increasingly capitalistic. The head of government in Vietnam is the prime minister, currently Nguyá »â€¦n Xuà ¢n Phà ºc. The president is the nominal head of state; the incumbent is Nguyá »â€¦n Phà º Trá » ng. Of course, both are top members of the Vietnamese Communist Party. Vietnams unicameral legislature, the National Assembly of Vietnam, has 496 members and is the highest branch of the government. Even the judiciary falls under the National Assembly. The top court is the Supreme Peoples Court; lower courts include provincial municipal courts and local district courts. Population As of 2018, Vietnam has about 94.6 million people, of whom more than 85% are ethnic Kinh or Viet people. However, the remaining 15% include members of more than 50 different ethnic groups. Some of the largest groups are the Tay, 1.9%; Tai, 1.7%; Muong, 1.5%; Khmer Krom, 1.4%; Hoa and Nung, 1.1% each; and Hmong, at 1%. Languages The official language of Vietnam is Vietnamese, which is part of the Mon-Khmer language group. Spoken Vietnamese is tonal. Vietnamese was written in Chinese characters until the 13th century when Vietnam developed its own set of characters, chu nom. In addition to Vietnamese, some citizens speak Chinese, Khmer, French, or the languages of small mountain-dwelling ethnic groups. English is increasingly popular as a second language. Religion Vietnam is non-religious due to its communist government. However, in this case, Karl Marxs antipathy to religion is overlaid on a rich and varied tradition of different Asian and Western faiths, and the government recognizes six religions. As a result, 80% of Vietnamese self-identify as belonging to no religion, yet many of them continue to visit religious temples or churches and to offer prayers to their ancestors. Those Vietnamese who identify with a particular religion report their affiliations as follows: Vietnamese folk religion, 73.2%; Buddhist, 12.2%, Catholic, 6.8%, Cao Da, 4.8%, Hoa Hao, 1.4%, and less than 1% Muslim or Protestant Christian. Geography and Climate Vietnam has an area of 331,210 sq km (127,881 sq miles), along with the eastern coastal strip of Southeast Asia. The majority of the land is hilly or mountainous and heavily forested, with only about 20% flatlands. Most cities and farms are concentrated around river valleys and deltas. Vietnam borders China, Laos, and Cambodia. The highest point is Fan Si Pan, at 3,144 meters (10,315 feet) in elevation. The lowest point is sea level at the coast. Vietnams climate varies with both latitude and elevation, but generally, it is tropical and monsoonal. The weather tends to be humid year-round, with substantial rainfall during the summer rainy season and less during the winter dry season. Temperatures do not vary much throughout the year, generally, with an average around 23 °C (73 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded was 42.8 °C (109  °F), and the lowest was 2.7 °C (37 °F). Economy Vietnams economic growth remains hampered by the governments control of many factories as state-owned enterprises (SOEs). These SOEs produce almost 40% of the countrys GDP. Perhaps inspired by the success of Asias capitalist tiger economies, however, the Vietnamese recently declared a policy of economic liberalization and joined the World Trade Organization. In 2016, Vietnams GDP growth was 6.2%, driven by export-oriented manufacturing and robust domestic demand. Per capita GDP as of 2013 was $2,073, with an unemployment rate of just 2.1% and a poverty rate of 13.5%. A total of 44.3% of the labor force works in agriculture, 22.9% works in industry, and 32.8% works in the service sector. Vietnam exports clothes, shoes, crude oil, and rice. It imports leather and textiles, machinery, electronics, plastics, and automobiles. The Vietnamese currency is the dong. As of 2019, 1 USD 23216 dong. History of Vietnam Artifacts of human habitation in what is now Vietnam date back more than 22,000 years, but it is likely that humans have lived in the area for much longer. Archaeological evidence shows that bronze casting in the area began around 5,000 BCE and spread north to China. Around 2,000 BCE, the Dong Son Culture introduced rice cultivation into Vietnam. To the south of the Dong Son were the Sa Huynh people (c. 1000 BCE–200 CE), ancestors of the Cham people. Maritime traders, the Sa Huynh exchanged merchandise with peoples in China, Thailand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. In 207 BCE, the first historic kingdom of Nam Viet was established in northern Vietnam and southern China by Trieu Da, a former governor for the Chinese Qin Dynasty. However, the Han Dynasty conquered Nam Viet in 111 BCE, ushering in the First Chinese Domination, which lasted until 39 CE. Between 39 and 43 CE, sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi lead a revolt against the Chinese and briefly ruled independent Vietnam. The Han Chinese defeated and killed them in 43 CE, however, marking the beginning of the Second Chinese Domination, which lasted until 544 CE. Led by Ly Bi, northern Vietnam broke away from the Chinese again in 544, despite the southern Champa kingdoms alliance with China. The First Ly Dynasty ruled northern Vietnam (Annam) until 602 when once again China conquered the region. This Third Chinese Domination lasted through 905 CE when the Khuc family overcame the Tang Chinese rule of the Annam area. Several short-lived dynasties followed in quick succession until the Ly Dynasty (1009–1225 CE) took control. The Ly invaded Champa and also moved into Khmer lands in what is now Cambodia. In 1225, the Ly were overthrown by the Tran Dynasty, who ruled until 1400. The Tran famously defeated three Mongol invasions, first by Mongke Khan in 1257–58, and then by Kublai Khan in 1284–85 and 1287–88. The Ming Dynasty of China managed to take Annam in 1407 and controlled it for two decades. Vietnams longest-reigning Dynasty, the Le, next ruled from 1428 to 1788. The Le Dynasty instituted Confucianism and a Chinese-style civil service exam system. It also conquered the former Champa, extending Vietnam to its current borders. Between 1788 and 1802, peasant revolts, small local kingdoms, and chaos prevailed in Vietnam. The Nguyen Dynasty took control in 1802 and ruled until 1945, first in their own right and then as puppets of French imperialism (1887–1945), and also as puppets of the occupying Japanese Imperial forces during World War II. At the end of the Second World War, France demanded the return of its colonies in French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos). The Vietnamese wanted independence, so this touched off the First Indochina War (1946–1954). In 1954, the French withdrew and Vietnam was partitioned with the promise of democratic elections. However, the North under communist leader Ho Chi Minh invaded the U.S.-supported South later in 1954, marking the beginning of the Second Indochina War, also called the Vietnam War (1954–1975). The North Vietnamese eventually won the war in 1975 and reunited Vietnam as a communist country. Vietnams army overran neighboring Cambodia in 1978, driving the genocidal Khmer Rouge out of power. Since the 1970s, Vietnam has slowly liberalized its economic system and recovered from decades of war. Sources and Further Reading Goscha, Christopher. Vietnam: A New History. New York: Basic Books, 2016.  Pariona, Ameber. The Economy Of Vietnam. WorldAtlas, Apr. 25, 2017.  SarDesai, D.R. Vietnam Past and Present. New York: Routledge, 2018.Sawe, Benjamin Elisha. Largest Ethnic Groups In Vietnam. WorldAtlas, Jul. 18, 2019.Sousa, Gregory. Major Religions in Vietnam. WorldAtlas, Jul. 24, 2018.Summary Statistics of Vietnam 2018.  Ha Noi: General Statistics Office of Viet Nam, 2018  Vietnam—Country Partnership Framework for the Period FY18–FY22 (English). Report No. 111771. Washington DC: World Bank Group, 2017.Vietnam. World Factbook, Center for the Study of Intelligence. Washington DC: Center Intelligence Agency, 2018.

A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew...

A Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Hebrew Scriptures The Hebrew Flood story of Noah and his obligation to preserve man kind after God had punished all living creatures for their inequities parallels The Epic of Gilgamesh in several ways. Even though these two compilations are passed on orally at different times in history the similarities and differences invoke deliberation when these stories are compared. Numerous underlining themes are illustrated throughout each story. Humans are guilty of transgressions and must be punished, God or Gods send a flood as punishment to destroy this evil race, a person is selected by the gods to build a craft that will withstand the flood and allow this person to create a new race. An†¦show more content†¦The Epic of Gilgamesh not only told a story of the people of a Sumerian Civilization and the battles of their great ruler. The Epic spoke of current environmental and natural issues â€Å"It shows an understanding of ecological processes and the consequences of human action on the earth that anticipates current ecological work.†( Perlin 35) Both Stories illustrate each cultures morals to a certain extinct. In the Epic of Gilgamesh true friendship and comradery is exemplified through the relationship of Gilgamesh Enkidu. They desire companionship and closeness â€Å"Enkidu is pleased: he longed for a comrade, for one who would understand his heart† (Brown). Gilgamesh’s want for compassion and Friendship as well it is shown in his dreams and describe by his Mother. â€Å"I made it for you, a goad and spur, and you were drawn as though to a woman. This is a strong comrade, the one who brings help to friend in his need. He is the strongest of wild creatures.†(Norton 15) This strong bond shows how the Sumerian feels about friendship and comradery. Enkidu relationship with Gilgamesh is stronger then that of just friend but like brothers. Gilgamesh’s mother Ninsun adopts Enkidu as her son, not only endorsing his friendship to Gilgamesh but also making him Gilgamesh’s brother â€Å" Strong E nkidu you are not the child of my body, but IShow MoreRelatedGENESIS AND ANCIENT MYTHS OF THE NEAR EAST930 Words   |  4 Pagesoriginated, produced a number of stories of creation and natural occurrences. It is important to note that many of the stories of the Sumerians, Akkadians and Hebrews began as oral traditions as the events they depict predate writing, so it is difficult to date these works on the basis of when these prehistoric myths were initiated. Comparison to writings contemporary to the people of Israel, can offer a deeper understanding of the meaning of their stories of origin as they give a point of referenceRead MoreHow Does Comparative Material From The Ancient Near East Help Us Understand Genesis 1-22?2785 Words   |  12 Pagesthe Genesis flood story with Noah and the flood epic that was told in Mesopotamia ? Gilgamesh.[footnoteRef:2] Alexander Heidel has made several comparisons between the flood narrative in Genesis and the epic of ?Gilgamesh?. He discusses t he problem with their similarities and makes several possibilities relating to this problem namely, that the people of Babylon borrowed the Hebrew narrative, or the Hebrews borrowed the Babylonian account, or the Hebrew and Babylonian accounts are both from a commonRead MoreThe Hindu Faith is an indigenous theology and philosophy of India spanning thousands of years.800 Words   |  4 Pagespossessions and casting judgment upon others are contrary to the Faith. They regard reincarnation, karma, dharma (universal moral compass), and moksha (final union with Brahman) as the main tenets of the philosophy. Works Cited â€Å"The Big Religion Comparison Chart: Compare World Religions.† 2004 - 2013. religionfacts.com. Web. 2007. â€Å"The Dead Sea Scrolls.† The Leon Levy Digital Library. Israeli Antiquities Authority. 2012. deadseascrolls.org. Web. 2013. Concise History of World Religions: An IllustratedRead MoreWhat Did I Learn About The Nature And Activity Of God? Essay2336 Words   |  10 Pagesthe ability to save, but it only identified what sin was. I believe this points to the operation of Grace within the Old Testament text. I think the author of Hebrews knew that many had missed or failed to see the underlying theme of Grace within the Old Testament when he penned Hebrews 12:15. Question 2: What did I learn about scripture as revelation? God has revealed Himself as the Creator and Sustainer of all we see, and He wants to enter into a personal relationship with us. We see this in ExodusRead More Too Many Religions, Not Enough Truth Essay2557 Words   |  11 Pagesand contentment could be more easily attained on every level if world populations would set aside the details that divide them and acknowledge that every person has an equal part to play in the big picture. Works Cited â€Å"The Big Religion Comparison Chart: Compare World Religions.† 2004 - 2013. religionfacts.com. Web. 2007. â€Å"The Dead Sea Scrolls.† The Leon Levy Digital Library. Israeli Antiquities Authority. 2012. deadseascrolls.org. Web. 2013. Concise History of World Religions: An Illustrated

Final Assignment HUM Free Essays

You are the news director of a local television station. The city council has Just voted to close city parks 3 days a week to save money. Meanwhile, a major celebrity has died. We will write a custom essay sample on Final Assignment HUM or any similar topic only for you Order Now The park story has greater effect on your viewers, but the celebrity death will get bigger ratings? Which do you make your lead story and why? As a viewer I would normally say put the park story first 100 percent. This is local broadcast I want to hear about information that affects me directly. This is not the ease, though. As a news director I would put the story of the celebrity death in the lead position for the higher ratings. This may not seem like the best choice, but it is a numbers game. The good thing that may come out of leading with the passing of the celebrity is that more viewers will learn about the closures at the city parks, since they will be tuning in anyway. It is this channels responsibility to get the news out to the public, but it is the director’s choice of what order that news will be seen. It is also likely that the national stations, internet, and radio will be reporting the story as well. This can mean some viewers may already be aware of celebrity death, but ultimately the city park story can run behind it. It is Just not as attention getting as the other story. This may not have been the case fifty or seventy-five years ago. Since the news traveled much slower then, the local happenings would be much more in the forefront, with national headlines taking longer to reach faraway places. This Just shows how media has changed over the last century. It will disappoint various viewers who may be tired of hearing about the death who then turn on the local station and see it again, but that is both the advantage and disadvantage of how the media is delivered in this day and age. We can learn about news almost instantly (advantage), but with every type of media outlet reporting on the most recent buzz, it can also become redundant very quickly as well (disadvantage). It is not an easy call to choose what the lead story will be because there will always be someone who has n opinion about what should have run first or could have been better, and there always will people to criticize the actions of others. Explain the effect of relationships among television, movies, and electronic games with culture. Television, movies, and electronic video games, and culture are all related and they all influence each other. Like the saying life does imitate art and are does imitate life. There are numerous television shows that relate to everyday life from the past to the present and most like will continue into the future – Just a few examples are: Friends, Sniffed, and Modern Family. The same goes for movies. The classic culture related film is: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, and boy gets girl back in the end. Who has not had at least one relationship like this in the past? They also relate to each other. A television show hasn’t really become an icon until it is made into a movie these days, for example Sex in the City has had not one, but two movies spawned from the show. Electronic games are included as well. There are quite a few movies that have been created from video games, like Laura Croft: Tomb Raider for example; and there have been movies that seem almost specifically made to become electronic games like Torn. Whether a person watches a movie or television show because he or she can relate to it or if it is purely entertainment, it does affect culture because it becomes a part of each person. People quote funny lines from a movie or show, why, because it they connect with what they watched and share it with others. It can then catch on and become should slang – who can forget â€Å"don’t have a cow man† or â€Å"you got it dude†? Some movies, television shows, and electronic games do depict violence and demeaning social situations. They often get blamed when people in real life commit violent crimes. This is a topic people feel strongly about on both sides, and is not easy to defend or condemn. The most important thing to do is to talk open with our children, teach them clearly what is right and what is wrong, and give them self-confidence and self-worth, so in a controversial situation they are able to make the right decision. How to cite Final Assignment HUM, Papers

Organization Structure Gross Domestic Product

Question: Discuss about theOrganization Structurefor Gross Domestic Product. Answer: Introduction: There is no gain stating the fact that tourism industry forms an integral part of the economy of Australia, and in fact in the financial year of 2014-15, the tourism sector has contributed as much as 3 % of Australias total Gross Domestic product (GDP) (William 2014). The importance of the tourism industry of Australia not only lies in the fact that it helps to boost the national economy of the country, but it also creates employment opportunities for approximately 5,80,800 Australians each year (Rice 2014). Although a huge number of reputed companies are leading the tourism industry of Australia, Express Travel Group (ETG) is an important name in the travel industry. ETG, formerly also known as Orient Express Travel Group, is a very eminent travel company of Australia, headquartered in Melbourne. In its 32 years of its existence, the organization has succeeded in gaining sufficient recognition, and consequently has expanded to other parts of the world, such as Perth, Sydney and Brisbane (ETG 2016). The organization conducts integrated travel business, and hence works with the motive of offering each client the opportunity of enjoying their professional or personal cost-effective travel service. oNe of the most remarkable and unique features of the service offered by Express Travel Group, is that t offers a one stop solution to every requirement of a traveler. Companys Structure: Each travel organization has a distinct structure to be followed, that explains the professional method of administration of the organization. While discussing the structure of Express Travel Group, it is important to understand that the activities of the organization chiefly revolve around three important fields: Transportation Accommodation Information and co-operation in the form of support service to the tourists (Ashkenas et al. 2014). In terms of the professional job roles assigned to the employees, the function of the employees is being divided into the following categories: Supervisory level Executive Level Operational Level At the top level of the hierarchy, lies the higher authority, which are expected to help in the decision-making process of the organization, in order to ensure that smooth functioning o the business operations can take place. The Director, the Manager, Chief Marketing Official of Express Travel Group belongs to this group. Next, in the executive level, the organization appoints employees who handle and take care of the clients and customers, so that they can deliver efficient and satisfactory service to the clients (Subramanian et al. 2013). The Business Developer Assistant, Customer Service Manager and the Business Analyst work at the Executive level of the organization. Last but not the least, as a tourist organization, ETG will fail to operate its business activities in a an effective way, unless the professionals such as the Tour Manager, Sales Manager, Secretary and Receptionist, interact with the clients, and are able to draw the attention of the potential as well as existent c lients (Csaszar 2012). The structure of the activity of the company can be explained through the following diagram: Figure 1: Diagram Representing the Organizational Structure of the Express Travel Group Source: (Joseph 2016) As it can be understood from the above discussion and diagram, the employees of the company involved in the supervisory level are mainly responsible for promoting and marketing the business. Again, those in the executive level are assigned with jobs such as organizing and scheduling meetings and booking travel arrangements, while the employees at the operational level are responsible for customer interaction as well as multiple skills (Martin et al. 2012). Companys Leadership Style: The leadership style of an organization plays an important role, as effective leadership helps the management authority of the organization influence its employees to perform the tasks efficiently so that employee productivity can directly contribute to organizational success. The style of leadership adopted by the management authority of Express Travel Group, can be described as supportive, participative and transformative. However, it should be remembered that the organization follows a strictly hierarchical style of administration, whereby the employees holding the managerial position in the organization, maintain a social distance with the employees. Yet it should be noted, that the managers offer opportunities for regular interaction with the employees. The director as well as the CEO of the organization holds monthly meetings with the employees working at the executive level, so that they can be reminded of the vision and mission of the organization, and even introduced to the formulation of a new strategy, if necessary (Safi et al. 2015). However, though the managers have complete control and organizational power over the employees, it is worth mentioning that the officials and the chief executives of the organization never adopt an Autocratic style of leadership. The managerial leadership style is participative by nature, as the managers involved in the administrative position, invite the free, open participation of each employee, and in case a new change is being introduced, instead of thrusting the same on the employees, the opinion of the respective employees are being asked as well (Pacleb and Bocarnea 2016). The management authority has discreetly chosen the Transactional leadership style that ensures job satisfaction to the employees. The mangers and the director of the organization recognize the importance of rewarding the skill, outstanding merit and contribution of the employees. As a tourism industry Express Tourism Group, works with the purpose of offering high quality service, to the consumers, and hence management authority regularly reviews the staff performance, and even offers the opportunity to the travelers to rate the staffs, such as the tourist guide or the receptionist, based on their interaction or the quality of the service offered by them (John and Taylor 2014). On the basis of the employee reviews and traveler ratings, the performance of the employees is being measured whereby they are being offered bonuses, and other incentives and long-term benefits. Further, once a new strategy is being proposed, the administrative managers set the target for each employee in respe ctive positions, and the employees who accomplish the targets successfully within the given time, are rewarded through pay bonus and gifts. The organization does not recognize the performance of the working staffs by offering financial benefits, but rather also announces the Employee of the Month award, based on the positive feedback from the clients (Antonakis and House 2014). Companys Strategies within Australia and Abroad The importance of a strong strategy cannot be overemphasized in case of an Australian tourist company, as there is a huge variety of tourist companies which are predominating the Australian tourist industry. Hence, Express Travel Group works with a strong and extremely powerful strategy. As far as the strategies of the organization are concerned, ETG focuses primarily on two factors- a) the reduction of cost, and b) the promotion of the organization to boost the sale growth of the organization. For the purpose of cutting down the operational cost, the organization relies on high volume purchasing system so that the organization can obtain and enjoy huge discounts on the resource inputs, such as transportation or accommodation requirements. The process of bulk buying considerably helps in reducing the operational cost of the organization. Again, ETG also locates its activities in areas which enjoy the availability of cheap labor. As an online travel company, ETG needs to have call centers, and hence the organization usually sets up its call centers in some of the peripheral regions of Australia, so that it can avail the advantage of cheap and easily available labor. The company also reduces the cost of its operation, by employing the resource inputs which are comparatively cheaper. For example, the organization lowers its operational cost by forming alliance with no frills airline that charges much lower than any kind of ordinary airlines. ETG is also known for reducing its labor cost, and increasing its labor productivity, by exploiting the computer technology for substituting the need of more expensive labor inputs (Evans et al. 2012). As a tourist organization, ETG must be able to cope up with the quick expansion of the global travel market, and hence the company arranges a variety of advertising campaigns for the purpose of promoting its high quality service in Australia, as well as in the overseas market. As a tourist company, the organization has to handle a huge number of clients coming from abroad and hence promoting the organization and its service is highly important. Keeping this in consideration, the organization spends an enormous amount of money for destination advertising that helps in building its recognition among the potential international clients (Pastras and Bramwell 2012). For developing the desired foreign public perception, ETG invests much time and money in social media marketing. The management is well-aware of the importance of a search-engine optimized website, and hence instead of focusing on a single website, the organization maintains multiple macro sites for attracting the attention of the non-English speaking travelers around the world. Again, ETG also forms collaboration with various popular advertising agencies that promote the service offered by the company in respective international markets. The use of meaningful logos, and strong taglines, such as Live and Love the Australian Way, helps the organization in effective promotion of its service in the relevant international markets. Further, the organization is also well-aware of the fact that the staffs such as the front office executives, tourist guide, or the receptionists, who have to directly interact with the clients, may not have sufficient understanding of the language or the cultural perception of the clients, and hence it is important to impart training to these staffs. The company arranges regular training sessions and workshops for the employees, so that they can obtain the necessary knowledge and inter-personal communication skills required for handling clients of a different cultural origin (Bosu n et al. 2014). Personal Comment On Companys Structure and Strategy It is needless to say that ETG is emerging as an organization that has huge potential to flourish and prosper in future. However, a few recommendations can be offered here. As far as the organizational structure is concerned, it is being observed that the company follows a strictly hierarchical order which is appreciable. Again, the Transactional leadership style that relies on recognizing and rewarding the employees for their share of contribution is also admirable, as it helps in increasing the employee productivity and efficiency of the organization However, it is to be noted the hierarchical form of organization has its own cons, in the form of lack of collaboration and lack of innovation. Here, each employee is being assigned with a specific job role, and consequently flexibility of work or free exchange of ideas is not possible. Hence, for an emerging organization, like ETG, the implementation of a flat organizational structure is advisable, as with very few layers of managemen t, granting promotion or offering attractive financial benefits, is much cost-effective. Further as a result of the lack of hierarchy and bureaucracy, the working staffs will be able to work with greater flexibility and independence that will be helpful in serving the clients with greater satisfaction (Schenkel and Brazeal 2016). As far as the strategy of the organization is concerned, it is mostly focused on reducing the operational cost that may adversely affect the reputation of the organization in a highly competitive industry of tourism. Instead of reducing the operational cost, it is advisable that the organization focuses more on product differentiation policy, so that its products or service can appear to be superior to its rival organizations. The organization can introduce high quality service in its hotel chains, by introducing a high ratio of staff to guest policy. Further, the organization does not offer lucrative discount benefits to its old consumers, and hence it must focus on creating a loyal consumer base, by offering attracting discount coupons to the repeat clients, or their relatives and friends. The company is doing a great job by offering cultural training to the staffs, but a more country specific training method should be introduced whereby the culture of the countries which have the maximum number of tourists travelling to Australia must be considered while imparting the training programs. Last but not the least, the organization can also improve its tourist products, by offering new tourist tours with cultural character or treatment can have a positive impact on the international clients. Reference List: Antonakis, J. and House, R.J., 2014. Instrumental leadership: Measurement and extension of transformationaltransactional leadership theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(4), pp.746-771. Ashkenas, R., Ulrich, D., Jick, T. and Kerr, S., 2015.The boundaryless organization: Breaking the chains of organizational structure. John Wiley Sons. Bosun, P., Tenescu, A. and Dima, I.C., 2014. Informational stocks and e-logistics management of a tourism company.International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, (27), pp.75-85. Csaszar, F.A., 2012. Organizational structure as a determinant of performance: Evidence from mutual funds.Strategic Management Journal,33(6), pp.611-632. David William, L., 2014.Battlefield tourism: Pilgrimage and the commemoration of the Great War in Britain, Australia and Canada, 1919-1939. AC Black. ETG, (2016).ETG - Home. [online] Available at: https://www.etg.travel/home [Accessed 30 Sep. 2016]. Evans, N., Stonehouse, G. and Campbell, D., 2012.Strategic management for travel and tourism. Taylor Francis. John, M.C. and Taylor, J.W., 2014, August. Leadership style, school climate, and the institutional commitment of teachers. InInternational Forum Journal(Vol. 1, No. 2). Joseph, J., Klingebiel, R. and Wilson, A.J., 2016. Organizational Structure and Performance Feedback: Centralization, Aspirations, and Termination Decisions.Organization Science. Martin, R., Muls, M., de Preux, L.B. and Wagner, U.J., 2012. Anatomy of a paradox: Management practices, organizational structure and energy efficiency.Journal of Environmental Economics and Management,63(2), pp.208-223. Pacleb, T.G. and Bocarnea, M.C., 2016. The Relationship between Leadership Styles, Leader Communication Style, and Impact on LeaderMember Exchange Relationship within the Banking Sector in the United States. InChallenges, Performances and Tendencies in Organisation Management(pp. 275-287). World Scientific. Pastras, P. and Bramwell, B., 2013. A strategic-relational approach to tourism policy.Annals of Tourism Research,43, pp.390-414. Rice, P., 2014. Universal management: a proposal to change the direction of accessibility management in the Australian tourism industry to create benefits for all Australians and visitors to Australia.Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal,2(2). Safi, M.H., Mohamadi, F., Amouzadeh, I. and Arshi, S., 2015. The Relationship between ManagerLeadership Style with Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Staff of Shomal Health Center of Tehran.Community Health,2(1), pp.17-26. Schenkel, M. and Brazeal, D.V., 2016. The Effect of Pro-Entrepreneurial Architectures and Relational Influences on Innovative Behavior in a Flat Organizational Structure.Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship,27(2), p.93. Subramanian, A., Venkateswaran, A. and Fu, R., 2013. Project Characteristics, Organizational Structure, and Managerial Incentives.Organizational Structure, and Managerial Incentives (June 15, 2013).

Alexander Pope and the Scientific Revolution Essays

Alexander Pope and the Scientific Revolution Essays Alexander Pope and the Scientific Revolution Essay Alexander Pope and the Scientific Revolution Essay In the seventeenth century many scientists and philosophers strayed away from the church’s way of thinking and began to seek out their own explanations of the world around them. Scientists questioned, even opposed theories the church had been teaching for centuries. Alexander Pope, a philosophical poet, wrote a very controversial poem that changed a lot of people’s views on God’s divine role in human kind, as well as inspired people to think for themselves. What made Pope’s ideas so unique? How did Pope incorporate the belief of God with the new scientific discoveries of his time? Exploring these questions gives a better understanding of the conflict between science and religion in the seventeenth century, and insight on a man who believed everyone should accept the world as they find it. The scientific revolution was a time of dramatic change. People began asking questions of the world around them, and instead of looking to the church for answers as they had for many years, started coming up with their own theories. Alexander Pope was very interested in the scientific discoveries of his time, particularly those of Sir Isaac Newton, and tried to incorporate them into his faith. This was dangerous however, because the Church opposed all of the new ideas being brought forth, as they felt it was challenging their beliefs. Pope’s main intent was not to oppose the Church; instead, he sought to build a bridge between religion and the new scientific discoveries as a way to glorify God. By writing â€Å"An Essay on Man†, Pope wished to present a God that was different from those in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The faith that he presents in his poem is similar in that it is monotheistic; however, the new ideas he offers on humanity’s role in the universe was incomparable to any other religion at the time. This was just one of many examples of the critical thinking that was beginning to be used in the scientific revolution, and encouraged others to seek out their own explanations of the world around them. For centuries it had been common belief that the earth was the center of the universe and humans were God’s greatest creation; therefore, new discoveries in nature and the universe generally contradicted the Church’s teachings and beliefs. In Pope’s poem â€Å"An Essay on Man†, he explains God’s relationship to the world in a Newtonian way. Pope tried to use the new scientific discoveries in nature and the universe as a way to glorify God, showing that He was everywhere and a part of everything. The poem states that no matter how complex or evil the world seems to humans, it follows the natural order of God, and therefore should be accepted. Pope believes that the ignorance of people to the world around them inhibits their relationship with God. It was this kind of thinking outside of the norm that was present among many philosophers during the scientific revolution. The most important aspect of the scientific revolution is people began to ask questions of the world around them, and sought the answers for themselves. Instead of looking to the church for answers, they began to observe, examine and explore for themselves. Alexander Pope was one of many , who instead of accepting the Church’s beliefs, interpreted the universe and God’s place in it all in his own perspective and encouraged others to do the same.

Essay Sample on the American Revolution and the Independence form Great Britain

Essay Sample on the American Revolution and the Independence form Great Britain America’s decision to declare independence form Great Britain was both due the change of economic policies and to the development of refining life and liberty. After driving the French out, with help from the Indians and British troops, colonist began to quarrel with Parliament’s insistence of testing the limits of their power in North America. Their control was made difficult when residents decided to smuggle and boycott goods. Eventually, the colonies resistance and loss of patience would lead them directly to independence. The Proclamation of 1763 was the first to anger the colonist. In order to assure the Indians that settlers would not invade tribal lands, Britain emphasized colonist not to expand to the westward region. Shortly after, the use of writs of assistance, which allowed customs to search anywhere without the used of a warrant, placed a major infringement upon colonial natural rights. The Sugar Act (established at the same time) was an attempt to discourage smuggling by lowering the price of molasses below smugglers cost. It also stated that exports could only go through British ports before being sold to foreign countries. When merchants were accused of smuggling, they faced a jury-less trial and were often convicted. Violators of the Stamp Act of 1765 also faced the same when they did not buy special watermarked paper for newspapers and all legal documents. Because the Stamp Act was an internal tax on the colonies, it motivated the first actual structured response to British impositions. Violence eventually broke throughout the colonies, forming such colonial groups as the Loyal Nine and the Sons of Liberty to organize the resistance and assemble the citizens in attempts to stress Parliament to revoke the act. Because of the overwhelming protest of businessmen (and the forced evacuation of stamp distributors), Britain’s economy was severely damaged and they were forced to cancel the act. However it was not long before Parliament tugged on the strings of the colonist again. The Quartering Act of 1765 demanded colonial assemblies to pay for supplies for troops residing within their colonies. The act did not affect much of the colonies except New York. New York at the time had a significant amount of troops stationed and refused to comply with the law. Parliament in returned threatened to nullify all laws passed by the New York colonial legislature, taking away what self-government they had. To avoid more hardships, New York decided to obey Parliament. Finally, the colonies bit their last lip when a man named Charles Townshend assumed the duties of Britain’s treasurer. Britain’s House of Commons decided to cut their taxes by one-fourth and proposed to make up for the loss by passing the Revenue Act of 1767. Townshend drew a plan that put taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea entering the colonies. Though it only raised 37,000 pounds, compare to the 500,000 pound pay cut in the treasury department, Townshend duties was very effective in arousing political dispute that had laid inactive since the withdraw of the Stamp Act. The revolution was growing strong and would finally be established after an incident in Boston in 1770. Because of continued violence in Massachusetts, British troops were brought in towards the end of 1768 to relieve tension. Ironically, situations grew worse and the troops were very unwelcomed by the colonist. The colonist felt as if rights were under the watchful eye of the king. In 1770 and irritated customs officer shot an eleven year-old boy for throwing rocks at his house. Though the troops were not responsible for the shooting, they were usually under fire for hostility toward British power. After the boy’s funeral, violence erupted outside Boston’s custom office, and after the conflict, five colonists were dead. The news spread through the colonies as the Boson Massacre. To cool down the hostility of the colonist, the Townshend duties were soon erased. Despite the fact that the British were deciding to pursue less controversial policies, colonist could no longer bare the abuse of their rights that Britain trampled on. They were soon to be democratic nation and were tired of supporting an empire center around monarchy. Every colony united and rebelled against is abusive mother country, creating the American Revolution. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on American Revolution from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers.

Measuring the Sensitivity of a Bond's Price to Changes in the Market Essay

Measuring the Sensitivity of a Bond's Price to Changes in the Market Interest Rates - Essay Example On the other hand, bonds issued by companies are used for long term financing of the firm since they mature after a long period of time, usually more than ten years. Coupons are mostly paid out twice in a year but some could be payable once in a year. On maturity of a given bond, the bondholders are entitled to the principal amount initially invested at the present value at maturity. A bond may be issued at a discount or at a premium. If it is issued at a discount, the amount realized from such an issue is less than the face value of the bond. This occurs mostly when the interest rates of the bonds are low; therefore the government or the firms have to induce investors to invest in such a bond by lowering the prices of the bonds. On the other hand, if the amounts of funds realized from a bond issue are more than the face value of the bond, the bond is said to have been issued at a premium. This mostly occurs when the rates of return of the bond in question are relatively high and the bond is expected to yield some high returns in terms of the coupons. Investors will take into account the high amount of returns expected in the future and many will be interested in buying the bonds. These investors will be willing to pay a higher price for the bond, higher than the bonds face value. A bond’s price will change with changes in the market interest rate. There are different reasons for the changes in price. One of the most significant reasons is the fact that increase in market price denotes a higher rate of return on a given bond. Investors will inject their funds in an investment that has potential of yielding maximum returns for them. Given that they are rational individuals, the investors will rank a bond with a high rate of return at a higher position in their priorities of investment. This will drive the price of the bond up since the demand for it has gone up. This leads to the bond being issued at high price. The sensitivity of a bond’s price to interest rate movements is dependent on the bonds characteristics (Madura 2001). This is clearly the case since there are many kinds of bonds and each of them exhibit different unique characteristics according to its nature. Some of these unique characteristics are the different maturity periods. Some bonds mature after only ten years while others might mature at thirty years. The frequencies at which bonds pay out coupons also differ accordingly. The convex relationship between bond price and yield illustrates that the changes in prices for a given change in interest rates is not constant and nor is it identical, for all but very small amounts, for both upward and downward change in yields (Cima 2000). The two common methods of assessing the sensitivity of a bond to a change in the required rate of return on bonds are: Bond price elasticity Duration The above methods are computed as follows: 1. Bond price elasticity The sensitivity of bond prices to changes in the required rate of return is commonly measured by the bond price elasticity (Madura 2001). The computation is given as follows; Pc = percentage change in p / percentage change in k where; Pc is the bond price elasticity P is the bond price K is the required rate of return This method is significant especially when measuring the sensitivity of a bonds price on the market inter

Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Mild Therapeutic Hypothermia - Essay Example failure of the heart to effectively contract during systole. Out-of -hospital cardiac arrest is a leading cause of unexpected death in the developed world, occurring in about 1 in 1,500 adult each year (Bernard, 2004). Prognosis after cardiac arrest with an overall survival rate of less than 6%, is unfavorable. Cardiac arrest outcomes depend on the rhythym: 33% of patients with ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia survive, comparing with less than 2% of patients with asystolic or pulseless electrical activity. Other rhythyms and cardiac arrest complications/conditions which comprise less than 2% include subarachnoid hemorrhage or trauma, pregnant women, pediatrics, coma after near-drowning, hanging and other causes of asphyxia. About 60% of cardiac arrest survivors regain consciousness; of these, one-third experience irreversible cognitive disabilities. Emergency life support focus on early aggressive resuscitation; but unluckily, most patients who survive do sustain anoxic brain injury (Green, 2007). Anoxic brain injury is that condition wherein the brain is severely deprived of oxygen. The blood is unable to flow to the brain due to bleeding or injury. After cardiac arrest, chemical cascades resulting in brain injury are created by the free radicals and other mediators in the brain. Three phases of brain injury after hypoxic insult are identified: early, intermediate and late (Howes, 2005). The early stage is described as the utilization of glucose, oxygen and energy due to the directThe Use 4 cessation of blood flow in the brain. The intermediate...Emergency life support focus on early aggressive resuscitation; but unluckily, most patients who survive do sustain anoxic brain injury (Green, 2007). Anoxic brain injury is that condition wherein the brain is severely deprived of oxygen. The blood is unable to flow to the brain due to bleeding or injury. After cardiac arrest, chemical cascades resulting in brain injury are created by the free radicals and other mediators in the brain. Three phases of brain injury after hypoxic insult are identified: early, intermediate and late (Howes, 2005). The early stage is described as the utilization of glucose, oxygen and energy due to the direct cessation of blood flow in the brain. The intermediate phase is described as the release of neurotoxic mediators and excitatory amino acids in the brain, occurring hours post arrest. The late phase occurs when cerebral edema and blood-drain barrier are increased. Seizures and Sample.

Art & the Surreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Art & the Surreal - Essay Example One of the most famous surrealists is Salvadore Dali, a Spanish artist who expressed himself in making photographic sketches that presenting irrational objects. Swans Reflecting Elephants is one amazing work of Dali which pictures swans swimming on a lake whose reflections in the water appear like elephants. Showing the main features of a surrealist work of art, Dali juxtaposed the beauty and serenity seen in swans to the heavy appearance of the beast of burden, the elephant. Other contrasting images in the painting are the dark, nightmarish images in and around the lake with the use of colors, and the bright, cloudless sky behind the lake. This style arouses the imagination of viewers with the artist intentionally making use of the subconscious in the hope of awakening the totality of a person (Duiker 84). The extreme presentations of the expressions of surrealist artists in their art works intend to shock its viewers into facing the realities of life. Aside from paintings and sculp tors, surreal ideas were also expressed in literary forms. However, though in a different expression, the views are similarly seen in poets’ literary styles.

ICT Developments In The Construction Industry

ICT Developments In The Construction Industry The use of ICT has over the years in different ways influenced and to a certain degree also changed roles and processes within the building project. A better understanding and overview of how ICT affect on the complex mechanisms in construction industry within the early stages of the planning process can be seen as central to achieve project success in this chapter. This chapter will touch on the general ICT development and application in construction industry whether in Malaysia or foreign countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, etc. but more focus on QS, architectural and engineering firms. Current software developments in construction industry which separate into three main types: design software, QS software and management software will be briefly described and discussed in this chapter too. Besides, this chapter will present a framework for exploring the positive or negative impacts of ICT developments in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (hereinafter referred to as AEC) sector of construction industry. Few survey analyses will be provided to briefly explain the impacts of ICT developments in practice. The strategies related to ICT implementation such as self-motivation, training, etc. will be discussed in the following section. After that, the final section presents a summary to this chapter of this research. 2.2 ICT Developments in Construction Industry The developments of ICT such as internet, email, e-tendering, software etc. in the AEC sector have evolved over several years. Emerging ICT introduces opportunities for improving communication to enhance effectiveness of many construction processes at each project phase as well as creating new business opportunities (Peansupap and Walker, 2005). The average annual growth rate of ICT investment in the construction industry is increasing every year and constitutes now a significant part of the total project cost. According to Woksepp and Olofsson (2007), some studies indicate that the ICT utilization ratio is still relatively low in the construction industry. In Malaysia, Public Works Department director which is Datuk Seri Prof Judin Abdul Karim hastened the construction companies to adopt ICT to enhance their capability during the two-day Infrastructure Construction Asias Building Information Modelling Sustainable Architecture 2009 conference in August 2009. He said that the awareness of using ICT was there but the cost of investment prohibited companies from adopting the technology and upgrading the system especially for the small companies. He also emphasized on the importance to have an integrated software system as a lot of professionals such as architects and engineers within the same companies were using different kinds of software. Standardisation is important in obtaining effective workflow for the project development and implementation (The Star, 20 August 2009). In parallel with the developments in academia and the software industry, organisations in the AEC industry have adopted new technologies in support of their business and the implementation of ICT is becoming significantly important now. Most industrially developed countries such as United Kingdom believe the need for implementing and using new technologies for gaining competitive advantage but are reluctant to invest in these technologies. The financial return appears to form the basis for IT investment related decisions. Besides, the results of previous research on measuring the ICT use and trends in Turkey (Sarshar and Isikdag, 2004) suggested that the Turkish AEC industry has been facing difficulties related to inefficient communication and loss of information due to fragmentation in the industry. However, developments of ICT in construction industry are still lacking. 2.2.1 QS Firms According to Smith (2004), the QS profession in Australia has experienced significant change over the past decade in terms of the scope of services provided both within and outside of the construction industry. These changes have occurred primarily in response to changing industry or client demands, ICT developments and increased levels of competition for services. As information flows increasingly become electronic QS computing facilities, software and databases will need to develop in a compatible manner. Compatibility with and the utilization of ICT developments is just the beginning and it is inevitable that documentation and date will be increasingly automated to the point where measurement and other technical processes will require minimal human intervention. It advancement provides the QS profession with enormous opportunity to strengthen its position in the industry. Thus, quantity surveyors are well placed to become the major information handlers on construction projects as the majority of information flow revolves around quantities and cost. Actually, no profession can legitimately lay claim to being best suited to take control of information management. It is likely that current opportunities will be taken up by others if the profession adopts a wait and see approach. In Malaysia, QS practice plays an important role in any construction development projects. The environments for QS practice have changed along with the countrys rapid economic development. Future development prospects and changes will have implications on the development of the profession. On the other hand, there have been concerns in the past few years on the role and future of the QS profession. The QS Think Tank Report of RICS has noted that many clients are critical of traditional QS services and are demanding a different and more comprehensive range of services (Page, Pearson and Pryke, 2004). Although there is a general lack of published data on the development and current scenario of the QS practice in Malaysia, anecdotal evidence suggests that the scenario in Malaysia parallels the findings by RICS. Hence, a reliable understanding of the present situation as well as the future perceptions of the QS practice is required in order to aspire to future challenges and needs (Abdul lah and Haron, 2006). 2.2.2 Architectural and Engineering Firms In accordance with the survey of Rivard (2000), ICT are an integral part of the day to day business within the most of the AEC industry nowadays. Almost every single employee in architectural and engineering firms do works on a desktop computer. Many business processes such as bookkeeping, invoicing and specification writing are now almost completely computerised and the tendency is toward a greater computerisation of the remaining processes. The firms have adopted the internet and are using emails and the World-Wide Web on a daily basis. However, even though ICT has been adopted by most firms because it provides quick and efficient means of exchanging information digitally, the majority of AEC professionals still exchange design information by means of paper drawings and specifications ad they used to do prior to the advent of computers. The AEC industry was a little slower in adopting ICT than other service industries that are more information intensive such as the communications industry and business services., but this is understandable since the AEC industry tends to be risk avert and prefers to adopt a technology that has been proven. 2.3 Current Software Developments in Construction Industry Software development is a highly dynamic field that heavily relies on the experience of experts when it comes to learning, applying, evaluating, disseminating and improving its methods, tools and techniques (Acuna and Sanshez-Segura, eds, 2006). The use of IT to transform and upgrade the construction industry is an objective requirement for the development of construction industry. At present, software quality and practical application level lags far behind developed countries. Thus, there is some great practical significance like summing up the status quo, looking for gaps, to explore a path of development, to promote in-depth practical application for improving the project standards, and achieve industry information, industrial advancement. There are three main types of software developments which are design software, QS software and management software in construction industry to enhance effectiveness of many construction processes at each project phase as well as creating new bus iness opportunities. 2.3.1 Design Software The use of CAD-technique in building design has increased rapidly during the last ten years and it is the standard technique for producing building documentation nowadays. International Organization for Standardization (hereinafter referred to as ISO) has defined a draft international standard, ISO/DIS 13567 recently, in order to increase interoperability between different CAD applications for building design (Bo-Christer, Kurt and Arto, 1997). CAD has several related technologies, two of which are geographic information systems and rendering packages. A geographic information system is an integrated software application devised to capture, store, edit, analyse and display geographic information and is typically used in land use planning, infrastructure management, environmental engineering, natural resources planning and management. A rendering package is a software application used to create, edit and render a realistic 3-D image of an architectural or engineered effort and typical ly includes lighting effects, camera setup and the application of materials on surfaces (Rivard, 2000). With the advent of ISO 9000, the quality management and quality assurance standard, more and more firms are adopting quality assurance in their processes to ensure that their firms can time and time again deliver the product or services that satisfy given requirements for quality. 2.3.2 QS Software Throughout history there have been numerous medians used to quantify construction materials. From the ruler, scale, and measuring tape to the planimeter and the digitizer, QS tools have changed with the technology of the time. There is no exception presently with the invention of fast-paced computer generated design applications and fast-track more efficient construction practices. In the market today, there are a plethora of computer-based QS software programs such as On-screen Take-off by on Center Software Inc, Computer-Aided Design (hereinafter referred to as CAD) Based Measurement Software (hereinafter referred to as CBMS), etc. On-screen Take-off On-screen Take-off software has been around since 1995. It is a valuable tool in the cost estimating process. McElreath (2010) implementing this software whenever digital copies of drawings are available in the market. He also mentioned that the speed and accuracy of this software has increased nearly 50 percent because of the functions and features of this product. One of the basic advantages of On-screen Take-off is the ability to zoom in and out of the drawings. This takes the place of a magnifying glass needed for full size drawings and save the estimators eyes. It also has an integrated magnification tool that can zoom in certain sections of the drawings without zooming in on the whole document. This is especially helpful when reading key notes, but it still allows the user to see the whole floor plan. However, one of the biggest advantages to using this product is that the software allows the user to verify and defend quantity takeoffs quickly and easily when performing an esti mate. CBMS The usage of CBMS would basically perform directs measurement of quantities from the object models produced by the designers for building elements to support tendering and contract administrative activities. Quantity surveyor can use CBMS to obtain certain quantities or calculations. For example, components such as windows, doors and sanitary fittings are easily designed or taken from the library of the software and it also can be counted easily using scheduling (Ong, Lim and Aziz, 2005). Thus, quantity surveyors are able to produce work description details and quantities for such items easily. Based on the preliminary experiment which conducted by Ong, Lim and Aziz (2005), the CAD software is able to generate the quantities easily for certain elements in a building while problems are encountered in taking-off quantities for other elements. Hence, there is a need for cooperation between the designers and quantity surveyors to ensure that there is a seamless flow of information from t he designers to the quantity surveyors especially with respect to the information contains in CAD drawings. 2.3.3 Project Management Software According to Walker (ed, 2007), construction project management is defined as the planning, coordination and control of a project from conception to completion including commissioning on behalf of a client requiring the identification of the clients objectives in terms of utility, function, quality, time and cost, and the establishment of relationships between resources, integrating, monitoring and controlling the contributors to the project and their output, and evaluating and selecting alternatives in pursuit of the clients satisfaction with the project outcome. The industry needs to be concerned with identifying and studying the process of managing construction projects and with structuring its organisations and implementing techniques and procedures that make the project management process more effective. Project management software consists of five main functional modules which are progress program management capabilities, resource management, cost management capabilities, report generation and output functions, and auxiliary functions which mainly refer to the interface with other software, secondary development, data confidentiality and the like. This concept stems from the analysis of similar products abroad such as Primavera Software, Microsoft Project, etc. Primavera Software Primavera offers best-in-class solutions focused on the mission critical Project Portfolio Management requirements of key vertical industries including engineering and construction, IT and services and the like. Primavera P6 Professional Project Management which is one of the products gives todays project managers and schedulers the one thing they value most: control. It is the recognised standard for high-performance project management software and designed to handle large-scale, highly sophisticated and multifaceted projects. It can be used to organise projects up to 100,000 activities and provides unlimited resources and an unlimited number of target plans. On the other hand, Primavera P6 Professional Project Management can balance resource capacity, plan, schedule, and control complex projects, allocate best resources and track progress, monitor and visualise project performance versus, conduct what-if-analysis and analyse alternative project plans (Oracle, 2010). Microsoft Project 2010 Project 2010 offers easier and more intuitive experiences to help the client simply be more productive and realise amazing results from meeting crucial deadlines to selecting the right resources and empowering your teams (Microsoft Project 2010). Microsoft Project 2010 builds on the Microsoft Office project 2007 foundation with flexible work management solutions and the right collaboration tools for occasional and professional project managers and includes a pathway to more advanced project and portfolio management capabilities as business needs evolve. Through a dramatically enhanced user experience, it also drives team productivity with integration across familiar Microsoft technologies including Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Exchange Server. This integration allows a powerful business collaboration platform, proven project and portfolio management to result in a familiar, connected environment for customers to manage the simplest or the most complex projects (Phoenix, 2009). 2.4 Impacts of ICT Developments on Construction Industry The advent of ICT development has been both beneficial and detrimental. According to the respondents of the survey (Rivard, 2000), ICT developments have raised productivity in most business processes and particularly in general administration, design and project management. The main benefits achieved by the use of ICT is an increase in the speed of work, a better financial control, better communications, simpler and faster access to common data as well as a decrease in the number of mistakes in documentation. However, the benefits of ICT developments come at a cost since the complexity of work, the administrative needs, the proportion of new operations and the costs of doing business have all increased. Figure 1 attempt to show the changes caused by the introduction of ICT in construction industry. Figure 1: Changes caused by the introduction of ICT (Rivard, 2000) Furthermore, to explore the impacts of ICT developments on the architectural design process, Moum (2006) developed a framework to support the exploration and analysis of the multiple and complex amounts of information collected from both theory and practice. Based on the four selected design process aspects: generation of design solution, communication, evaluation of design solution, and decision making within the design process, and the three hierarchical levels: macro, meso and micro, an ICT impact matrix is conducted as a tool to summarizing and giving overview the key points explored by Moum (2006). Table 1 summarize some of the explored and discussed ICT related benefits and challenges within generation of the four selected design process aspects. The ICT systems used within the design process, support drafting and modelling rather than special design attributes and analytical capabilities, and have not changed the task of drafting or modelling. ICT also would develop from being a tool to becoming a design partner with having a design agent to make a designer aware of inconsistency regarding building legislation such as the minimum height of a staircase handrail (Kalay, 2004). Other than that, network technologies such as email and the internet have contributed to the most radical changes within the average working day for the building process participants as they support information exchange independent of geographical and organisational borders in communication stage within design process. ICT also offer a most powerful support of evaluation. Unrecognised problems can be identified, uncertainty reduced and errors avoided already at an early stage of the building project. It is easier to make a decision if every uncertainty i s eliminated within the architectural design process (Moum, 2006). Obviously, ICT developments have these far definitely brought benefits. Table 1: The ICT impact matrix summarizing the key points of the literature review (Moum, 2006) In the same time, CIRIA (1996) reviewed the procedures used by seven major construction organisations for their internal assessment of potential investments in IT in a study of United Kingdom construction organisations. These organizations included building and civil engineering contractors, civil engineering consultants and one large joint venture construction project. CIRIA concluded that, in the construction industry, formal cost-benefit analysis is not widely used to assess possible investments in IT. Even the simplest form of analysis of costs and benefits of smaller items can cost more staff time than the item itself and advancement of IT within organisations appears to be almost cyclical, alternatively evolutionary and revolutionary with periods of consolidation and evolution following radical assessments of IT strategy. This is a classic IT problem. For instance when Project Management software is introduced the software and hardware is a small part of the total cost-benefit equation. Staff training often costs more than the system, but the benefits of the training generally outweigh the costs (cited by Andresen, Baldwin, Betts, Carter, Hamilton, Stokes, and Thorpe, 2000). As a result of this industry-based debate of this issue, a framework of construction of construction IT benefits was colligated by academic perspectives reflecting perspectives reflecting the literature review conducted (Andresen et al. 2000). Table 2 shows a summary of the typical, process-based benefits that arise from IT investments that was colligated. Three categories: typical efficiency benefits, typical effectiveness benefits and typical performance benefits. Table 2: Typical IT benefits (Andresen et al. 2000) 2.5 Strategies Related to ICT Implementation There are three aspects which are self-motivation, training and environment for workplace support to understand how to encourage and manage the process of actual implementation of ICT diffusion within construction organisations. 2.5.1 Self-motivation ICT use remains dependent upon the individuals decisions whether to accept or reject the application. This is in turn affected by the degree of motivation. One motivation behind an individuals ICT application use is their characteristics such as self-confidence, enjoyment of learning and their previous foundation ICT skills. Peansupap and Walker (2005) indicated that users with high self-confidence levels are more likely to use and adopt ICT applications than users with low self-confidence. Igbaria, Iivari and Maragahh (1995) found that previous experience has a direct influence on the use and adoption of ICT. Individuals are able to use their existing ICT skills to perform the task. They found that computer experience is likely to improve a persons perceptions and belief of the usefulness of the ICT by enhancing their beliefs in their ability to master the challenges and to reduce any fears (cited by Peansupap and Walker, 2005). 2.5.2 Training Training is a primary organisational ICT diffusion factor because it helps users understand how to use and adopt ICT applications effectively. Likewise, Peansupap and Walker (2005) noted that many construction case studies found that lack of training is a key barrier to adopting and using ICT applications. So it is important to assess users training requirements to reduce the knowledge gap between what they already know and what they need to know to best perform their job through undertaking a personalised user needs analysis. Due to the threat of free-market and globalise competition has been view with serious concern by the various professional bodies, they believe their members will be able to better perceive the professions activity in a wider context and addressing this threat through Continuing Professional Development (hereinafter referred as CPD) programme. CPD is important for people and organisations need to continually learn and re-learn to sustain in this rapid changing business environment. Houle (1980) defines CPD as the ways in which professionals try, through their own knowledge and ability and build a sense of collective responsibility to society. Madden and Mitchell (1993) identifies CPS as the maintenance and enhancement of the knowledge, expertise and competence of professionals throughout their careers according to a plan formulated with regard to the needs of professional, the employer, the profession and society. (Adnan, Hashim, Janipha Hassan, and Ismail, 2009, p. 21) CPD is a requirement for members of most professional associations and the construction industry is no exception. Rather than relying solely on their employees, practitioners need to also take responsibility for their own professional development. ICT is a classic area for CPD due to regularity and speed of change and such personal development can significantly enhance an individuals value to a firm (Smith, 2004). 2.5.3 A Supportive Environment Workplace It can be argued that workplace environment characteristics such as commitment, open discussion, personal anxiety, and frustration also affect ICT implementation. The ICT diffusion process can be seen as a process of change within an organisation, so we need commitment from both users and their organisation. Individual commitment focuses on end-users who devote themselves to using ICT whereas organisational commitment focuses on top manager who support end-user to use ICT. Basic requirements of ICT adoption is the need to directly or indirectly persuade users to commit to support and allocate adequate resources for ICT technology investment (Peansupap and Walker, 2005). Open discussion helps to improve work productivity via the reporting of system difficulties. In addition, Senge et al. (1999) open discussion helps managers better understand problems or difficulties experienced by those operating ICT applications so that strategies can be devised to address deficiencies. Frustration or anxiety might develop from a negative users response when using computers. Igbaria and Parasuraman (1989) found that computer anxiety has a negative impact on users attitude toward microcomputers, especially when it is difficult to use ICT systems o r they can only be partially used (cited by Peansupap and Walker, 2005). Therefore, adequate ICT systems might be chosen for the companies to prevent users feel frustrated when faced the problems of insufficient or restricted their use of ICT systems. 2.6 Summary This chapter provides the general ICT developments information which focuses on QS firms and architectural engineering firms. Datuk Seri Prof Judin emphasized that the importance of ICT investment in construction industry and noted that standardisation is essential in obtaining workflow of the project development and implementation effectively. The development of design software, QS software and project management software can facilitate the exchange and management of information and has lot potentials for the information process component of the construction industry. This research found that CAD software is widely utilized in the current construction industry through all these surveys. These recent ICT developments undoubtedly have a profound impact whether is positive or negative on how organisations operate on a daily basis. Normally, benefits will be discovered much more than problems or barriers of ICT developments in AEC sector. The ICT developments in construction industry will improve the productivity and quality of output with the lesser time such as the increased speed in architectural design process. But, this research shows that the organisation and functions of each construction company will influence the impacts from ICT software developments. Lack of understanding of how to implement ICT into a construction organisation will be a significant problem too. Therefore, many construction organisations have found that the ICT investment has failed to meet their expectations. Continuing industry change and ICT developments will present the profession with many challenges, threats and opportunities. Hence, strategies of self-motivation, training provides and workplace environment may lead to efficient ICT implementation in a construction organisation.

Formalistic Approach to Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite)

Formalistic Approach to Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) Formal analysis of poetry helps to unfold the underlying meaning of a poem. This technique does not focus on the author of the poem, or what was happening in history during the time when the poem was written, but instead puts emphasis on the actual mean of the work. Formal analysis breaths life into the literary work and allows the poem to speak for itself. For example, in Thomas Grays' poem "Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes," paying close attention to word choice, structure, and rhyme scheme illuminates the actions of the prowling cat. The most important aspect in writing poetry is word choice. Thomas Gray did an excellent job in using descriptive words, along with using assonance and alliteration, throughout this poem to enhance imagery. For example, in the first stanza Gray describes the cat as being "pensive"(5) as it watches the fish below. This is followed in the second stanza as Gray uses alliteration and assonance to describe t...