Case Study: Filipro, Inc. Essay

I. Viewpoint Mr. Delfin Castillejos II. Time Frame July 24, 1984 III. Statement of the Problem What will Filipro, Inc. do regarding the on-going strike at Alabang and Cabuyao plants because of unfair labor practices? IV. Statement of the Objectives To resolve the problem between the management and the workers of the company To make a good relationship with some potential sources of funds such as commercial bankers and investors by giving the demands of the striking workers To develop a good employer-employee relationship V. Areas of consideration It is a company of nutritional products (milk, coffee, soya-based products, infant dietetics) The products are in demand in the market The company is steady and gainful Unfair labor practices by company management On-going strike by workers Low sales when it comes to infant formulas or baby foods (10%) Competitors in the market, the CFC and Commonwealth Foods, Inc. Well-known products Market acceptance abroad The company can introduce more health based products The company might lose the possible sources of funds due to on-going strike VI. Alternative Courses of Action Alternative 1: Improve the policies as well as the human behavior and human resource management of the company Alternative 2: Give or supplement the demand of the workers (UFE- Union of the Filipro Employees) VII. Evaluation of the Alternative Courses of Action Alternative 1: Improve the policies as well as the human behavior and human resource management for the of the company The advantages are the ff. Harmonious relationship among the management and the workers will build More investors will easily encourage to invest The disadvantages are the ff. Slow to adopt the new sets of policies and procedures More time will consume in orienting them the new management Alternative 2: Give or supplement the demand of the workers The advantages are the ff. The workers may stop from striking Workers can add more good reputation to the company by giving them their demands Rebuild good relationships between the management and the employees The disadvantages are the ff. Time consuming because it will take time to convince the striking workers Additional expenses for the company VIII. Recommendation I choose to recommend the Alternative 2. Give the demands of the workers – the Union of the Filipro Employees (UFE) concerning about the union affairs and labor practices. The management will give the right and fair treatment among the employees in Alabang and Cabuyao plants like in the other plants financially and morally. Discuss with them the workers about giving the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement). Although this alternative is additional to the expenses of the company, they can afford to give the demands of the workers and the members of the union. Since it is stable and profitable organization, workers can demand more financial assistance and more  benefits. They can cover up the expenses for Filipro, Inc BALANCE SHEETS December 31, 1983 and 1982 1983 1982 Increase or (Decrease) ASSETS Amount Percent Current Assets â‚ ±1,091,564,748 â‚ ±886,120,318 205,444,430 23.18% Investment in Shares of Stock 3,487,120 3,487,120 – – Property, Plant and Equipment 468,763,650 344,537,676 124,225,974 36.06% TOTAL ASSETS 1,563,815,518 1,234,145,114 329,670,404 26.71% LIABILITIES Current Liabilities â‚ ±898,609,980 â‚ ±643,186,565 Deferred Income Tax 13,147,827 5,815,718 Total Liabilities SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY Capital Stock 379,450,000 270,000,000 Advance Payments on stock subscriptions 3,170,657 46,250,788 Retained Earnings 269,437,054 268,892,043 TOTAL SHE 652,057,711 585,142,831 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’EQUITY â‚ ±1,563,815,518 â‚ ±1,234,145,114 IX. Action Plan Specific Activity Time Frame Person Responsible Budget Meet and discuss with the union and management the demands of the striking workers 1 week Mr. Delfin Castillejos and the union – Evaluate the financial statements of the company 1 week Mr. Jose Asperilla – Supply the demands of the workers September 1984 up to present Management – Facts of Case Description Strength Weakness Opportunities Threats Stable and profitable organization Nutritional Products Products are in demand in the market Unfair labor practices Competitors in the market (CFC and Commonwealth Foods, Inc.) Well-known products Market acceptance abroad Might lose the possible sources of funds More health based products to advertise

What’s Happening To Our Girls

Written my Maggie Hamilton presents the Issue that girls all over the world feel pressures at some stage of their lives. Hamilton presents this idea to the reader in a negative way in comparison to how popular culture and wider society encourages it. As girls are growing up, they feel pressures regarding their desires to be a woman, body Image and pressures from parents and teachers. Hamilton expresses these Ideas through the use of expository conventions such as interviews, facts and expert opinion.Young girls ranging from the ages of 3-12 are becoming more and more like managers. Their clothes are getting skimpier and their desires are constantly growing. The expository text What's happening to our girls? Presents this issue through the use of interviews expert opinion. Hamilton conveys the idea of young girls losing their childhood in a negative way to the reader through the use of her expert opinion. An example of this from the text Is â€Å"Teenage life can't come quickly enoug h for most teens.By now they're more than ready to leave their little-girl self behind. † (Peg. 31 ) This is explaining how girls are losing their valuable and replaceable childhood experiences that they are now missing out on due to the strong Influences that popular culture has on them. Hamilton is encouraging the parents of these young girls to not spoil their children by giving them everything they desire but to engage them within their community and to mix with a variety of people from different generations. Another convention used to convey the message is facts.An example of this In the text is â€Å"In one study of girls aged 5-8, over a quarter of the 5-year-old-galls wished they were These facts support the idea that arils are growing up too fast and that these are the issues that adults should be worrying about, not young girls. In popular culture, these ideas are also presented, but in a deferent way. Girls are being encouraged to have the latest technology, clothe s and makeup through the use of Images In magazines. Magazine companies use specific images to encourage girls to step into the world of woman hood.An example of this is in one Bliss magazine, they published the A-Z of sex. This is handing out unnecessary information to young readers that they would never need to know at their age. Girls feel that they have to live up to these expectations that boys and their peers have of them and they will do anything to be accepted. While the majority of parents would be horrified by the way these Ideas are presented to their young girls, many parents support the idea of their little girls wearing bras, makeup and obsessing about their clothes.In my personal opinion I believe that young girls should embrace and enjoy their worries and carefree days Like I did when I was a child. Hamilton suggests that this Is a growing concern in our society today as it encourages girls to become over sexualities. Popular culture is encouraging the over exultatio n's of girls and wider society Is trying their best to stop It. 1 OFF expresses this idea through the use of conventions such as facts and interviews in a negative way to the reader. Majority of girls in modern society are very self- conscious.Afraid of being constantly Judged, girls are relentlessly striving to keep up with the latest fashions and their desires to be thin Just so they can fit in. Many girls go to the extremes of starving themselves and purging Just to feel accepted by others. Hamilton is presenting this issue in a negative way to the reader through the SE of interviews. An example of this is in the text is â€Å"Eating disorders are really quite a common thing, but you kind of get used to it-like that's the way it is. † Peg. 07). This is explaining to the reader how common eating disorders are becoming and how girls don't think much of it anymore. In popular culture the idea of beauty is extremely distorted. With the use of Photos, companies believe that the y can make more money by making girls look thinner and more attractive. When girls view these warped images, they believe that these are the features they need to have to be dutiful. Examples of these features include the thigh gap, a flat stomach and collar bones.Hamilton used the convention of facts to present this idea to the reader. An example of this in the text is â€Å"Links have now been made between the representation of thin models in magazines and eating disorders. In one study, the teenage girls who watched TV ads with skinny models were less confident and happy with their bodies than girls not exposed to these ads. † (Peg. 103) These fact positions the reader to have a negative point of view towards magazine companies who are sending these storied messages to young girls.In wider society, parents want to protect their young girls from bad influences that can be put on them. Majority of parents don't know what their girls are reading in their magazines and would b e horrified to know what information these girls are absorbing. In my opinion, I believe that girls need to be themselves and understand their individuality and to not constantly worry about their appearance. Hamilton suggests that poor body image is taking over our girls' mindsets and their values they have of themselves are plummeting.Popular culture s influencing girls to believe that they are not up to the standards of being beautiful and wider society is trying to prevent them from thinking down on themselves. Girls all over the world are feeling pressures from their parents, friends and teachers. Hamilton conveys this message to the reader in a negative way through the use of expository conventions such as interviews and expert opinion. As young girls are growing up in a modern world, their parents have high expectations of them to succeed in school and to secure a financially rewarding Job.Along with the pressures f grades, friends and boys this leads to a lot of stress in gi rls lives. Hamilton expresses this idea to the reader through the use of her expert opinion. An example of this in the text is â€Å"It's a big ask for any teenager to be perfect and popular, wear the right clothes, look cool and achieve excellent grades. There's little opportunity here to build solid self-esteem. Is it any wonder so many are feeling depressed? â€Å"(Peg. 80). This opinion describes to the viewer the many pressures girls face in their daily lives and how it is affecting their physiological state.Another convention used is interviews. An example of this in the text is â€Å"l don't go out very much during the amount of pressure put on you at school to do well- and you Just get stressed out. † (Peg. 75) This conveys the message to the reader as it explains Just how stressed out girls can be even over the little things. Popular culture also doesn't help girls either. Maggie Hamilton explains â€Å"The pressure on girls is also apparent in teen magazines, whe re there's endless editorial on what it means to be a successful woman-how to have a better body, better skin, better grades. â€Å"(Peg. ) When girls are reading these articles they are comparing themselves to the text and their self- esteem goes down as they know that they do not live up to the standards. Wider society is also a contributing factor towards girls feeling pressured. Parents who are expecting well-behaved children with good grades and teachers loading them up with homework don't help downsize girls' stress levels, it Just rapidly increases them. In my opinion, I believe that girls do face a lot of pressures throughout their teen years and that they need to find ways to cope and work around them.Hamilton presents the issue of pressures in a negative way to the reader whilst popular culture and wider society are finding ways to increase the stress levels girls have today. Hamilton presents the idea of pressures widely throughout the expository text What's hipping to o ur girls?. The ideas of girls growing up too fast, body image and expectations and presented within the text through the use of conventions. These conventions include the use of expert opinion, facts, statistics and interviews. Hamilton presents these ideas in a negative way to the reader and explains ways that arenas and friends can help their girls move past them.Popular culture is a major contributor to the way girls think they should be living and also has huge influenced on their attitudes, values and behavior. A large majority of wider society wants their girls to grow up in a carefree environment where they can learn to be creative and enjoy their individuality. I believe that girls should be able to live their lives to the fullest and not worry about what others think of them. If every girl in the world accepted each other for who they were, imagine the freedom and enjoyment everyone would have.

Sample Answer Ccts by Miss Emy Jong

National level public examinations such as the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Pelajaran Tinggi Malaysia (STPM) have always generated a lot of interest among the general public as they are essential for entrance into universities and also to enter into the work market. In the recent few years, attention has been drawn to the phenomenon of students getting up to 20 As in the SPM examinations and this has been a source of contention especially with regards to scholarship allocation and university placements. The government then has been mulling a decision to set a limit on the maximum number of subjects a candidate may sit for as a way to simplify the selection process into tertiary studies. The writer of this article, Dr. I. Lourdesamy of the Pacific Institute Technology in Petaling Jaya offers his views on this development and the article is aptly titled â€Å"SPM Subjects: Let students make the choice. Basically, the writer is of the opinion that setting a cap on the number of subjects a student may sit for does not address the real issue of suitable selection criteria into tertiary education, and he goes on to suggest how we may best tackle the issue by giving his recommendations as well as what he feels the goal of education should be. The writer proposes that we should not limit the number of subjects SPM students can sit for, and instead students can be evaluated on the basis of their performance in subjects directly related to the proposed field of study. He is disagreeable to limiting students’ opportunity to learn, and feels that the students should be allowed to decide on their own goals based on their capacity and aptitude. He also suggests that schools offer a range of elective subjects to cater to different student interests. Furthermore, the writer opines that most students have too much free time and actually should be encouraged to do more. Finally, the writer addresses the primary objective of education – to provide opportunity for its students to maximize their learning potential. Personally, I find the writer’s argument of not limiting the number of subjects for SPM students to be reasonable and logical. As he said earlier, if the concern is the assessment process for scholarships and places in universities then what we need is a clear and comprehensive guideline on the selection criteria for the various disciplines in tertiary education. Actually, the practice of taking into account only subjects which are directly relevant to the proposed field of study has long been practiced and limiting the number of subjects would not help in any way to determine which students are more deserving of university placements or scholarships. What students need to be made aware of is that they need to prepare for their desired field of study by taking relevant subjects which would be necessary in the selection process. The author’s arguments on allowing students to decide on their own goals based on their capacity and aptitude, besides having schools offering elective subjects are indeed good suggestions. Having gone through the path of being a student myself, I strongly feel that if students are given more say in what they are studying, it will make them more motivated and keen to learn. They can also be challenged appropriately, and the scenario of having students being bored (because the syllabus is too easy or uninteresting) or not being able to follow lessons (because they are too weak) will be greatly reduced. However, the implementation of such suggestions may be very difficult as a lot of resources will need to be made available to schools and students. We would have to first have a large enough pool of competent teachers to teach students these various subjects at all levels of difficulty, and sorting out the logistics such as allocation of classrooms and time-tabling could also prove very challenging. Students’ use of their free time was also one of the points raised in the article. The author obviously feels that students could be more productive and that they do not have much to do. While there may be some truth to his argument, I think that it is not fair to generalize and say that all students are too free and should be asked to do more. How much time a student actually spends on his studies and other worthwhile activities differs greatly from one student to another. It really depends on the individual’s motivation and goals. Some students who are already pushing themselves very hard should actually be taught to relax and have more balance in their life. Therefore, this argument shows the author’s bias towards students nowadays and he should give more careful thought to this before making such conclusions.

WorldCom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

WorldCom - Essay Example According to the case, Ebbers and Sullivan were the main controllers and master minds behind the success of WorldCom from the time it was Long Distance Discount Services (LDDS). The mention of this massive success is however overlapped in the case by the accusations of bringing down the company to bankruptcy as a result of massive accounting irregularities, fraud and conspiracy. Once the company started going under and an external auditing firm hired to come and audit it, the recommendations from this audit firm were not taken into action immediately by the auditing committee of the company. The case explains that if immediate actions had been taken to examine the massive accounting irregularities discovered by Cooper (an external auditor), then WorldCom would have been saved from bankruptcy. But this was not to be the case. The board on the other hand had so much faith in Ebbers leadership as CEO and they were also afraid of the implications his withdrawal of his shares and input to the company would have on WorldCom that they continued to lend him loans and at a lower interest rate. These loans given to Ebbers were for his own personal growth and maintenance and they accumulated to over $300 million which was company money but no repayments were forthcoming to benefit the company. Sullivan together with the fraudulent stock broker firm (Salomon Smith Barney brokers) hid the truth of the company’s economic performance from the shareholders and stockholders. According to these two crucial groups of people, the company’s quarterly profits and cash flow earnings was admirable and even more people still refused to sell their shares even when rumors of bankruptcy of the company started being aired. Later discovery was that the CFO was misrepresenting the accounting records without people realizing and this was even worse on the last five quarters before

Why parents should not argue in cheldren's presence Essay

Why parents should not argue in cheldren's presence - Essay Example Young children usually regard their parents as role models and try to imitate all they do and put them into their daily activities. Parents posses this magical ability to forget that their kids are within earshot of what they are saying when arguing. Or they assume their children are too young to understand the context of the argument while ignoring to realize the tone of their conversation is noticeable by even a one year old child. The greatest danger is, kids do as we do and most often not as we say, though we wish the opposite. So, what kind of children are we going to raise when we traditionally argue and fight before them? Most of the time, whatever children learn from their families, sometimes they carry them through their lives. Hence, family unity is a very essential component in a child’s growth and future character (Rimm, 2008). For any child to develop into a morally person, one is expected to have learnt good morals from his or her parents (Oliver, 2011). Children regard their parents as their mentors and try to copy whatever things they see them doing. A tender mind of a child once exposed to the sight of parents quarrelling may start imitating what their parents do to other children. Such children tend to develop quarreling attitudes when confronted with tricky situations and on worst case scenario, involve themselves in fights. According to some research conducted on children who were once exposed to seeing their parent’s quarrelling, the research found out that the most of the children developed quarrelling tendencies later in their lives as men or women (Rimm, 2008). Children exposed to the scene of their parents quarrelling sometime become traumatized psychologically. Possessing tender minds, children are the most affected in case of a quarrel. A child in his or her micro-environment usually believes life is a happy place, and by seeing such a scene, become terrified of life’s outcome (Vissing, 2007). A child also believe d that perfection in his or her micro-world is brought by his or her parents, therefore by seeing them quarreling, deprives the child of his or her happiness. Parent’s who quarrel in front of their children should not do so since their subject their children to psychological torture and deprive them of the happiness children should have at such tender age. Quarrelling before children in some countries is punishable since it deprives children their rights. One of the worst side effects of living in a hostile environment is exposure to stress. Stress should not be really a part in a child’s life. Some of healthy stresses such as the thrill to adventure, challenging school work, or normal changes of life are good. However, the negative stress brought about by living in unhappy household full of conflicts is terrible for a child mental and physical health. Parents should also not argue in front of their children since they might cause emotional instability. Sometimes, chil dren become emotionally disturbed when they see their parents quarrelling and become withdrawn. Children are usually free with their parents and believe their parents are their judges in whatever happens to them, but on seeing they quarrel, send fear into their minds (Rimm, 2008). A child, who was once free with his or her parents before a quarrel, may start withdrawing or keeping to himself or herself after the quarrel since he or she distrusts them. Trust in any family is important for its survival. A child learns to be distrustful after such events since the person he or she used to trust, engages in quarrelling. When children become threatened emotionally, they exhibit increased negativity in life. Some of them develop symptoms of anxiety, depression, hostility,

Public Health--Discuss the health problems and health service issues Essay

Public Health--Discuss the health problems and health service issues that are associated with homelessness - Essay Example discussion presented in this essay will draw on evidence from a large variety of credible sources to see what past and contemporary research has to say on the subject. The gravity of this matter of homelessness is evident from statistical data revealed in one of the latest newspaper reports in the country. According to this report, as many as 112070 people identified themselves as homeless in the UK in 2014. This figure represents a whopping 26% increase in homelessness over the last four years which demonstrates the hideous proportions of this very serious matter in the country. While the rate of homelessness has increased by 26% which is a spine-chilling reality in itself, the number of those people who sleep on the streets or pavements has tremendously increased by 75% (Henley 2014). This is saying something about an ever-increasing wealth gap between the rich and poor in the UK. This gap is at its worst in the present contemporary times as a result of which homelessness has also increased at a gigantic pace. There is a definite link between homelessness and health issues in particular mental health as it is suggested by many that both entities are inextricably linked to each other. Research claims that the use of institutions like psychiatric hospitals to treat the mentally disordered homeless people has fallen in the UK. However, particularly high fear levels have been noticed in those who â€Å"spent a large proportion of their lives in psychiatric hospitals† (Glover-Thomas 2002, p. 157). It is claimed that such patients when discharged to live freely in the community have only served to â€Å"add to the homelessness problem† (Glover-Thomas 2002, p. 157). The correlation between homelessness and adverse mental health is of such extent that about 1/3rd of all homeless people are diagnosed with different critically severe mental health issues like suicidal distress, chronic substance abuse, schizophrenia, and paranoia (Videbeck 2013, p. 6). Actually,

Why was Fluxus called Fluxus Look at least three Fluxus pieces Essay

Why was Fluxus called Fluxus Look at least three Fluxus pieces - Essay Example Perloff (2002) quotes Higgins, Fluxus...was not a movement; it has not stated consistent programme or manifesto which the work must match, and it did not propose to move art or our awareness of art from point A to point B. The very name, Fluxus, suggests change, being in a state of flux. The idea was that it would always reflect the most exciting avant-garde tendencies of a given time or moment—the Fluxattitude. It is perhaps easier to describe the movement as what it was not rather than what it was. Perloff (2002) writes, â€Å"Fluxus was not, as is usually thought, an inconoclastic avant-garde movement but a way of life, a ‘fertile field for multiple intelligence interactions’ (H. Higgins 193) that has strong pedagogical potential†. Repice (no date) in his paper on the subject views the definition from another angle â€Å"...as a series of organized activities and ‘as a way of doing thing’ that nonetheless coalesced around key people, places, and events. When I speak of Fluxus, I defer the question of whether it was a â€Å"movement† or not and attempt to think of it as a tradition or sensibility embodied by certain people at certain times†. The origins of Fluxus lie in the many concepts explored by avant-garde composer John Cage as reflected in his dissonant experimental music of the 1950s. As described rather esoterically in The Fluxus blog (2010), Cage popularized a form incorporating â€Å"... acrostic poem in which the ‘hidden’ or included word, phrase, or name is seen vertically in a central spine instead of at the beginning or end...† While the concept may be familiar to those who study music, Cage’s importance to the Fluxus movement may be more easily understood when explained through his now famous original experimental piano composition piece, 4’ 33† (1952), in which the pianist sits at the piano but does not play for exactly four minutes and

Aristotle and Relationship at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Aristotle and Relationship at Work - Essay Example The excellences most properly human, then, are the intellectual excellences, and happiness consists primarily in activity in accordance with those excellences -- it is a form of intellectual activity Aristotle sees happiness as one of the main issues in life of human beings. In his works, happiness is referred as "eudaimonia". To say that happiness concerns the soul or the animator is to say that human flourishing requires the exercise of certain of the faculties by which life is defined; in particular, a person cannot be said to flourish as a human being unless he is exercising distinctively human faculties. "Happiness is an activity 'in accordance with excellence" (Kraut 83). To flourish is to do certain things excellently or well. A man who exercises his faculties but does so inefficiently or badly cannot be said to be making a success of his life. Then what are the excellences in accordance with which we must act if we are to make a success of things Aristotle distinguishes between excellences of character and excellences of intellect. The former include both what we think of as moral virtues -- courage, generosity, fairmindedness, and so on, and also such dispositions as a proper self-respect, an appropriate degree of ostentation, and wit; the latter include such things as knowledge, good judgment, 'practical wisdom'. In addition, Aristotle spends some time in discussing the quasi-excellence of friendship (Chang 64). According to Pangle: For the pursuit of this highest good must begin precisely by questioning the goodness of what is one's own, the goodness of the reigning pieties of those among whom one is born, and the likelihood that simple fellowship with kindred souls can ever be the core of happiness, as bewitchingly desirable as it may seem" (35). Thus any choice or possession of the natural goods, goods of the body, wealth, friends, or any other good, which will best produce contemplation by the god [that is to say, by our intellect, the god within us], is best and is the finest standard; and any which, either because of deficiency or because of excess, prevents us from cultivating the god and from contemplating, is bad.' To flourish, to make a success of life, requires engagement in intellectual pursuits. Aristotle thought that such pursuits were immensely enjoyable, and that the intellectual life offered an unparalleled happiness Chang 64). Friendship is seen by Aristotle as a desired goals of human relations, but he accepts friendship between equals only. Aristotle lists some defining characteristics of friendship. A friend wishes and does what is good for

Friends of the Earth Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Friends of the Earth - Research Paper Example The organization asserts that the right to a clean and healthy environment is concurrent with the right to justice for every individual. This organization aims at not only changing the world for the people dwelling on Earth but also aims to preserve the natural blessings from complete deterioration. The key areas of the organization’s focus involve the promotion of economic justice and increasing resistance related to neo-liberalism, preservation of natural resources including forests, promotion of bio-diversity, steps to promote autonomous food availability and environmentally sound activities as well as preserving the energy resources which are getting scarcer in the modern age. The organization follows a fixed procedure to manage the tasks and project. Friends of the Earth International organize bi-annual meetings to prioritize projects and campaigns. The organization under review does not only aid environment and life locally but extends its activities at an international level. Its major international efforts relate to desertification, water, maritime, nuclear powers etc. MISSION The mission of the organization as described on its official website is â€Å"To campaign on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues by challenging the current model of economic and corporate globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies† [1]. The organization’s mission involves several deep concepts which extend the scope of its work areas and extent of its activities. Globalization, for instance, requires the organization to work in different areas like labor relations and issues, environmental issues and so on. HISTORY Friends of the Earth organization was started in 1969 by David Ross Brower (1912-2000), a prominent environmental enthusiast with also a passion for mountaineering. In 1971, the organization went international by collaborating with groups belonging to S weden, UK and France and over the years, the number of member groups in different countries increased to a number of 76. Among their early battles was the law suit against building a pipeline in Alaska going from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez Alaska. According to the Friends of the Earth, this was in conflict with the National Environmental Policy Act and an incursion into America’s last wilderness. They were also keen to tackle supersonic aircrafts due to its sonic boom and higher potential for damage to the ozone layer. This resulted in the ban of all overland commercial flight. Friends of the Earth was also one of the first organizations to challenge the construction of Nuclear Plants for generating energy in the United States. In 1986, Brower resigned to be succeeded by Erich Pica, a leading expert on the way federal tax dollars subsidize pollution and took the work forward of holding corporations accountable to the social and environmental impacts of their practices [1]. INFLUEN CES OF FRIENDS OF EARTH Giving voice to issues that favored the earth’s environment and lobbying aggressively for the correct government action has led to many governmental policies that curb if not prevent corporations and industries to violate the health and safety of our environment. These policies, legislations and checks not only benefit the subjects but are beneficial to the entire population of the Earth and its

Reflection -contemporary policies mental health Essay

Reflection -contemporary policies mental health - Essay Example As opposed to other citizens, they are left without access to services, subjected to a life with poverty, and denied of the basic life opportunities (World Health Organisation 2010). Mental health policies in a country can go a long way to promote mental health and provide equitable services to all the population irrespective of regions through strategic planning, appropriate legislation, and intent to serve in order to deliver effective treatment, prevention programmes, and promotional activities. An orientation to human rights that consider people affected with mental health problems as consumers may serve this issue appropriately, but mental health policies must be reviewed and critically examined in order to find out the differences and gaps in services in different areas. A reflective process that critically examines the differences would lead to guidance to the policy makers so efficient policies may be in place (Fawcett & Karban, 2005). From the Australian perspective, the issue of mental health care and complexities associated with consequent care delivery should have been a smooth journey from theory to policy to practice, but the current inequities in mental health practice raises the question of critical reflection. It has been suggested by Fawcett et al. that somewhere the objects of attention have lost the links between practice and praxis, where the conceptual signposts are no longer being identified in certain areas. There has been a definite loss of connection between theory, practice, and policies, so the ideally suitable flexible and dynamic use of knowledge, skills, analysis is not occurring in a methodologically sound, effective, and uniform manner. However, it was not expected to be so. The 1992-98 National Mental Health Policy in Australia is a policy of reform in mental health care across all states and territories, and it was aligned

Human Resource Management in Practice. Explanation of human`s skills Assignment

Human Resource Management in Practice. Explanation of human`s skills - Assignment Example Business competencies involve understanding the needs of the business and proposing logical solution to the issues. It also involves business knowledge, efficiency in planning and execution as well as promotion of strategic thought process. In addition to this a development of practitioners also implies that interpersonal traits like the ability to generate confidence and trust, ability to influence the stakeholders, enhancing workforce diversity and proper networking between the stakeholders. Finally a practitioner must also display personal skills including adaptability and the ability to handle disputes and conflicts emerging in the activities among the individuals as well as grooming of the personality and development of individuals. Finally, sound technical skills and domain knowledge along with excellent intellectual abilities is a key towards developing the best practitioners so as to ensure organizational excellence (Erasmus, Loedolf & Hammann, 2010, p.27). The seminar and th e analysis of the topic helped in understanding the importance of time management and interpersonal skills that must be acquired for being an excellent practitioner. The importance of proper planning and execution was also understood as it is largely an essential trait towards development of the career as a practitioner. Communications and meeting skills Leadership is one of the most essential aspects for a successful organization. A successful business leader must essentially have excellent communication abilities as well as empathy in his/her behaviour. A leader must be able to effectively communicate in a manner so that the messages are effectively communicated and clearly understood by the employees and other individuals. A charismatic approach and a good persuasive power is one of the key aspects of communications that must be present in a good leader leading a business (Cohn & Moran, 2011, pp.1-3). Certain other aspects of good communication and meeting skills also include an ability to use effective language that induces individuals to listen actively to the communication. In a meeting the communication skills of the manager must be such that tends to capture the attention of the audience. Use of poor language should be avoided at all costs as it is totally unethical and improper to hurt any person’s sentiments. It is also necessary for a manager to have good ability to provide concrete feedbacks; in this context effective leaders also do not devote their entire time in a meeting speaking and relaying his/her own views and thoughts. An effective leader or a good manager always tries to be accommodative and also listens to what is being said and spoken from the other end. Patience is one key aspect that must be followed by a leader in a course of a formal meeting or interaction. These traits along with a proper vision and time management are the key drivers that can help generate effective business leaders (Bacal, 2004, p.140-146). The seminar hel ped in the learning process by helping analyse the importance communication in an effective leader. Real life role plays also gave a practical understanding of the aspect. The exercise

Drug Addiction Among Young People Essay Example for Free

Drug Addiction Among Young People Essay Many young people today get addicted to drugs – they become dependant on various types of mind-altering or stimulating medicines or illegal ones. Addiction often comes hand-in-hand with narcotic effects, whether they are strong or light. It is only a question of time when you get addicted. You gradually become destroyed on all the levels of your health. And this is sad. It turns out to be sadder when you come to know that typical age range of drug addicts is from 15 to 30 years. People of this age represent the main working group in a country, they are both core and roots of a society. The addiction is also wide-spread geographically – you can find people having problems with drugs everywhere, not only in low-life countries, but in well-developed ones too. First of all, young people are especially vulnerable to different sorts of illegal things. Usually it all starts in schools. Children from problematic backgrounds often go into alcohol and then into drugs. First comes the psychological addiction and then physical – you want and you need. They destroy you and then destroy you harder as you get more tolerant to substances. The biggest group of addicts are students as they get off their families and there is no one over them to control. Plus, the spirit of freedom often blinds them and then they cannot get rid of their addiction. The life of addicts becomes spoiled in all spheres – social, as they need to communicate with other addicts, they lose their contacts with families and friends; economical – as they spend all their money on drugs (which are usually very expensive), addicts start to earn their money illegally (running rackets, prostitution, etc.) – all these problems are incidental if to compare them to health problems – drugs are primary dangerous to people health. Opiates like heroin are the most murderous drugs – they waste away your physical resources and supress your hearts work. Heroin is even more dangerous as the form of injections is the most appropriate for achieving  the narcotic effect. Here comes the AIDS. This disease is often called epidemy of our century as there is no treatment and effects are hard to resist and it is lethal.

Self Confidence Thinking

Self Confidence Thinking Self-confidence is the belief in your own ability when doing anything, by viewing yourself positively and realistically about yourself and your environment. (Densky 2006) In addition, you also need to believe that you have the ability to succeed. (Kent 2007) Self-confidence is also when you feel certain about yourself, your actions, decisions and opinions, and self-reliance. (Hawkins, Swannell Weston 1998, pg141) Yet, self-confidence is a very useful and powerful tool for everyone to achieve goals and fulfill wishes. Everywhere you go and everything you do, self-confidence is needed for your accomplishment of what you did. For all these while, many people think that they know what and how self-confidence is, but why some of them could not succeed in what they did. This is because they do not fully understand what self-confidence really is and know the proper and effective ways to improve it. Actually, improving self-confidence is very much depending on ones own self. Moreover, the ways to improve self-confidence are easy as long as you have a strong will to follow and never give up. Hence, self-confidence can be improved through inner of yourself by thinking positively, believing in yourself, setting realistic goals and learning. Upon understanding what self-confidence is, it is encompasses to know how a self-confident person is. A self-confident person is an optimistic, loving, independent, assertive, eager, self-respect and self-control person, and believe and know well about own abilities. (Mitchell 2007) Physically, a self-confident person looks confident with positive body language and good posture. That are, standing, sitting and walking with straight back, grasping hands in front or back of body, walking with wide steps, firm handshakes, making eye contact and smiling are signs of self-confidence. (2 Know Myself 2007)(Raudsepp 2007) Your viewers will see you confidence and they will have trust in you as you are telling them that â€Å"I can do it†. When you talk, walk, think behave and feel, self-confidence is shown. (USA Swimming 2004) In contrast, a lack of self-confidence person is a pessimist, passivity, distrust, perfectionist, sensitive to criticism and failure, inferior, isolated, self-doubt and depressed. (Mitchell 2007) Lack of self-confidence person always put on a sad, worry or confuse look, slump or bend shoulder when sitting and walking, and folding arms, sometimes with crossing legs. (2 Know Myself 2007) These positions labeled you as uncomfortable, unfriendly, annoying and not interesting which caused people around feel the same as you too. Your family members, friends and people around you will unlikely to approach you as you are telling them â€Å"Do not come near me†, â€Å"I can not help you† or â€Å"I can not do it†. Hence, you should not blame them for ignoring you. The first and main way to improve your self-confidence is thinking positively. Thinking positively is being happy, healthy with optimism and powerful with hopes. (Lopper 2007) You have to be positive even though you are feeling negative. This is because thinking negatively is very much affecting your self-confident. You may have Ps with you when you want to do something, that is, positive because if you always think about negative things, it is sure that you will fail. (USA Swimming 2004) However, this does not mean that you are ignoring the negative events but you accept them, look for the best in the events, and obtain ways to turn them into positive. There, you will see opportunity and hopes to restart again. (Lopper 2007) Moreover, for an example, you have lost in a competition. No doubt, you were feeling depressed, disappointed, angry, embarrassed, regretful and hopeless, or even worst, want to die. Initially, calm down yourself and recall some happy or past successes in your life included during the competition and success that you desired. When you are recalling, of course, the sad moments of the competition will make you more depressed and emotional. Then, you will keep on asking yourself, â€Å"Why am I so stupid?†, â€Å"I should have done that† or â€Å"Why did I do that?† as these are negative questions that make you feeling negative. Now, you look for way and opportunity by telling yourself, â€Å"Yes, I can restart. I shall prepare for the coming next competition. I will try harder this time.† Hence, you will feel relief and happy and able to stand up again. Some events such as competition have second round but some events seem like no hope such as lost of family member. However, no matter how, there is always hope and you should forget the past and face the future happily. This is because your family member wants you to continue your life happily. Firstly, you need to think positively by accepting and loving yourself. If you treat, judge or criticize yourself too cruel, you are lowering down your self-confidence. You should accept, be thankful upon what you have and feel proud of yourself, as there is meaning and value beneath it. Then, you should love yourself by taking care of your health, relaxing, awarding yourself when you have done well and advising yourself if you failed. Hence, you are feeling happy, good and positive with yourself. That is, you have your self-esteem and self-confidence. The most common negative view about oneself is the physical look, that are, not beautiful, not charming, fat body, too short, small eyes or flat nose. You must not compare yourself with others because it is a bad habit where you will forget what is good about you as you comparing you poor criteria with others will put yourself at the weak end. As a result, you will lose your self-confidence. (2 Know Myself 2007) Refer to Dr Sandra Scott, you must not chase after unattainable ideals but feel comfortable with the shape you are. (BBC UK 2007) According to Dr. Joe Rubino, accepting and being grateful of what you have, you can eliminate the feeling of incompleteness and dissatisfaction and peace your inner self towards confidence. Secondly, you also need to think positively about the predicted outcomes. People who are lack of self-confidence are tending to predict the negative outcome before they start doing anything although the reality is not that bad. (Mitchell 2007) You must focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. For instance, you want to take part in the competition. Before the competition started, because of certain obstacles such as difficulty or feeling threaten by competitors, you predicted that you are not going to win the competition. The reality will not be worst as if you think if you have tried. There are some people claimed that by thinking positively, they even worst, that is, they failed and by thinking negatively can be more successful than thinking positively. These are explainable because they are too focusing on thinking instead of concentrating on what they were doing and they are some people who can use negative thinking to stimulus and challenge themselves. For example usi ng self-talk, â€Å"I am scare to lose† or â€Å"You have to do it or you will regret†. Actually, thinking is your mental preparation before you start to do something. (USA Swimming 2004) Before you start your ‘engine, thinking is the fuel to the ‘engine; hence, you have the power to work for your goal as mental preparation provides you with confidence. As soon as you start, you must concentrate on making your goal alive. Furthermore, you can generate positive thinking by listen and witness positive materials. (Zaak OConan 2005) You can see and model others successes can enhance self-confidence. (USA Swimming 2004) You can read from books and articles about success people, watch their performances and identify their hard work. That would be your idol. From them, you are not ask to intimate them but be motivated and inspired by them. Hence, you can improve your self-confidence. The second way to improve your self-confidence is believing in yourself. That is, you need to think that you have the good in yourself. Hence, you figure out your abilities, strengths, intelligence, achievements or special skills through your interest. (Raudsepp 2007) The lack of ability does not necessary mean that you are lack of self-confidence. (Densky 2006) Therefore, you must believe and discover that you have something more special and powerful than others do, as every human is different. (The National Womens Health Information Center (NWHIC), US 2007) There is no one will always be the best. If you believe that â€Å"I can† and not â€Å"I can not†. If you believe â€Å"I am losing†, â€Å"I can not do this† or â€Å"I am out†, then you are really out as it is sure that you will not succeed. You must believe that you can be the best of you too. As you believe in yourself, hence, you must know yourself by discovering who you are on your own as no one can understand more than you do. This is mean that you are being independent in improving your self-confidence. You are on your own and not controlled and influenced by other person on what you do and unwilling to be under others obligation. (Hawkins, Swannell Weston 1998, pg346) You can be yourself and do what you want to do without having to wait for others approval. (Rybakov 2007) You do not have follow what others say or do, or let others create you, but you refer and create it in yourself with your own way. You do not have to be someone else although you admire to be that person. You can not force yourself or forced by others to make you become a person. You can be about something of your own. You can discover yourself by involving in community events, clubs and society in school or college or meaningful activities such charity or help someone. (Roker 2004) You will feel à ¢â‚¬Ëœcontained, useful and have hopes to live. You also realize that your life is meaningful. As you believe in yourself, you must be assertive as you are sure about your judgments and you have you own opinions and thought. Therefore, you must be able to voice out your opinions to others. You should not let anyone treat you like a doll, taking and playing you around. If you know that you are fooling by others and you are very angry, you should not keep and cry inside of you because you scare to let them know your real feeling. As you being assertive, you are able to express your feelings and desires non-aggressively to let other knows. (2 Know Myself 2007) You assert in what you want and do not want, you do not hide yourself in the behind, you step up to pursue your desire. In addition, there most common expression that most people are afraid of is saying â€Å"No†. If you are sure that you could not do, tell them â€Å"No, sorry, I cannot do it†. Another way to improve your self-confidence is setting realistic goals. Realistic goals must be achievable, neither too high nor low. The goals must meet your expectation and demand. Before that, you should understand your ability and create a reasonable standard for yourself. You cannot be good in everything. Too high standards or expectations will gradually weaken ones confidence and have self-doubt. In contrast, too low standards may cause one to be over-confident as he or she will of course feel so easy to reach his or her goals which make he or she think that â€Å"I am the best.† (Stevens 2005) It is no good for you to be perfectionist who likes to set impracticable goals or high standard that hard to achieve for himself or herself and ends up self-confidence being degraded. (2 Know Myself 2007) A perfectionist will say â€Å"I want everyone to love me†, â€Å"I can not make any mistake† or â€Å"I want to be perfect†. (2 Know Myself) You should know that no one is perfect in this world. People will lose their confidence if their goals are not achieved. Hence, you can try to follow on your abilities, strengths, decisions and express yourself as confidence comes from you when you being the best of you and not being others. (Coan 2005) In fact, make good use of your talents and abilities, set your own achievable goals and concentrate in whatever you do. (Wix 2003) As you know what you can do best, you choose to become the â€Å"master† of your strengths by mastering the art of focusing your power in the most worthy rather than being perfectionist. From noth ing, you increase your strengths which your self-confidence is improving too. (Swindell 2007) Again, another way to improve self-confidence is learning. In order to have self-confidence, you must be willing to learn from experience and new things and keep on learning. Self-confidence does not come immediately as you have to learn. You will not always be the same that is why you need to enhance yourself. Self-confidence is fragile, hence, you learn to maintain it. This can be illustrated by knife which you need to sharpen it sometimes so that you can cut better and easily. For example, you have learned and practice to dance, hence, you can dance gracefully. Then, you stop and dance again after sometimes. You will not dance as graceful as last time but if you willing to learn and practice again, you will dance well again and if you keep on practicing, you even become better and better. When you learn well, you have understood what you do and you do not feel doubt or fear to do it as you have the confidence to do it already. Although you have learn well a skill, you must not stop instead you practice to maintain and develop it. You need to learn forever. Specifically, you learn from experiences such mistakes, failures, criticisms and successes. Failure always makes ones feel lack of self-confidence. Failure will cause ones to feel. A self-confidence person learns more by making a lot of mistakes and failures. He or she does not scare of failure instead accept the failure and identify the reason of your failing. Failure is able to develop you and help you to explore the outer world. You are failing when you give up.(Rybakov 2007) As you make more mistake, you have learn more by trying again and becoming better with confidence then you will get what you dream for. (Rybakov 2007) When your family members or friends criticize you, you do not have to feel disappointed. You evaluate the critics, identify whether the critics are true. If it is true, accept and learn from it, and change it. If it is not, you can show them their mistakes of criticizing you. You also must be innovative, that is, willing to learn new things such as new skills and knowledge. People who are self-confident will not scare to try new things instead like new challenges. As the world is changing rapidly, many things are changing too especially results of great invention and development of science and technology. Hence, we also should go with the trend and change to adapt to the new environment. As every new things or events come, our self-confidence will be lower because we do not know how to deal with them. Therefore, you should learn to handle them by developing yourself with new skills. In addition, you must be able to take risk as challenge, regardless big or small and the results, the process improves your self-confidence. (Zaak O Conan 2005) For instance, consider you do not know how to ride a bicycle and you want to ride the bicycle. You need to learn to balance your body when riding the bicycle. Of course, when you learn to balance, you will fell for num ber of times before you can ride the bicycle well. Here, you must not scare to fell, scare of pain as you take them as challenges. Self-confidence is the inner self-management towards reality and positive of oneself and the world. People who are self-confidence have positive thinking, understand whom and how they are, trust in themselves, achievable goals, personality and strong will for development. We can maintain and build up our self-confidence by having favourable perceptions about ourselves and everything around us, conviction on your judgment and evaluation, hold on own self-concept, appropriate and real missions of life, and non-stop studying about life to increase standard of yourself. Self-confidence gives your power to live meaningfully. Self-confidence drives you to your dreams of successes. Although, self-confidence does not guarantee success, but, at least you have try to pursue what you wish for, and therefore, there is no regret at the end of your life. Therefore, close your eyes, think who you are and what do you want in your life, fill up your confidence and go after your dreams as time goes by fast and will not stop for you. On the other hand, you must know how to balance your confidence as do not have too much self-confidence, that is, overconfidence which may lead to failure too. It is improving and repairing your self-confidence, and not boost it up high. Reference Hawkins, J.M., Weston, J Swannell, JC 1998, The Oxford Study Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Penerbit Fajar Bakti Sdn Bhd, Shah Alam. Stevens, TM 1998, Self-Confidence: Our Expectation of Success, You Can Choose To Be Happy, Wheeler-Sutton Publishing Co. Chapter 6: Self-Confidence, United Stated Swimming. Retrieved: November 16, 2007, from http://usaswimming.org Coan, G 2005, Become More Self-Confident Retrieved: October 24, 2007, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Become-More-Self-Confidenceid=10267 Densky, A.B. 2006, Self-Confidence, What Is It And How Do I Get It? Neuro-Vision. Retrieved: October 27, 2007, from http://www.neuro-vision.us/Article/Self-Confidence-What-Is-It.html Improving confidence, BBC Relationship, The British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved: November 16, 2007, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/improving_your_confidence/ Kent, M 2007, The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science Medicine: Sports Science Medicine Information About Self-Confidence, The Oxford University Press. Retrieved: November 8, 2007, from http://www.answer.com.topic/sefl-confidence Lopper, J 2007, How to Think Positively: Break the bad habit of negative thinking. Retrieved: November 16, 2007, from http://changing-personal-habits.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_think_positively Mitchell, S 2007, Counseling Services: Suicide Prevention Training (QPR): Self-Confidence, State University of New York at Buffalo. Retrieved: October 24, 2007, from http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/self-con.shtml Raudsepp, E 2004 Strong Self-Esteem Can Help You Advance, The Wall Street Journal: Executive Career, CareerJournal.com, Dow Jones Company, Inc. Retrieved: November 17, 2007, from http://www.careerjournal.com/myc/climbing/20040810-raudsepp.html The National Womens Health Information Center (NHWHIC), U.S. 2007. Retrieved: October 28, 2007, from http://www.girlshealth.gov/mind/selfconfidence.low.htm Rybakov, E 2007, Self-esteem guide: Improve Your Self-Confidence Through Mistakes And Failure. Retrieved: November 18, 2007, from http://www.self-esteem-guide.com/ImproveYourSelf-Confidence.html Roker, MM 2004 Ten Empowering Tips For Your Teen. Retrieved: October 24, 2007, from http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/parenting_insights/110824 Rubino, J, n.d. Definition: Building Self-Confidence. Retrieved: November 8, 2007, from http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Definition_Building_Self-Confidence.html Self-Confidence: Building Self-confidence, 2 Know Myself 2007. Retrieved: October 27, 2007, from http//www.2knowmyself.com/self_confidence/Building_self_confidence Signs of Self-Confidence, 2 Know Myself 2007. Retrieved: October 27, 2007, from http//www.2knowmyself.com/self_confidence/Building_self_confidence Swindell, G 2007, The Voice of Change: Developing Your Self-Confidence. Retrieved: November 17, 2007, from http://www.geneswindell.com/articles.htm Wix, DG 2003, How To Build Your Self-Confidence After a Layoff. Retrieved: November 8, 2007, from http://www.mental-health-matters.com/articles/article.php?artID=616 Zaak OConan, 2005, Boost Your Confidence: How to Succeed At Being Yourself. Retrieved: November 16, 2007, from ReedFloren.com

Malaysian construction industry system

Malaysian construction industry system INTRODUCTION The Malaysian construction industry is undergoing a transitional change from an industry employing conventional technology to a more systematic and mechanized system. This new system is now known as the Industrialized Building System (IBS). This new method of construction can increase productivity and quality of work through the use of better construction machinery, equipment, materials and extensive pre-project planning. This study becomes very necessary since there is yet no organized body, which can provide the necessary information on the building cost comparison between the conventional system and industrialized building system in Malaysias construction industry. This study also addresses the building cost comparison of the conventional system and industrialized building system of formwork system. It provides the details building cost between the conventional system and the formwork system and indicates which of the two is cheaper. The data were collected through questionnaire s urvey and case study, which consisting of institutional buildings. Through the statistical testt-test it is shown that there is a significant difference in cost saving for the conventional system as compared to the formwork system (industrialized building system). The Malaysian construction industry is undergoing a transitional change from an industry employing conventional technologies to a more systematic and mechanized system employing the latest computer and communication technologies. This is vital for the future health of the industry, given the trend towards global competition and the advent of the k-economy. The Industrialized Building System (IBS) has been introduced in Malaysia since the 60s by the use of precast concrete beam-column elements. Since the demand of building construction has increased rapidly, it is necessary to innovate a construction method, which speeds up the building construction process. To sum-up, in general, the IBS is a methodology whereby a local construction industry is driven towards the adoption of an integrated and encouraging key players in the construction industry to produce and utilize pre-fabricated and mass production of the building at their work sites. This will help to enhance the efficiency of construction process, allowing a higher productivity, and quality, time and cost saving. The construction cost of a building using precast components should be assessed in its overall context. The traditional method of costing by material quantities with a fixed factor for labor cost can lead to incorrect estimation. For example, if labor usage is halved, this will more than compensate for a 10% material increase. More importantly, there is saving in time. Also, if properly designed and executed, precast can lead to much better quality of work. The overall cost impact of precast has therefore to take all these factors into consideration. With the rising costs of labor and less assurance of dependable skilled manpower, the trend is that precast construction will become increasingly competitive compared to cast-in-place construction? PRECAST CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Introduction Every construction material system has its own characteristics which to a greater or less extend influence the layout, span length, construction depth, stability system, etc. This is also the case for precast concrete, not only in comparison to steel, wood, masonry structures, but also with respect to cast in-situ concrete. Theoretically, all joints between the precast units could be made in such a way that the completed precast structure has the same monolithic concept as a in-situ one. However, this is a wrong approach one, which is very labour intensive costly. If the full advantages of precast concrete are to be realized, the structure should be conceived according to its specific design philosophy: Long spans, appropriate stability concept, simple details, etc. Designers should from the very outset of the project consider the possibilities, restrictions advantages of precast concrete, its detailing, manufacturer, transport, erection serviceability stages before completing a design in precast concrete. Precast concrete system enables faster programmed times not affected by weather or labour shortages. Improves buildability early enclosure of dry envelope enables follow-on trades to start sooner. Produces a high standard of workmanship in factory conditions reduces potential for accidents, addresses on-site skill shortage. Has a high quality finish that can be left exposed concretes thermal properties can be exploited in low-energy buildings. PRIMARY FUNCTIONS Keep water out Prevent air leakage Control light Control radiation of heat Control conduction of heat Control sound SECONDARY FUNCTIONS Resist wind forces Control water vapor Adjust to movement Thermal and moisture expansion or contraction Structural movements Resist fire Weather gracefully Easy to install Architectural precast concrete provides architects with an exciting medium when designing facades for a wide range of buildings, from healthcare facilities to shopping malls, commercial office buildings to sports stadiums. Precast concrete provides: Complete thermal protection Continuous air/vapour barrier Effective rain screens Superior lifespan Reduced construction schedule and on-site labour High quality control standards Numerous finish options and colours CATEGORIES OF PRECAST BUILDING SYSTEMS Precast buildings constitute a significant fraction of the building stock in the republics of the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. Depending on the load-bearing structure, precast systems can be divided into the following categories: Large-panel systems Frame systems Slab-column systems with walls Precast concrete floor Large-Panel Systems The designation â€Å"large-panel system† refers to multistory structures composed of large wall and floor concrete panels connected in the vertical and horizontal directions so that the wall panels enclose appropriate spaces for the rooms within a building. These panels form a box-like structure (see Figure 1). Both vertical and horizontal panels resist gravity load. Wall panels are usually one story high. Horizontal floor and roof panels span either as one-way or two-way slabs. When properly joined together, these horizontal elements act as diaphragms that transfer the lateral loads to the walls. Depending on the wall layout, there are three basic configurations of large-panel buildings: Cross-wall system. The main walls that resist gravity and lateral loads are placed in the short direction of the building. Longitudinal-wall system. The walls resisting gravity and lateral loads are placed in the longitudinal direction; usually, there is only one longitudinal wall, except for the system with two longitudinal walls. Two-way system. The walls are placed in both directions. Thickness of wall panels ranges from 120 mm for interior walls to 300 mm for exterior walls. Floor panel thickness is 60 mm. Wall panel length is equal to the room length, typically on the order of 2.7m to 3.6 m. In some cases, there are no exterior wall panels and the faà §ade walls are made of lightweight concrete. A typical interior wall panel is shown in Figure 2. Panel connections represent the key structural components in these systems. Based on their location within a building, these connections can be classified into vertical and horizontal joints. Vertical joints connect the vertical faces of adjoining wall panels and primarily resist vertical seismic shear forces. Horizontal joints connect the horizontal faces of the adjoining wall and floor panels and resist both gravity and seismic loads. Depending on the construction method, these joints can be classified as wet and dry. Wet joints are constructed with cast-in-place concrete poured between the precast panels. To ensure structural continuity, protruding reinforcing bars from the panels (dowels) are welded, looped, or otherwise connected in the joint region before the concrete is placed. Dry joints are constructed by bolting or welding together steel plates or other steel inserts cast into the ends of the precast panels for this purpose. Wet joints more closely approximate cast-in-place construction, whereas the force transfer in structures with dry joints is accomplished at discrete points. Frame Systems Precast frames can be constructed using either linear elements or spatial beam-column subassemblages. Precast beam-column subassemblages have the advantage that the connecting faces between the subassemblages can be placed away from the critical frame regions; however, linear elements are generally preferred because of the difficulties associated with forming, handling, and erecting spatial elements. The use of linear elements generally means placing the connecting faces at the beam-column junctions. The beams can be seated on corbels at the columns, for ease of construction and to aid the shear transfer from the beam to the column. The beam-column joints accomplished in this way are hinged. However, rigid beam-column connections are used in some cases, when the continuity of longitudinal reinforcement through the beam-column joint needs to be ensured. The load-bearing structure consists of a precast reinforced concrete space frame and precast floor slabs. The space frame is construc ted using two main modular elements: a cruciform element and a linear beam element. The cruciform element consists of the transverse frame joint with half of the adjacent beam and column lengths. The longitudinal frames are constructed by installing the precast beam elements in between the transverse frame joints. The precast elements are joined by welding the projected reinforcement bars (dowels) and casting the concrete in place. Slab-Column Systems with Shear Walls These systems rely on shear walls to sustain lateral load effects, whereas the slab-column structure resists mainly gravity loads. There are two main systems in this category: Lift-slab system with walls Prestressed slab-column system Precast columns are usually two stories high. All precast structural elements are assembled by means of special joints. Reinforced concrete slabs are poured on the ground in forms, one on top of the other. Precast concrete floor slabs are lifted from the ground up to the final height by lifting cranes. The slab panels are lifted to the top of the column and then moved downwards to the final position. Temporary supports are used to keep the slabs in the position until the connection with the columns has been achieved. In the connections, the steel bars (dowels) that project from the edges of the slabs are welded to the dowels of the adjacent components and transverse reinforcement bars are installed in place. The connections are then filled with concrete that is poured at the site. Most buildings of this type have some kind of lateral load-resisting elements, mainly consisting of cast-in-place or precast shear walls, etc. In case lateral load-resisting elements (shear walls, etc.) are not present, the lateral load path depends on the ability of the slab-column connections to transfer bending moments. When the connections have been poorly constructed, this is not possible, and the lateral load path may be incomplete. Another type of precast system is a slab-column system that uses horizontal prestressing in two orthogonal directions to achieve continuity. The precast concrete column elements are 1 to 3 stories high. The reinforced concrete floor slabs fit the clear span between columns. After erecting the slabs and columns of a story, the columns and floor slabs are prestressed by means of prestressing tendons that pass through ducts in the columns at the floor level and along the gaps left between adjacent slabs. After prestressing, the gaps between the slabs are filled with in situ concrete and the tendons then become bonded with the spans. Seismic loads are resisted mainly by the shear walls (precast or cast-in-place) positioned between the columns at appropri ate locations. Precast concrete Floor The principle advantages of precast floors are speed of construction, absence of scaffolding, large variety of types, large span capacity, economy. Precast floors can also be classified according to their manufacture into totally partially precast floors. Totally precast floors are composed of units, which are totally cast at the plant. After erection, the units are connected to the structure the longitudinal joints are grouted. In some cases a cast in-situ structural topping screed is added. Partially precast floors are composed of a precast part a cast in-situ part. Both parts are working together at the final stage to achieve the composite structural capacity. The main totally precast floor roof types are described hereafter. CONVENTIONAL IN-SITU CONSTRUCTION Conventional Construction Method Conventional construction encompasses traditional forms of structural load-bearing elements; typically composed of concrete, brickwork and structural steel. We are well-versed in all forms of conventional construction and have substantial in-house capacity. The majority of our commercial and unique residential products to date have utilized conventional methods of construction. A number of designers that we have worked with tend to express the structural elements of the construction, from exposed beams, cantilevered slabs and stairs, to exposed structural steelwork. This requires a high degree of accuracy as well as a high level of workmanship; both of which are easily attained using our in-house skills. Conventional building method is defined as components of the building that are pre-fabricated on site through the processes or timber or plywood formwork installation, steel reinforcement and cast in-situ. Conventional buildings are, mostly built of reinforced concrete frames. The tr aditional construction method uses wooden formwork. It is much more costly for construction, which includes labor, raw material, transportation and low speed of construction time. Cast-in-situ Construction Method This system is suitable for a country where unskilled labor is limited. There is no heavy machinery or high technology involved. The system is technically applicable to almost all types of building. Formwork is used as a mould, where wet concrete, is poured into a temporary system. The temporary system also acts as a temporary support for the structures. The objective of in-situ method is to eliminate and to reduce the traditional site based trades like traditional timber formwork, brickwork, and plastering and to reduce labor content. A carefully planned in-situ work can maximize the productivity, speed and accuracy of prefabricated construction. Cast in-situ method uses lightweight prefabricated formwork made of steel/fiberglass/aluminum that is easily erected and dismantled. The steel reinforcement is placed within the formwork as they are being erected and concrete is poured into the mould. When the concrete is set according to the required strength the mould is dismantled. The w orkers can be trained easily to erect the moulds and set the steel reinforcement. Its advantages over the traditional construction method are, its low skill requirement, can be quickly constructed, maintenance is low, structure is durable and cost can be less. In-situ method is to eliminate and reduce the traditional site based trades like traditional timber formwork, brickwork, plastering and to reduce labor content. Carefully planned in-situ work can maximize the productivity, speed and accuracy of prefabricated construction. The formwork system is based on the combination of pre-fabrication and in-situ conventional construction, which features the utilization of permanent concrete for elements instead of conventional timber formwork. Differences Between In situ and Precast Construction Method Labour   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Precast construction method only use semi-skilled workers and dont use skill or unskilled- worker in construction process. Economies are generated through reduced requirements for formwork, access scaffolding and less reliance on wet trades. Reduced on-site supervision by the main contractor is also a saving. So for precast construction method, labours are not use 100 percent for making formwork, access scaffolding, and handle wet concrete. Due to speed of construction, gives earlier return on investment, freeing up the project critical path and allowing earlier completion. It is estimated that a precast structure takes up to 20% less time to construct than a similar cast in situ structure, using labour can be late because of rest time and energy of a labour. For quality and accuracy, precast construction methods will more quality n accuracy than in situ. This ensures that reinforcement bars are accurately located and that clients receive high quality products man ufactured to controlled dimensional tolerances. Precast method delivers a high performance product with a quality appearance. Have a high quality finish that can be left exposed concretes thermal properties can be exploited in low-energy buildings because all of the equipment are made up in factory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In situ construction method use skilled worker, semi-skilled worker, and un-skilled worker in construction process. Labour can amenable to almost any design and labour can alteration the design in last minute construction process. Design can proceed as the structure is built because labour takes a time to build. Construction can proceed independently of weather conditions because workers still can proceed the work even though whether are not good. Construction process is easily used for two way structural systems because labour used two ways structural system in construction process. It is not necessary to pay for crane on site because of labour can take instead of crane functions. Wastage Environmental and manufacturing conditions at a precast concrete plant are easily monitored. The production of precast concrete elements takes place under controlled conditions in enclosed factories. This makes the control of manufacturing, waste, emissions, noise levels, etc. easy compared with the same processes at a building site. The raw material consumption is similar for similar qualities of concrete, whether the production takes place in a factory, at a ready-mix plant or at a building site. The raw material waste in precast concrete production is very small. The process of preparing mild steel reinforcement may be the same for a precaster as for a contractor at a building site, except that precasters will usually have less waste. This results in better utilization of the steel and less consumption of natural resources. Surplus materials are generated during the production of precast elements. Much surplus material is recyclable, and consists mainly of hardened concrete with or without reinforcement, steel reinforcement and pieces of structural steel, plywood and other wooden materials, fresh concrete (from production and washing of equipment), slurry from the sawing of concrete, insulating materials (mineral wool and polystyrene), oil etc. from machinery and paper and other packaging materials. The amount of surplus material varies between factories and different types of production. Studies in the Scandinavian countries have shown that the magnitude is typically about 100 kg of surplus material per m3 of concrete produced. About 40% of the surplus material is fresh and hardened concrete and about 45% is wastewater from washing equipment and sawing slurry generated during hollow core slab production. It is possible to collect and sort different types of surplus materials in precast plants. Excess materials that can be recycled and reused include steel, wood, insulating materials, oil, paper and other packaging materials. Wood can be sorted out, cut and used as industrial firewood, or used for other construction purposes. Buildings are constructed with traditional cast in-situ concrete, using timber formworks. Building that timber formwork was the major contributor to construction waste, accounting for 30% of the total identified waste. Wet trades, such as concreting, masonry, plastering and tiling on-site were considered as the second major waste generator, accounting for 20% of the total on-site waste generated. A recent study demonstrated that the ‘off-cuts from cutting materials were a major cause of wastage during construction. Waste also arises as a result of design concepts and decisions. Case studies in Sri Lanka In the construction industry, it is well known that there is a relatively large volume of material being wasted due to a variety of reasons. The problem of material waste on construction sites is not an isolated issue and is of environmental concern. Therefore, waste minimization has become an important issue in the construction industry. The aim of this research was mainly to identify the pre-cast contribution to the construction waste minimization in the Sri Lankan construction industry, through a comparison of material waste arising from pre-cast, ready-mixed and site-mixed concrete. Data were collected from 27 building construction projects and three concrete elements: slabs, beams, and columns, were considered to quantify construction waste. To compare the wastage due to pre-cast involvement with other types, three categories of building projects were used, including projects using pre-cast concrete elements, in situ concrete elements site mix, and in- situ concrete elements ready mix. The data for the study were collected from 27 multi-storey housing constructions projects, of which, seven projects used pre-cast construction and 20 projects used in situ construction. The wastage was compared between the basic materials used for three types of concrete elements are columns, beams and slabs. In this study, material wastage includes waste arising from manufacturing process at the factory level to the site level. For instance, material waste of pre-cast and ready-mixed concrete were quantified considering the waste arising from manufacturing process at factory level to usage at construction site. However, it was identified that waste during the transportation of ready-mix concrete and pre-cast elements is negligible. Further, waste of pre-cast elements at the site level was also noted as almost zero and, hence only the factory level waste was considered for the analysis. Techniques of material reconciliation were used to analyse the waste of ready-mix concrete and pre -cast elements at the site level, while work studies were used to quantify the waste of site-mixed concrete at the site level and wastage of ready-mix concrete and pre-cast concrete at the factory level. Pre-cast concrete waste The mean wastages of cement, sand and metal amounted to 5.34 per cent, 13.86 per cent and 7.62 per cent respectively showing the lower values compared with the material wastages in the other two situations (Table III). Further, it was shown that there is a noticeable difference in the generation of material waste between pre-casts and in situ (Figures 1 and 2). The main reason behind this may be due to the negligible wastes arisen during transportation and installation at the site. The pre-cast concrete elements transported to the site were stored unit wise by during transportation had been minimized and identified as zero. Since pre-cast elements were supplied according to the required length, waste arising during installation of elements was at a minimum level and waste occurring due to over ordering of materials was also eliminated. Further, the pre-cast elements were produced at factories under proper supervision using steel moulds which can be formed of different sizes. Therefor e, the wastage of materials during manufacturing also reduced to a considerable amount. Site-mixed concrete waste In site-mix concrete, the mean wastages of cement, sand and metal amounted to 14.39 per cent, 25.70 per cent and 16.11 per cent respectively showing higher values compared with the material wastages in other situations (Table III). This large quantity of wastage was identified due to the lack of supervision, inaccurate mixing methods, inappropriate type of equipment used, poor storage of materials and poor quality workmanship and this led to higher waste of materials in ways of excess cement being used to accelerate the curing process, excess concrete being used due to the breaking of form work, higher waste in transit and handling of metal and sand and excess concrete being used in uneven surfaces (e.g. attached concrete column). Ready-mixed concrete waste The mean wastages of cement, sand and metal amounted to 6.61 per cent, 22.31 per cent and 13.01 per cent respectively showing the higher values than material wastages of pre-cast concrete and lower values than material wastages of site-mixed concrete (Table II). Although there was lower wastage at the factory level, the overall wastage of ready-mixed concrete showed higher values. The main reason behind this is the excess ordering of materials, large quantity of concrete remains in pump car and pump pipe and poor quality workmanship at the site level such as breaking of formwork. Case studies in Hong Kong The questionnaire survey revealed that the construction activities were closely related to the amount of waste generated. Timber formwork is the major contributor to construction waste. The wet trades associated with finishing work such as screeding, plastering and tile laying are identified as the second major set of waste generation processes in the construction of buildings. Concrete work and masonry work are the next most significant groups. Site activities need to be emphasised in order to reduce building waste. In general, it was estimated that about 5-10 per cent of materials ended up as waste on building sites. Pecaform foundation formwork is made by laminating a layer of polyethylene to each side of a high tensile steel wire mesh. This combination creates a material that is both light and structurally strong, making it very easy to handle. It can be used for constructing ground beams, pile caps, footings, curved structures, ribbed and waffle slabs. The formwork is cut-to-size and bent to shape at a factory and arrives at site ready for installation. There is no need to strip the formwork after the concrete has cured. Very little waste is produced. A clean and neat site can be obtained in the foundation stage. Large panel formwork compared with traditional timber formwork, metal panel system formwork has several advantages. The use of large panel formwork can save time and labour in erecting, striking and re-erecting the formwork as the panel is handled as one unit. It can also produce a concrete surface much neater than conventional timber formwork and the surface essentially needs no additional applied finishes for levelling. So far, steel is the most popular material used for the formwork and the reusability of steel formwork can be as high as 100 times, and therefore much formwork waste is reduced. On-site waste audit also indicated that large panel formwork was effective in reducing concrete waste generated by loss in concreting and broken formwork, which usually accounts for about 30 per cent of the total concrete waste Prefabricated steel reinforcement system is tailor-made in plants where steel bars are mechanically cut, bent and fabricated. The completed systems are then transported to the sites for use. During the manufacturing process, the steel bars are cut and bent in a more systematic and accurate manner so that the wastage is kept to a minimum. Precast cladding is a new construction method for tiling works in the corridors of public housing projects in Hong Kong. The cladding panels are manufactured in the precast factory. The production processes are: place wall tiles onto the steel mould face down, pour lightweight concrete onto the back of the tiles, and demould after hardening. The tiles are thus cast integrally with the lightweight concrete and no traditional tile fixing by cement mortar or adhesive is required. At the construction site, the positions for holding brackets will be set out, and cladding panels levelled and fixed. The advantages of precast cladding panels are: reduced requirements on skilled labour with better end product quality, less wastage of raw materials and waste generation as wet trades on site such as plastering and tiling are eliminated, flexible time control as no setting and curing time are needed on site, and a cleaner and safer working environment. Machinery sprayed plaster was originally used in civil engineering applications. It now replaces the traditional cement mortar in some building projects. The major difference between the mechanised plaster and the traditional cement mortar is that the former is mixed and applied by means of a mechanised operation whilst the latter is applied and trowelled smooth by hand. The use of machinery sprayed plaster has the benefits of high productivity, low labour demand and less waste. Precast bathroom is an innovative feature in the construction of public housing. The wall, floor and ceiling of the bathroom are prefabricated with concrete as a whole unit and finished with tiles in the factory. PVC sleeves are also left in the structure for the future fixing of drainpipes. It is then transported to the site and installed into the final position of the building structure with the help of a crane. The only work required on site is to install the sanitary fittings, connect plumbing and electricity wiring to the building mains. Wet trades are avoided on site and this reduces material damages and wastage. Pre-cast external wall panels. Traditionally, external wall panels in high-rise residential buildings have been constructed in-situ with concrete panels finished with mosaic tiles. Pre-casting external wall panels enables panels to be pre-finished with the mosaic tiles attached together with windows and louvres installed. Building services provision can also be included. The finishes are fixed in the factory, production is not affected by the weather, a cleaner safer production environment results in stronger bonding and less tile wastage. Pre-fabricated fibre glass water tank. This type of pre-fabrication is an example of saving construction waste by materials substitution. All residential housing units of the New Harmony type include water storage on the roof of the building; the normal design solution is a cast in-situ concrete tank. An alternative to the construction of the cast-in-situ concrete water tank on the roof of the building is the adoption of a pre-fabricated fibre glass tank. Pre-fabricated internal wall panels e.g. dry wall partitions, and gypsum boards may be used to replace concrete or brick walls which are then finished by plastering in-situ. This has the potential to make significant savings in construction waste because a typical residential building would have some 452m2 of internal walls per floor and typically there would be 32 or 40 floors per building. The adoption of this form of construction has minimal impact on the design tasks because the pre-fabricate

Columbus Day Debate Essay -- Christopher Columbus Essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The spirit and values of a nation are reflected in the nation’s heroes. Christopher Columbus has been regarded as an American hero since 1792. Every year Columbus Day is held on the second Monday in October to honor the man and his legacy. However, many people debate whether or not Columbus Day should be celebrated. I believe that Columbus Day should be celebrated in the United States because he opened up the New World to Europe, inspired a spirit of exploration and adventure that still lasts today, and he showed the importance of diversity and understanding of different cultures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Columbus landed on the beaches of the Watling Islands of the Bahamas in October, 1492, he had inadvertently opened up a whole new world for the Europeans, Asians, and other countries of the Eastern hemisphere. Although Columbus was not the first man to truly discover the Americas, he can be credited as the man who made their existence known worldwide. The discovery of the Americas launched an era of discovery and exploration, especially in Europe. Many new foods and animals were brought to the Old World from the Americas. This would not have been possible with out Christopher Columbus. In addition, Columbus’s explorations eventually led to a period of economical growth in Europe. It is important that we take time to remember Columbus’s achievements on Columbus Day.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Columbus must always be honored for his ...

The Fashion Revolution of 1789-1799 Essay -- essays research papers f

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between 1789 and 1799 France was going through great turmoil. Immense political and social upheavals were commonplace in the changing nation. New ideas were growing, ideas of freedom, government and of self-expression. Such new attitudes by the people gave rise to a new style of clothing. The clothing became more expressive and more ornate. People began to dress the way they wanted. French soon became the center stage for fashion. The French revolution, while failing in many aspects did one thing no one expected. The French revolution created a new image of fashion in France. There are several reasons that contributed to this occurrence. New beliefs of freedom, equality and self-expression each contributed to this new era of clothes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One major contributor to this new image in France was the new belief in freedom. This was a time in France were the tides were changing and the power over the country was moving from the hands of the Old regime to the Bougiose. As this occurred this working class felt a new freedom, and a respect for freedom that they had never felt before under the iron fists of the nobles. Such ideas broke the people away from their normal standards and every day drab. With a new freedom new ideas started to pop up everywhere. These new ideas led to the creation of â€Å" ‘the new costume’†¦ reproduced in England’s The Home Circle† (Ewing, 123). With the new freedom people of all sorts started to speak up and voice their desires. This caused a revolution in fashion for France with the invention of the sewing machine and other cloth production machines the ideas quickly became â€Å"vast quantities of fabrics† (Ewing, 105). As restrictions g ave way to freedom many old ideas gave way to new ones. With this newfound freedom women’s wear especially went through â€Å"a slow reform for women† (Ewing, 173). While corsets had been used earlier to give women a narrow waste and flatter chest, new half corsets were used to provide a â€Å"round, high waist† (Cassin-Scott, 74) while still providing the full chested appearance. This new freedom allowed men and women alike to change their image from a more strict and prudent society, to a more open and casual fashion. As the people gained more freedom so did the style of dress. The bustle gowns were a new style where â€Å"the curve between breasts and waists and waist... ...uality allowed self-expression to set in and mold the old styles into new ones more befitting of the people who wore them, and allowed the people to express themselves, being no longer limited by the boundaries of class. Ideas of freedom, equality, and self-expression from the French Revolution caused another revolution on its own, a revolution of image and style never before seen. The affects of the revolution even outlived the revolution itself, and were some of the few changes in France that actually remained the same, while most of the changes from it retrograded. The Revolution of fashion in the decade between 1789 and 1799 would not have occurred without the French Revolution, and it changed styles in the world forever. Bibliography:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cassin-Scott, Jack. French Costume and Fashion 1550-1920. New York. Brandford Press Ltd, 1986  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ewing, Elizabeth. Everyday Dress in France1650-1900. London. B.T. Badsford, 1984  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ribeiro, Aileen. Fashion in the French Revolution. London. B.T. Badsford, 1988  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Yarwood, Doreen. European Costume. New York. Bonanza Books, 1975

Discuss Globalisation

Globalisation is a term meaning the way things like ideas and money spread around the globe more and more rapidly and easily. A transnational corporation, or TNC, is a company with branches or workers in many different countries; this is an example of globalisation. Nike, for instance, is an American company which has branches in Mexico, India, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Canada, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, England, Ireland, Italy, Australia and many more countries, especially in Europe, and has nearly all of its products manufactured in foreign places. This is a great benefit to Nike because it means that they can find the cheapest places from which to buy their raw materials, have their products made where wages are lowest, choose countries that are easy to ship goods to and from, and sell their products where retail prices are highest and people are richest. In order for a company to do well, it must reduce its costs and increase its sales, which is exactly what going global helps it to do. However globalisation does not only benefit the transnational corporations. It also helps people in less economically developed countries where there are a lack of jobs, because the people can then work for the companies and earn wages. And because the markets are large, lots of jobs are available. The governments of LEDC's are pleased to have transnational corporations setting up businesses in their country because the wages help the economy to balance out and the companies sometimes help them exploit the resources that they are not yet able to exploit for themselves. Another benefit of globalisation is that it increases promotion and advertising. If a company can advertise all over the world, then obviously it will make more money, and if, say for instance, Nike sponsored David Beckham who also happens to be famous world-wide, then both Nike and Man Utd would be able to sell more merchandise. Going global creates employment, spreads cultures, and helps companies become more successful, however it is not actually a benefit to everyone. Many people object to the way cultures are becoming mixed. Western culture is eroding and undermining the cultures of countries like China and India where TNCs make their money. It's a shame to lose the valuable ways of life and traditions of countries like these in order for the world to turn into one giant America. The main problem is the fact that the people where the TNCs get their products made are badly exploited for their work. Because the transnational corporations want to find the easiest and cheapest way possible of manufacturing their goods, their employees often work in very bad conditions and get paid the lowest wages that their employer can get away with. And what's more, as soon as the company they work for find somewhere cheaper, they'll move their factory there, leaving hundreds of people suddenly unemployed. Because the TNCs take so much of the profit for themselves, they actually stop the countries from developing. There is also the fact that because LEDCs often don't have environmental laws, the transnational corporations constantly pollute the water and air where they make their products, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it. So even though globalisation has its benefits, it is also a problem for a lot of countries. I think that if globalisation is going to be successful and become an advantage for everyone, somehow we need to find a balance where the economy is fair and people don't get exploited. This will be an extremely difficult thing to happen and will probably involve companies making less money, but should also mean that the world economy is more balanced and therefore companies won't need to have excessive profits. If richer and more developed countries helped less economically developed countries to grow, then eventually the world economy would become more balanced and equal, and companies in LEDCs would be able to start going global themselves, but this time it would be fair because cultures would be shared rather than invaded, and money would be distributed evenly. Unfortunately, this is never really going to happen.