One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Film Review Movie

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Film - Movie Review Example Forman depicts how McMurphy uses his outgoing personality to make patients in the institution view their situation differently. He seeks to introduce reforms in the system of the mental institution ad rebel against nurse Ratched (Kesey). He exhibits his daring aspect at many instances and even does crazy things such as smuggling beer into the institution. The film exhibits numerous differences from the novel. It succeeds in making the characters real, but fails in advancing the plot to a level beyond its potential. Whereas, Chief Bromden is the main character as the well as the narrator of the novel, his role is superseded by that of McMurphy in the film. Moreover, the film does not present background information about the chief, which is available in the novel. Evidently, the film distorts some of the characters in the novel, although it makes the plot more intriguing. Whereas the film depicts Chief Bromden as only being able to speak a single phrase, the book highlights him as very communicative. Worth noting is the fact that the behavior and personality of McMurphy are altered immensely in the film, where he receives the leading role. This does not occur in the novel. Some critical aspects of the plot in the novel such as Cheswick committing suicide and McMurphy’s confirmation to the wishes of nurse Ratched are not included in the film. Notably, there are numerous changes in the film and the ones highlighted in this essay are not conclusive. Worth noting is the fact that the film received many awards because of its quality, but has been criticized for altering the plot

George Washimgton Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

George Washimgton - Annotated Bibliography Example Biographers identify the family home at Bridges Creek, near Potomac, in Westmoreland County as Washington’s birthplace (Thayer 7). Washington’s family had owned tobacco plantations and slaves and his father Augustine Washington had entered iron mining works. Washington was the â€Å"eldest son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Ball Washington, who were prosperous Virginia gentry of English descent (Ameslab.gov). It is a startling piece of information is that George Washington had not gained formal education and his informal education includes variety of subjects such as mathematics, the Classics, surveying, map making and the rules of civility. After the death of his father George Washington went to live with his half brother Lawrence at Mount Vernon and Lawrence treated Washington as his son. Young Washington has six siblings including Lawrence, Samuel, Elizabeth, John Augustine and Charles. Lawrence had married to the great Fairfax family in Virginia and Lawrence’s care and moral support provided inspiration to young Washington’s life. The Virginians played a prominent and influential role in Washington’s life in developing a prolific career. George Washington is widely accepted as the ‘father of his country’ and with his distinguished service as a military general contributed prolific victories for revolutionary army in independence struggle. Washington’s military service was not popularly appreciated because it lacked a series of conquests and large scale battles. Anyhow, Washington’s military career emphasised effective leadership, strategic, tactical expertise and trained. Washington’s early military life began in the French and English battle for capturing the control of the upper Ohio Valley (McJoynt). He had started his military career as a commander who led Virginian expeditions in the Western territory in 1754. After some minor

The Haber process for optimum performance

The Haber process for optimum performance Research Question: What are the conditions for running the Haber process for optimum performance Abstract In this essay I will find out what are the best conditions for the production of the maximum yield in the Haber process, by running simulations of the Haber process at different conditions to determine the best conditions. From the Experiment I found that the lowest temperature possible and the highest pressure possible would provide the best conditions to operate the Haber process at for the maximum yield possible. Introduction The Haber process is an important Process used in chemical Industry to manufacture Ammonia from Nitrogen and Hydrogen that originate in the air. The reason why its very important is it turns an inert gas Nitrogen (N2) and a very volatile and reactive gas Hydrogen (H2) into ammonia which is a stable compound but reactive enough to be used in different aspects. Why was the Haber process discovered? During the First World War Britain Cut off Germany Supply route to Chiles salt peter natural deposits (Quotehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber_process#History) Since the Allies (Russian Empire,United Kingdom,France,Canada,Australia,Italy, theEmpire of Japan,Portugaland theUnited States) (Quotehttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090621130235AABthrs) has gained control over the natural deposits of saltpetre from natural deposits found in Chile, therefore cutting off Germanys access to materials that the needed to produce necessary items such as food, guns, bombs other war materials. Germany has to find ways to produce its own hence the Haber process which was discovered in 1909 by a German chemist named Fritz Haber to produce ammonia was set into industrial scale in 1913; the produced ammonia was later processed into a Synthetic Form of Chile saltpetre Introduction (Part 2) The Haber process is the process that uses extracted nitrogen from the atmosphere and reacts the nitrogen (N2) gas would react with 3 moles of hydrogen (H2) gas by using a medium temperature around 473K-673K (200- 400oC) High atmospheric pressures such as 250 atmospheres (25331250 Pascal) and a catalyst to create ammonia (NH3). Due to advancements made to technology we are able to do reaction at extremely high temperatures such as 2300K (2026oC) and we know that a reaction occurs faster when conducted at the highest temperature possible but the Haber processs success is not calculated on the speed of the reaction but on the yield of the ammonia that is produced during the reaction. Although increasing the temperate would surly increase the rate of reaction in a normal forward reaction the problem with using this method on the Haber process is its not a normal forward reaction type of reaction but is an equilibrium type of reaction. The Chateliers Principle states increasing the temperature will cause the equilibrium position to shift to the left side of the reaction resulting in a lower yield of ammonia because the forward reaction is exothermic. N2(g) + 3H2(g) Very High heat, Low pressure, catalyst 2NH3(g) nitrogen hydrogen ammonia Reducing the temperature will cause the equilibrium system to change the point of equilibrium to minimise the effect of the change, and hence it will produce more heat due to an increase the exothermic reaction therefore causing the wanted increase in the yield of ammonia. N2(g) + 3H2(g) Low heat, High pressure, catalyst 2NH3(g) nitrogen hydrogen ammonia However, the rate of the reaction at very lower temperatures is exceptionally slow, and so a higher temperature should be used to increase the speed of the reaction which results in a lower yield of ammonia but a temperature low enough to create more ammonia than use in the reverse reaction hence we have the final equation is an which an above normal ammonia production. N2(g) + 3H2(g) High TEmperature, Low pressure, catalyst 2NH3(g) nitrogen hydrogen ammonia Increasing the pressure condition of the haber chamber causes the equilibrium position to shift to the right resulting in an increased yield of ammonia because ammonia has more gas molecules (more moles) on the left hand side or the forward reaction of the equation (4 in total 3 Hydrogen and 1 Nitrogen) than there are on the right hand side or backwards reaction of the equation (2 in total 2NH3). N2 + 3H2(g) High Temperature, Low pressure, catalyst 2NH3(g) nitrogen hydrogen ammonia Increasing the pressure means the system will have to adjust to reduce the effect of the change, which is reducing the pressure built up by reducing the amount of moles that can be located in the equilibrium reaction. The most important use of nitrogen is in making ammonia (NH3), which is a colourless gas with a strong odour, similar to the smell of urine. The reason is because urine contains some ammonia. The production of ammonia changes the non oxidation properties of nitrogen as the Oxidation reaction. Pharmaceuticals Used in the manufacture of drugs such as sulphonamide which inhibit the growth and multiplication of bacteria buy the removal of replacing the aminobenzoic acid for the synthesis of folic acids and minerals as well as vitamins and thiamine. http://www.ausetute.com.au/haberpro.html Fertilizer A major use of ammonia is in making fertilizers. Ammonia can be used directly as fertilizer by adding it to irrigation water for plants that needing much nitrogen. It is also used to produce the urea (NH2CONH2), which is used as a fertilizer. Another important use of ammonia is to create nitric acid (HNO3), which is then also used to make fertilizer the Haber Process didnt lonely provide the Germans with Saltpetre but revolutionized the agriculture industry with an increased yield in crop production enabling them to continue. Cleaning Products Many people use household ammonia as a disinfectant. Nitric acid-made form ammonia-is used in explosives. Ammonia is also used in the plastic industry and as a feed supplement for livestock. The dipole moment of this compound and this is consistent with its geometry, a triangular Pyramid due to its electronic arrangement obeying the octet rule, Four pairs of electrons three bonding pairs and one lone pair repel each other giving the molecule the triangular pyramid shape of bond angles of 107 degrees is close to the tetrahedral angle of 109.5 degrees. The electronic arrangement of the valence electrons in nitrogen is described as sp3 hybridization of atomic orbitals. The NH3 molecules and their ability to make hyrodgen bonds explains thir polarity and high solubility of ammonia in water. A chemical reaction occurs when ammonia dissolues in water as it acts as a base acquiring a hydrogen ion from H2O to ammonium and hydroxides ions NH3(aq) + H2O(l) NH4+(aq) + OH-(aq) The production of hydroxide ions when ammonia dissolves in water gives the solution of ammonia its alkaline characteristics (basic properties), The double arrow in the equation states that an equilibrium has been reached between the dissolved ammonia gas and ammonium ions. The ammonium ion acts as a weak acid aqueous solution because it dissociates to form Hydrogen ion and ammonia. (Shakhashiri, 2008) This is why dissolved ammonia is used in cleaning products because its able to react with both and acid stain and alkaline stain meaning its an all round cleaning products even though the acid is weak its strong enough to deal with domestic stains. Explosives Sodium Nitrate is a Chemical compound with the chemical compound of NaNo3 has been referred to as Chile saltpetre before. And is produced by a reaction of a metal and an acid to produce a salt and is highly soluble in water. (Quote) Sodium Nitrate can be used as a fertilizer and as a material from the production of explosive gunpowder. Naturally gun powder is a rapid burning compound made of Carbon (C12) potassium nitrate, KNO3 and Sulfur and is used in guns because of its capacity to burn in a rapidly producing enough pressure to propel a bullet and not explode.(Quote) Sodium nitrate has antimicrobial properties when used as a food preservative. It can be used in the production of nitric acid by combining it with sulfuric acid. It can used as a substitute oxidizer used in fireworks as a replacement for potassium nitrate commonly found in gun powder. Because sodium nitrate can be used as a Phase Change Material it may be used for heat transfer in solar power plants. Imporantance of Nitrogen. Nitrogen gas (N2) is often used as a substitution for air which is a mixture of 78% nitrogen 78%), Oxygen 20%, and 1% of other gases such as Water Vapour Argon and Carbon dioxide (0.03%). where oxidation is undesirable. One area for use is to maintain the freshness to food products by packaging them in nitrogen gas to reduce the spoilage of food due to its properties for preventing oxidization which can cause Rancid unpleasant odour or taste of decomposing oils or fats (Quote). Argon has been used as replacement for air in light bulbs to prevent the heated tungsten filament from reacting with the oxygen found in air because Argon is an inert gas but is expensive so ammonia can be reverted back to Nitrogen gas by the process gentrification to replace Argon in light bulbs and is cheaper inert material than Argon. Nitrogen is also used as a controlled storage and Transportation measure food packages due to its capabities to be used as a noble gas, to extend the sheld life of fruits and vegetables and is now used during storage to displace most of the oxygen in the containers, thereby , slowing down the repiration and deterioration of food as proven in biochemistry as in aerobic respiration 32 ATP molecules are created from one glucose molecules and 2 ATP molecules are created from one glucose molecule which is a clear sign that respiration and deterioration of food occurs at 16 times slower during anaerobic respiration which respiration without the presence of oxygen, than respiration occurring aerobically which is respiration with oxygen present. Investigation Design To do this Investigation I will be using a simulator that allow we to change the conditions of the Haber process chamber and notice the change in the yield and work out the direction that the equiliburm will take with extra options such as catalysis. Firstly I had to decide what the 2 variables I would be looking at during this investigation and decided that the dependant variable will be the yield of ammonia that I would receive from running the simulations. The Controlled variable will be the temperature and atmospheric pressure that the reaction will be taking place. Another variable that I looked at was if the reaction will be taking place in the presence of a catalyst of not. It was decide that due to the lack of acquiring two or more simulations that were able to run the haber process reaction in the presence of a catalyst The uncontrolled variable would be required in this reaction because the aim of the reaction is to achieve a dynamic equilibrium which is a reaction in which the forward reaction and backward reaction are equal in a closed environment. Meaning all variables and atoms present are controlled and accounted for. Set both simulations at the same pressure and temperature to and begin the reaction recorded both results and create a table of results and find the mean of both tables. Redo the experiment changing the controlled variables every time and recording the yield of the reaction at those conditions Create a Graph using both the mean table to display the results that where shown in the table. This Is the haber process taking place without the presence of an iron catalyst at the temperature of 300oC and 191 atmospheric pressure. Which will give me the amount of ammonia produced in grams and will be working out in percentage of the nitrogen used to allow compatibility of the 2 different simulations that one will be using. Screen Shot 2 (Screen Shot to be taken off website ) (Blocked by school.) Is the Haber process taking place without the presence of an iron catalyst at the temperature that the Chateliers Principle indicates will be the most effective in the promotion of increasing the Yield. Because this Simulation cannot give the yield of the Haber process ammonia moles or grams I have to change the data received from the first simulation into compatible data. Results Simulation 1 (Changing the Temperature but keeping the pressure and 200) Pressure 1000 800 600 400 200 Temp 150 150 150 150 150 Yeild 57% 55% 53% 48% 35% From these results obtained in the diagram above we notice an increase in yield as we increase the pressure of the reaction while keeping the temperature the same which agrees with the information placed in the beginning of the introduction which states icreasing the pressure will cause the equilibrium position to shift to the right side of the reaction resulting in an increased yield of ammonia since there are more gas molecules Simulation 2 (changing the Pressure but keeping the Temperature at 150) Pressure Yield 1000 57% 800 55% 600 53% 400 48% 200 35% From these results obtained in the diagram above we notice an increase in yield as we increase the pressure of the reaction while keeping the temperature the same which agrees with the information placed in the beginning of the introduction which states the   Chateliers Principle states increasing the temperature will cause the equilibrium position to shift to the left side of the reaction resulting in a lower yield of ammonia because the forward reaction is exothermic. And the 0.8 ( r) shows that there is a high positive correlation between the yield amount The Curve tends to show that if the pressure was increased any more that 1000 the increment in the production of ammonia may not be justified for the amount of effort that will be put into creating a haber process camber at that atmospheric pressure. The equilibrium expression for this reaction is: Keq =[NH3]2/[N2][H2]3 Temperature (oC) Keq 25 6.4 x 102 200 4.4 x 10-1 300 4.3 x 10-3 400 1.6 x 10-4 500 1.5 x 10-5 As the temperature of increases, the equilibrium constant decreases as the yield of the ammonia decreases. http://nawabi.de/chemical/ammonia.asp The results of the Ka test agree with the graphs that simulation 1 and simulation 2 provided. As the Ka increases the PH reduces towards the more acidic range meaning the NH3 concentration increases meaning for the best yield of the Haber process, industry must obtain the highest level Ka. Conclusion. In conclusion the from the graphs and from the working out of the Keqi can state that the best conditions to process the haber process under is the lowest temperature that is usable because it increases the yield of the haber process in a linear regression which is a positive feedback increase in the yield of ammonia the optimized temperate was 200oC because it provided the highest yield. The other condition that was optimized during this experiment was pressure and after the experiment I found that the highest possible pressure is the optimum condition for this reaction to take place under. Because it gave the highest yield of ammonia compared to lower pressures which all provided lower yield. Evaluation The simulations that were used during this Essay were accurate enough to accept as possible theoretical yield but did not take into account of the possibility that some materials would be lost during the preparation for the haber process. It would have been better if I had more simulations and different type of simulations to check if the results I received from using these simulations were accurate or not and would increase the reliability of this experiment. The limitations to using this method were the some simulations couldnt operate a catalyst which limited the amount of results I was able to obtain and didnt factor in any cost effectiveness into the reaction. The haber process occurring in the presence of a catalysis does not affect the amount of NH3 that is produced by the reaction yet it only hastens the reaction by lowing the activation energy is takes for atoms to react. This would increase the rate of reaction without taking into consideration the geometric position that theses atoms need to react. A catalyst is a chemical that is used in a chemical reaction to speed up the rate of reaction with out the compound being used up in the reaction itself, meaning after the reaction the catalyst retains its structure and physical properties it had before the reaction took place. It works by lowering the activation energy of the reaction. The iron catalyst acts as a platform on which the Nitrogen and hydrogen atoms will bind on to before under going the reaction. The binding on to the catalyst is creates a transactional compound N2(g) + 3H2(g) = 2NH3(g) nitrogen hydrogen Fe ammonia Another Factor that I should have researched was the rate of reaction and possibly to the cost effectiveness of having a lower rate of reaction over the time effectiveness of having a high rate or reactions. Looking at the effect that the rate or reaction would have on at equilibrium And working out possible ways to reduce the forward reaction to increase the yield of ammonia by adding a rate determining step for the forward reaction to encourage the forward reaction to reaction and produce ammonia but would discourage the backward reaction from according either by adding third party molecule such Sulphuric acid to create ammonium sulphate and can easily to separated by heating to 235oC because it sublimes to create ammonia and sulphuric acid and the gases are at different weights meaning using a gases filtration method and condense then separately. (NH4)2SO4(s) NH3(g) + H2SO4(g) Another improvement would be to calculate the H of the reaction while looking at and S of the reaction to allow to choose the most accurate best conditions for the reaction and most accurate cost effective option for the reaction. Because the having a positive H means the need more energy placed in which reduces the cost effectiveness of the reaction but may increase the yield of the ammonia while the G which measure reactions ability to reaction at room temperature which would increase the rate of reaction and the low temperature would mean the equilibrium would shift and allow the ammonia to be created in much more yield making the reaction cost effective and maximum conditions for the maximum yield. By working out the S and H I could use them to work out the amount of unused heat which is lost to the surroundings during the reaction, after this work out which reaction conditions provide the less heat lost to the surrounding while still providing an acceptable amount of yield. Afte r working out the H, G and S if would help me make a more informed decision on which of the reaction conditions provided current industry yield and cost and work out which conditions provided either current industry yield at a lower cost or improved yield at a higher cost and ultimately work out which conditions produced greatest yield and at the lost possible cost. Another improved for this experiment would be increasing the range of pressure that was used during the simulations because I noticed in the graphs that increasing the pressure post 1000 would make the production of ammonia not as effective as lower pressures are.

Budget 97 :: essays research papers

Budget 97 Finance Minister Paul Martin unveiled the Liberal government's 1997 budget recently. As most economic and political experts predicted there were very few surprises, if any. This was a cautious and predicable budget that was every bit political as it was economical. With the Liberal government set to call an election in late May or early June the Party was very reluctant to rock the boat further. This is what they have done in the 1997 budget and the subsequent reactions to the new budget from both the business and political communities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this no-surprises, pre-election budget, Martin said deficit cutting is coming to an end and that Canadians, particularly the unemployed, will soon reap the rewards of 40 months of strict financial management. With the Federal deficit dropping over the last few years, the Liberals feel that they can balance the budget in the next two years. This is important because it will allow the government to halt their foreign borrowing to finance the deficit. This greatly helps the credibility of Canada and puts the country's destiny back into domestic palms. With this said, Martin announced no new tax increases, although the raise in the Pension Plan could be considered a hidden tax increase. Martin announced no new spending cuts in this budget although cuts made in previous budgets are set to slash 3 billion more dollars this year. There was some extra spending sprinkled into various areas. For starters, a new tax benefit will be created in co-operation with the provinces, costing the Federal government $600 billion. This program is attempting to help the poor and this can be effective economically because poor people tend to spend everything they have, and they almost always spend it domestically. This program will be introduced in two the stages, the first of which will begin this July with a $195 million supplement. Instead of benefits being capped at $500 per family, the maximum working income supplement benefit will be increased to $605 for the first child, $405 for the second child and $330 for each additional child. Other expenditures will be include; tax credits for students, $300 million in new health care funding and tax credits for medical expenses of the disabled. Depending on how you look at it, Martin is either spending more or just cutting less.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There have been many contrary viewpoints that economic and political leaders have thrown out and most are unsure. It appears that Martin has created a no-brainer budget that doesn't do anything to hurt but does not make Canadians feel better either. Martin was expected to put money into job creation in order

Internship in an Investment Bank Essay

Internship is a system of on-the-job training for white-collar jobs. It is a work related learning experience for individuals who wish to develop hands on work experience in a certain occupational field. Most internship is temporary assignments. As such my intern too was temporary for a period of one month. My association with Goldman Sachs was during my semester vacation. To me internship is to combine theory with practical work experience. As such my intern period was of great help in that sense. Generally the objectives of internships are: * Develop skills in the application of theory to practical work situation. * Aptitude test for a particular career. * Develop and pursue business ethics. * Increase on the sense of responsibility. * Opportunity to understand informal organizational interrelationships. * Enhance employment opportunities * Develop skills and techniques directly applicable to their careers. * Provides inside exposure to the structure, operations and decision process within the organization without a commitment to a permanent employer. Some of the obvious advantages an internship offers include strengthening written and oral skills, helping to make contacts to gain future employment, to enhance and strengthen the intern’s resume. Gain an increased awareness of skills, attributes, personal qualities and values. Guides a student to find out what it is to like to work in a business environment. However duties which aren’t structured either not enough to do or random office work or nothing to do with the supposed internship may result in just a waste of time and valuable resources. Sometimes the intern may not have enough time to learn the nuances of the industry and no proper guide or a mentor to guide the individual through the process. It may also result as a burden financially and mentally. About Goldman Sachs History 1869–1930 Goldman Sachs was founded in New York in 1869 by the German-born Marcus Goldman. The company made a name for itself pioneering the use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs and was invited to join the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in 1896. In the early 20th century, On December 4, 1928, it launched the Goldman Sachs Trading Corp. a closed-end fund. 1930–1980 In 1930, Sidney Weinberg assumed the role of senior partner and shifted Goldman’s focus away from trading and towards investment banking. It was Weinberg’s actions that helped to restore some of Goldman’s tarnished reputation. On the back of Weinberg, Goldman was lead advisor on the Ford Motor Company’s IPO in 1956, which at the time was a major coup on Wall Street. Under Weinberg’s reign the firm also started an investment research division and a municipal bond department. It also was at this time that the firm became an early innovator in risk arbitrage. 1980–1999 On November 16, 1981, the firm made a move by acquiring J. Aron & Company, a commodities trading firm which merged with the Fixed Income division to become known as Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities. J. Aron was a player in the coffee and gold markets, and the current CEO of Goldman, Lloyd Blankfein, joined the firm as a result of this merger. In 1986, the firm formed Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which manages the majority of its mutual funds and hedge funds today. Since 1999 One of the largest events in the firm’s history was its own IPO in 1999. The decision to go public was one that the partners debated for decades. In the end, Goldman decided to offer a small portion of the company to the public, with some 48% still held by the partnership pool 22% of the company was held by non-partner employees, and 18% was held by retired Goldman partners. Goldman Sachs Overview The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients. Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 and is headquartered at 200 West Street in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City, with additional offices in international financial centers. The firm provides mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and prime brokerage to its clients, which include corporations, governments and individuals. The firm also engages in market making and private equity deals, and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious investment banks in the world. As of 2009, Goldman Sachs employed 31,701 people worldwide.Goldman Sachs is divided into three businesses units: * Investment Banking * Trading and Principal Investments * Asset Management and Securities Services Investment banking Investment banking is divided into two divisions and includes Financial Advisory (mergers and acquisitions, investitures, corporate defense activities, restructuring and spin-offs) and Underwriting (public offerings and private placements of equity, equity-related and debt instruments). Goldman Sachs is one of the leading M&A advisory firms, often topping the league tables in terms of transaction size. The firm gained a reputation as a white knight in the mergers and acquisitions sector by advising clients on how to avoid hostile takeovers, moves generally viewed as unfriendly to shareholders of targeted companies. Goldman Sachs, for a long time during the 1980s, was the only major investment bank with a strict policy against helping to initiate a hostile takeover, which increased the firm’s reputation immensely among sitting management teams at the time. The investment banking segment accounts for around 17 percent of Goldman Sachs’ revenues. The firm has been involved in brokering deals to privatize major highways by selling them to foreign investors, in addition to advising state and local governments – including Indiana, Texas, and Chicago – on privatization projects. Trading and principal investments Trading and Principal Investments is the largest of the three segments, and is the company’s profit center. The segment is divided into four divisions and includes: * Fixed Income – The trading of interest rate and credit products, mortgage-backed securities, insurance-linked securities and structured and derivative products * Currency and Commodities – The trading of currencies and commodities * Equities – The trading of equities, equity derivatives, structured products, options, and futures contracts * Principal Investments – merchant banking investments and funds This segment consists of the revenues and profit gained from the Bank’s trading activities, both on behalf of its clients known as flow trading and for its own account known as proprietary trading. Most trading done by Goldman is not speculative, but rather an attempt to profit from bid-ask spreads in the process of acting as a market maker. On average, around 68 percent of Goldma n’s revenues and profits are derived from trading. Asset Management and Securities Services As the name suggests, the firm’s Asset Management and Securities Services segment is divided into two components: Asset Management and Securities Services. The Asset Management division provides investment advisory and financial planning services and offers investment products (primarily through separately managed accounts and commingled vehicles) across all major asset classes to a diverse group of institutions and individuals worldwide. The unit primarily generates revenues in the form of management and incentive fees. The Securities Services division provides clearing, financing, custody, securities lending, and reporting services to institutional clients, including hedge funds, mutual funds, and pension funds. The division generates revenues primarily in the form of interest rate spreads or fees. About Operations Division Operations is at the core of Goldman Sachs. For every trade agreed, every new product launched or market entered, every transaction completed, it is Operations that enables business to flow. Operations is a dynamic, multi-faceted division that partners with all areas of the firm to deliver banking, sales and trading and asset management capabilities to clients around the world. In addition, Operations provides essential risk management and control, preserving and enhancing the firm’s assets and its reputation. The Operations division represents approximately 14% of the firm, with more than 4,500 employees across the globe. Operations spans across all product lines and markets where business is conducted. Each area of business offers diverse opportunities that leverage a common core skill set. While there may be a group that interests you, it is not necessary to identify the group you would like to join when applying. †¢Clearing Operations provides clearing, execution and custody services for all major trading products across 75 exchanges. Our goal is to deliver superior client service, broad product offering and scalable technology to our global client base and franchise trading businesses, while minimizing operational risk. Our clients include hedge funds, asset managers, governments, corporates, broker dealers, Goldman Sachs franchise traders, other professional investors and market markers. †¢Derivatives Operations is responsible for ensuring efficient and accurate transaction processing across a broad range of products. Generally, the products supported are complex instruments that require close alignment with the business. A key focus for the organization is establishing strong risk management procedures and controls to ensure the firm and our clients are properly protected. Derivatives Operations is at the forefront of shaping and driving change in the industry with the ultimate aim of delivering greater accuracy, control and efficiency for our clients and our business. †¢Investment Management Operations delivers asset management and wealth management capabilities to clients around the world. We are a multi-faceted group that partners with all areas of the Investment Management Division to support evolving markets and business requirements. Alongside that vital service delivery role, Investment Management Operations provides essential risk management and control. †¢Liquidity & Collateral Operations (LCO) manages the operational elements for daily funding and liquidity of the firm, oversees the firm’s payment strategy and overall cash flows and positions, and also performs key functions related to counterparty risk management, client transparency, and product and pricing data. In addition to the traditional line functions, LCO is home to Operations Technology Strategy and Reference Data Strategy, both of which focus on strategic process and technology solutions for the division and often the broader firm. †¢Regulatory & Tax Operations is responsible for over 500 non-financial reporting and monitoring functions to over 400 regulators and exchanges. The group enhances the firm’s regulatory and tax transaction and position data and operational controls and develops best practices and standards for processing, infrastructure, and change management. The group aims to leverage expertise consistently across regions and entities in order to demonstrate supervision to regulators and provide efficiency, data accuracy, and transparency around controls. †¢Risk & Control Operations supports the firm by ensuring the integrity of books and records, assessing regulatory requirements, and interfacing with regulators frequently. In addition, the group provides the firm with critical control indicators that assess economic, regulatory, and operational risks, while providing oversight of the Operations Division Risk Framework. †¢Securities Operations supports the Securities, Investment Management and Investment Banking Divisions of the firm. This group manages key relationships for the bank and infrastructure providers, on boarding of institutional and prime brokerage clients, and assists in the coordination of issuance of new financial product. Work Done and Experience I did my summer internship in the Operations Division of Goldman Sachs. My project was primarily based on corporate card reconciliation process. Being an intern to the office, there was a lot to be learnt and a lot more to be implemented, but the people at GS were really accommodating and willing to give the interns the required space and time. Goldman Sachs has, a completely flat organizational structure and everyone is very helpful and you can reach out to almost anyone and he/she will be more than willing to help. The Program is very efficiently carried out and there’s a lot to learn. The firm has its own In-House University where there are innumerable courses on Financial Markets, Corporate Finance, Investment Banking that we needed to learn from. Everything you do and suggest mostly goes into Production i.e. LIVE so obviously you will be having a hands-on experience on things which are actually going to be implemented. All things said, there is deadline within which the work needs to be done. Goldman Sachs was a good shot to achieve out of this internship – improved Problem Solving, Industrial Exposure, Understanding of Financial Markets. At Goldman Sachs, everyone is encouraged to take on more responsibility and stretch themselves. People are very professional and are always there to help when needed. This makes it a fun place to work even though the nature of work is very challenging.

Meaning of Life and Greatness Essay

â€Å"We are very near to greatness: one step and we are safe ; can we not make that leap? † – Ralph Waldo Emerson Emerson speaks of a greatness that I believe is inherent in every human being. It may sometimes feel like it is jus beyond the reach of your fingers; just outside the bounds of your imagination. You may feel like you are on the verge of some monumental breakthrough, but for some reason that change doesn’t occur. Greatness is not something that you try to attain through some specific avenue, or any specialized field of work, but rather a quality within yourself that you need only become aware of. It cannot be measured by possessions, financial status, or even certain achievements that society deems to be great. I can only attempt to convey the meaning of greatness by describing the effects of its presence in your life. Each day is met with a sense of purpose, as is each action within that day. Joy and hapiness are your predominant emotions, and are produced from a sense of peace within. You have the ability to manifest your desires, and the direction of your life is dictated by your imagination, rather than what appears to be going on around you. Thinking abundantly, you are more focused on giving rather than receiving, for you know that it is in giving you receive. You see greatness in everyone, because to see it within yourself, you must recognize it in others. We live in a world where people expect things outside of themselves to bring them fulfillment. This can only lead to a feeling of emptiness, and constant striving. You must affirm your greatness to yourself. This is not an affirmation from the standpoint that you are superior to others, but from the recogntion of a power that runs through all existence. See yourself as great , and great things will begin to appear in your life.

Stalins Rise to Power essays

Stalins Rise to Power essays Stalin first became interested in politics when as a theology student; he began reading illegal the works of political philosopher Karl Marx. He eventually gave up his religious education to devote his time to the revolutionary movement against the Russian monarchy. After becoming involved in the movement, Stalin joined the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. When the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party split into the Menshevik and Bolshevik factions, Stalin was drawn to the more militant Bolsheviks, who were led by Vladimir Lenin. Upon the Bolsheviks upheaval of the monarchy, Stalin became an active member of the new government and held many different influential positions. He was eventually elected a member of the Communist Partys highest decision making body, the Politurbo, and the Central Committees Orgburo (Organizational Bureau). The Orgburo supervised the work of local party committees. It was the next body in the Communist Party hierarchy after the Politurbo. In 1922, after Lenin suffered a stroke, Stalin was elected general secretary of the Communist Party, a position that gave him control over appointments and established a base for his political power. Stalins aggressive behavior brought him into conflict with Lenin, who shortly before his death wrote a testament in which he voiced misgivings about Stalin. Basically the testament expressed Lenins doubt that Stalin would use his authority with sufficient caution. In the testament, he called for Stalins removal from the post of general secretary. Through political maneuvering, Stalin was able to discount and suppress Lenins testament, as well as join with Kamenev and Zinoviev to gain control of the party. Stalins main reason for the collaborating with Kamenev and Zinoviev was to form a strong opposition against Trotsky, who was Sta ...

Texas Redistricting Plan Essay Example

Texas Redistricting Plan Essay Example Texas Redistricting Plan Essay Texas Redistricting Plan Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date Texas Redistricting Plan Redistricting refers to the process by which the United States government draws boundaries for its electoral districts. The drawing is mostly influenced by population changes in the state in question. The process is determined by the results of the census that takes place every ten years. Redistricting is important in our politics since it ensures that the country has no problems like overpopulation (Winburn, 49). The redistricting plan in Texas was, however, controversial. This was because the state gad already redistricted in 2002 after the census had taken place. Majority of the people did not find any reason that warranted another redistricting process. This process had an impact from the perspective of a Republican political power in the Congress. For the Republican politicians, the redistricting of the state was purely for political gain. In my opinion, this example of redistricting is a representation of political corruption. This is because there was no valid reason why they wanted to undergo the process again. The politicians used their powers as leaders to facilitate the redistricting of Texas. Tom Delay was one of the key supporters of the redistricting program. He stayed in power until 2006 when he had to resign due to money laundering charges. These charges were in connection to an investigation that was associated with the finances for his campaigns. In 2011, he was convicted and he received a sentence of three years in jail. However, for the time being, he is free on bail while trying to appeal his conviction (Bickerstaff, 78).

5 Steps to Determine Your LinkedIn Profile Focus by guest blogger Jill Schaefer

5 Steps to Determine Your LinkedIn Profile Focus by guest blogger Jill Schaefer You are a multi-faceted human being and yet you only get one LinkedIn profile (or two if one of them is in a second language). Perhaps you are unsure where to focus as a professional and thus how to present yourself in your profile. The question â€Å"Who am I?† is an important one for job seekers and professionals, and it’s not always easy to answer. You: The multi-talented All of us are good at MANY things; but the fact is you can’t be everything to everyone- especially as a job seeker. As Martin Yates, CPC, author of the famed Knock ‘em Dead series, elaborates in Knock ‘em Dead 2012: The Ultimate Job Search Guide, â€Å"People get hired based on their credentials not their potential†¦ Decide on the job that will be the easiest sell for you and the easiest buy for an employer.† In the almost two years that I have been writing LinkedIn summaries for The Essay Expert, I have encountered clients who attempt to be all things to all people. They want to highlight their experience in A, B, and C industries and their accomplishments at X, Y, and Z jobs, AND promote their small business- all within the space of 2,000 characters. Sound familiar? You may think this broad-ranging type of summary says, â€Å"I’m dynamic and versatile.† In reality, most readers interpret it as, â€Å"This person is confused, random, and indecisive.† 5 Step Plan Here’s how to convey focus and strength in your LinkedIn summary: Step 1: Pick one thing The first step to finding your LinkedIn focus is to zero in on the PRIMARY job that you’re after or the PRIMARY professional pursuit you want to come across loud and clear in your profile. How do you do that? Back to Martin Yates’ words of wisdom. â€Å"Based on the skills you possess today, what is your primary job target?† Step 2: Find job descriptions for your target job or profession. Identify keywords. Look up 3-5 job descriptions for your target job category. For example, if I am looking for a marketing or communication manager position, I would go to indeed.com, monster.com, or careerbuilder.com to find posted positions, such as Marketing Communications Officer or Marketing Services Manager, that employers are actively recruiting for. You don’t have to limit yourself to a certain geographic area for this exercise. The point is to learn what job title is most commonly used and what language employers use to describe the job’s requirements. What is the problem a person in that role must solve? What skills would an ideal candidate have? (Note: If your target job requires you to do things that you hate, go back to Step 1.) Copy and paste the contents of the job descriptions into an electronic file or print them out. Highlight mandatory skills from the job descriptions. What keywords- the words that LinkedIn recruiters and hiring managers would search on- keep popping up? Hint: â€Å"team player† is not a keyword phrase, â€Å"alliance management† is. Learn more about keywords in Brenda Bernstein’s Baffled by choosing keywords for your LinkedIn Profile HEADLINE post. Make a list of the most common keywords from the job descriptions. You might want to use Wordle.net to help out with this part. Step 3: Identify your accomplishments With your target job position in mind,   create a list of your top five relevant accomplishments. Organize each accomplishment into a Situation/Action/Results format: Briefly DESCRIBE THE SITUATION or problem. List the ACTIONS YOU TOOK to amend the situation. Describe the RESULTS YOU ACHIEVED. Use quantifiable statistics and metrics, if possible. Step 4: Evaluate how you match up Compare and contrast the similarities between the job descriptions and your accomplishments. How do you match up? If you do, great! If not, it’s time to re-evaluate whether you have matching experiences or successes in the areas that are important to an employer. Step 5: Be THAT person Make sure everything you say about yourself on your LinkedIn profile supports your ONE target position or singular professional objective. Don’t muddy the waters by including keywords from everything that you’ve ever done in your working life. Keep it focused. Remember if you decide today that you’re most qualified to be a genie and tomorrow you decide you’d rather be a zookeeper, you can change your LinkedIn profile accordingly. It’s a living document that reflects who you are as a professional right now. Once you’ve updated your LinkedIn profile, start monitoring the â€Å"Who’s viewed your profile?† section on the right side of your LinkedIn home page. How many times has your profile appeared in searches over the past few days? If your hits are in the single digits, change a few keywords, reassess, and repeat until your numbers go up. Feeling lost? The Essay Expert is here to help you find your professional self. We have helped many a client with multiple professional personalities benefit from a focused, successful LinkedIn summary. About Jill Schaefer: Jill is a professional copywriter and freelance writer who lives in Madison, Wisconsin. She specializes in environmental communications, connecting with clients, giving LinkedIn profiles a makeover, and producing compelling copy. View winning LinkedIn summaries Jill co-wrote for The Essay Experts clients: Shashi Dosaj | Marissa Keller Outten | Michelle Henry

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS - Essay Example xv). Organizations today need to focus on developing and implementing a comprehensive corporate communications plan in order to address and resolve the challenges posed by the highly dynamic external environment and the cope with the media pressures in this new corporate environment. McDonald’s Corporation: McDonald’s Corporation is a global multinational fast food restaurant chain touted to be the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois United States. As of 2013 the company boasts of over 34000 restaurants in more than 119 countries worldwide including Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, the Middle East, as well as Africa (McDonald’s, 2013a) serving over 69 million customers daily (McDonald’s Corporate Report, 2012). Values, mission & vision: The brand's mission is â€Å"to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink†. In order to achieve this objective it follows its global strategy 'Plan to Win' which is centered on ensuring an exceptional experience for their customers (McDonald’s 2013b). Its vision is â€Å"to be the world's best quick service restaurant experience. Being the best means providing outstanding quality, service, cleanliness, and value, so that we make every customer in every restaurant smile† (McDonald’s, 2013c). Corporate Communication Plan – McDonald’s Corporation McDonald’s has recently faced severe criticism from the mass media, as well as from the general public, for various reasons including - its aggressive marketing strategies which mainly targeted children and minority population selling them unhealthy food with low nutritional value; increased dissatisfaction among the workers for low pay; increased complaints from the customers for rude behavior by their employees; growing dissatisfaction among the franchisees for increased pressure to deliver etc., among others. Such events have res ulted in a chain of negative repercussions for the organization and in the absence of a proper strategy, might lead to disastrous consequences in the long run affecting their profitability and credibility. Effective corporate communication strategy

Marconi Jicks-Managing change in a company in severe crisis Essay

Marconi Jicks-Managing change in a company in severe crisis - Essay Example First, Managing Individual Emotions and Reactions to Change is the most complex and difficult due to the fact that nobody can please everybody and most especially nobody can satisfy the desire and need of everybody. Each person has needs that define their motivation which ultimately dictate their emotions and reactions. The Marconi stakeholders are no different. The mismanagement of the individual’s emotion and the resulting reaction to change is likened to a virus that can infect everybody making the company collectively resistant to any needed change. Second, Implementing the Change Agenda, Incorporating Hard and Soft Elements, after being threatened July 2001 to be put out of the job, each of Marconi’s remaining employees have their backs against the wall already. False application of the diplomatic or persuasive approach also known as the soft approach may not hold true to everybody the same is true to the opposite or hard approach. And Fifth, Leadership of Change is the least complex and difficult of all the issues since Mike Parton already has the imprimatur to effect change from the leadership of Marconi and is recognized by all stakeholders. Men are nonetheless resilient to change. Adversities or crisis in a culture normally makes the entire society more cohesive in achieving a common goal. However, a crisis that threatens the very livelihood of the employees tends to make each individual to prioritize providing for their family first instead of dwelling in abstract concepts such as the impetus to change. The measure of the conference’s impact can be effectively determined by the amount of change that happened thence and the actual support it garnered amongst the different stakeholders. The conference was able to show the presence of Mike Parton and the commitment of the leadership of Marconi which settled the percolating restiveness in the company amongst the stakeholders. The conference most

Role of ict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Role of ict - Essay Example Processing includes management of data (like computing, storage of data in databases, protection and retrieval of data) and its networking. Transfer includes transmission of data from one place/desktop to other using communication techniques. Both technologies are collectively called information and communication technology (ICT) (tutor2u, 2009). The purpose of introducing ICT in education is to enhance the learning and educational activities of students and support the teaching process by means of computers, internet and the latest technologies. According to Saverinus Kaka (2008, July 25), â€Å"education sector can be the most effective sector to anticipate and eliminate the negative impact of ICT. Technology (internet) in another side can be the most effective way to increase the student’s knowledge†. Students can be made familiar with computer aided simulations and educational games. The objectives of ICT in education are to incorporate latest technology based learning in schools, to endorse literacy about newer technologies in students, to support distance education, and to improve the teaching process by using latest techniques supported by ICT. â€Å"ICT has a distinctive contribution to make to the aims of the national curriculum as a whole† (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 2009). In the national curriculum, ICT has played its role in planning work sequences and learning and teaching procedures. It has helped students to enjoy their educational activities because they can relate the technology based learning to their everyday lives. Students have been able to develop their own independent thinking regarding research, analysis of problems and decision-making. The national curriculum has put forth such programs of study that use ICT to enable the students to develop self-confidence and think about new ideas. The ICT based study programs in the national curriculum support safe usage of

Employee Training and Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Employee Training and Development - Essay Example Trainers should understand the impacts of each method and the mode of responsiveness on trainees before training them. According to Aguinis, (2012), training methods can be divided into cognitive and behavioural. Cognitive methods involve offering theoretical information on the basics required by the employees to improve their efficiency in individual assignments. Some services associated with cognitive training include offering verbal directions on how to perform an action, conveying verbal or written information, and demonstration of the relationships between roles. The learning provided through training leads to improvement in the knowledge levels of the trainees. Cognitive training methods include lectures, demonstrations, discussions, Computer-Based Training (CBT), virtual reality, Intelligent Tutorial System (ITS) and Programmed Instructions (PI). Behavioural training methods involve the provision of practical directions to employees. Trainees are allowed to act in a practical way related to the tasks they are supposed to undertake. Behavioural methods are reliable in the development of skills. Such methods include business games, case studies, games and simulations, behaviour modelling, role plays, equipment stimulators and in-basket technique. Training and development encompasses efficient business management. Business management focuses on the future progress and development of employee skills. Organisations yearn to instil sound management practices that are suitable for conforming to the changing technological environment. In this case, training is necessary to ensure that employees enhance the organisational competiveness. The management development methods can be on-the-job training or off-the-job training. The four techniques that encompass on-the-job training include coaching, Job Instruction Technique (JIT), and mentoring and job rotation (Bernas and Piecha, 2009). Off-the-job training includes sensitivity training, simulation exercises, transac tional analysis, sensitivity training and straight lectures/lectures. Application of the computer based training (CBT) is related to the fact that the modern advancement in technology has led to the replacement of the classroom lectures with technological devices (Formaneck and Cozzarin, 2012:459-472). The method is efficient because it does not require any interaction between the human trainer and the trainee which is normally inefficient, tedious and time-consuming. Some of the methods that the pharmaceutical companies can apply when using CBT include Intelligent Tutorial System (ITS) and virtual reality. The system uses artificial intelligence in the provision of information that is relayed to trainees. The organisation feeds informational related to best practises in pharmaceutical industry and programs the ITS to relay the information to the trainees. The programmed instruction is strategically designed to offer reliable and efficient information for efficient learning. The pro gramme is designed to ask a question whereby advancing to the next level is dependent on the trainee’s answer. However, offering wrong answers stalls the learning process as the trainee will be taken to the initial review until correct details are offered. The programmed instruction can occur in the form of tapes, interactive video, and books. The unique characteristic of the programmed inst

Undercover Police Officers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Undercover Police Officers - Term Paper Example Undercover Investigations Uniformed duties differ greatly from undercover Police work in a number of ways. The uniformed duty poses as an identification tag for the public and other officials working round them, however, undercover duty makes them a part of the general population. Undercover Police investigations are distinct as per the nature and system of work being involved. This paper aims to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that undercover Police officers face and analyzes the effectiveness of adopting this technique in the prevention of crime. Strengths The undercover Policing technique helps a lot in exposing or exploring the truth behind certain crimes. The basic strength of this technique is that it counters any impediment in gaining appropriate information about the case. It does so by hiding the real identity of the police officer. The absence of uniform and secrecy of identity helps in maintaining normal behaviors, activities and environment where the investigation is g oing on. The undercover Police officers work for a specified time period on particular cases and acquire a fake or imaginary identity for the scenario they deal with. Undercover work is based on secrecy of identity of the undercover police officers. This enables the officer to observe the environment without any biased or changed behaviors which are probable due to the awareness about Police officers’ or law enforcers’ presence. The assumed identity enables the officers to move around in suspicious areas where Police is generally not welcomed. The officers get information which might be hidden from uniformed Police staff. The qualities required for an undercover Police officer are much in line with the traits of a good investigator. The most important strength of this investigation technique is the involvement of a professional Police officer in the whole process. The jury or court comfortably and reliably understand the whole case with supporting evidence in the form of video, audio, written or other forms. The involvement of the officer at the crime scene with full list or range of evidences leaves no space for suspicion. The jury is able to view the crime as it happens at the crime place or by the characters involved (Ruvver et. al., 2002 p. 333). Weaknesses This investigation technique adopted by law enforcement agencies and Police departments is a useful tool of combating a number of crimes and unusual behaviors. However, like other techniques, it has its weaknesses attached. The main weakness of this technique is the selection of undercover officers which require closer attention to the traits and experience of the officer. If the officer has a strong background in Police and crime prevention activities, he is likely to be good at undercover investigation. The undercover investigations require much insight on how to tackle and behave like the people involved. Any unusual or suspicious activity or behavior may startle the criminals or wrongd oers’ perceptions and views about that particular character in their area, gang, activity or surrounding. The weakness, hence, is the complexity of the working environment where officers’ aredirectly associated and involved in the criminal activities or taking part in it somehow to capture and closely monitor their performances. This undue involvement firstly is dangerous for the

Is penalties harsh enough on underage drinking and should parents be Research Paper

Is penalties harsh enough on underage drinking and should parents be held accountable - Research Paper Example This paper intends to discuss whether penalties applied to underage drinking are harsh enough, or in other words, should drinking be allowed for underage people, and should parents be held accountable for underage drinking. If we compare the drinking age in United States to that in other countries around the globe, we come to know that there are stricter laws in US about legal age for drinking. Most of the other western countries regard it as a normal social activity performed by an individual of any age. In European countries, and in England, children start taking alcohol, although a small quantity, with their parents. Wine is often a casual part of meal. Australia allows drinking at eighteen and England allows it at sixteen, and the teens consuming alcohol at so young an age are found to be perfectly healthy. This makes it easy to argue that a lower drinking age should be acceptable when the rest of the world is okay with it. Thinking this way, one feels that there are harsh penalt ies by the government on underage drinking. ... It is easy to teach a young kid of 18, as compared to an elder person, and make him learn how much of it is okay and how much is harmful. Parents in Europe teach their kids how to be responsible with drinking and then they set them free to try it out, but responsibly. In US, parents are so much fearful of the worse consequences and threats posed by heavy alcoholism that they inculcate this fear inside their children that the act is totally wrong and they cannot think about drinking before they reach a set age by the law. This concludes that there is no need for harsh penalties on underage drinking, but there is need to create more awareness on health hazards in case of binge drinking. Learning and knowledge can do what penalties cannot. There is another dark side regarding penalties. Harsh penalties increase the thirst. It is very natural for man to crave for something he has been forbidden. He wants to do things and try them out when they are told not to. This is because of his expe rimental nature that compels him to crave for something he cannot get. Adam ate the forbidden fruit because he had been specially told not to eat it. Similarly, alcohol becomes the tempting forbidden fruit for teens. Strictly forbidding kids to touch alcohol increases the curiosity inside them and then they turn out breaking the laws and standing liable for penalties. Studies have suggested that most teens drink out of their excitement that they get in breaking the law. â€Å"87% of high school seniors have used alcohol† (Harold). Hence, it is clear that a lot of high schoolers and teens do consume alcohol. Then what are the laws for? Medical science and psychological studies reveal that teens

Undercover Police Officers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Undercover Police Officers - Term Paper Example Undercover Investigations Uniformed duties differ greatly from undercover Police work in a number of ways. The uniformed duty poses as an identification tag for the public and other officials working round them, however, undercover duty makes them a part of the general population. Undercover Police investigations are distinct as per the nature and system of work being involved. This paper aims to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that undercover Police officers face and analyzes the effectiveness of adopting this technique in the prevention of crime. Strengths The undercover Policing technique helps a lot in exposing or exploring the truth behind certain crimes. The basic strength of this technique is that it counters any impediment in gaining appropriate information about the case. It does so by hiding the real identity of the police officer. The absence of uniform and secrecy of identity helps in maintaining normal behaviors, activities and environment where the investigation is g oing on. The undercover Police officers work for a specified time period on particular cases and acquire a fake or imaginary identity for the scenario they deal with. Undercover work is based on secrecy of identity of the undercover police officers. This enables the officer to observe the environment without any biased or changed behaviors which are probable due to the awareness about Police officers’ or law enforcers’ presence. The assumed identity enables the officers to move around in suspicious areas where Police is generally not welcomed. The officers get information which might be hidden from uniformed Police staff. The qualities required for an undercover Police officer are much in line with the traits of a good investigator. The most important strength of this investigation technique is the involvement of a professional Police officer in the whole process. The jury or court comfortably and reliably understand the whole case with supporting evidence in the form of video, audio, written or other forms. The involvement of the officer at the crime scene with full list or range of evidences leaves no space for suspicion. The jury is able to view the crime as it happens at the crime place or by the characters involved (Ruvver et. al., 2002 p. 333). Weaknesses This investigation technique adopted by law enforcement agencies and Police departments is a useful tool of combating a number of crimes and unusual behaviors. However, like other techniques, it has its weaknesses attached. The main weakness of this technique is the selection of undercover officers which require closer attention to the traits and experience of the officer. If the officer has a strong background in Police and crime prevention activities, he is likely to be good at undercover investigation. The undercover investigations require much insight on how to tackle and behave like the people involved. Any unusual or suspicious activity or behavior may startle the criminals or wrongd oers’ perceptions and views about that particular character in their area, gang, activity or surrounding. The weakness, hence, is the complexity of the working environment where officers’ aredirectly associated and involved in the criminal activities or taking part in it somehow to capture and closely monitor their performances. This undue involvement firstly is dangerous for the

Knowledge and reality Essay Example for Free

Knowledge and reality Essay The quest for knowledge remains a perplexing problem in the field of philosophy. Even nowadays mankind continue to seek to understand himself and the world around him he is thirst to know were exactly our knowledge comes from. The question of knowledge appears to be a battle between the empirisists who believed that knowledge is acquired through sense experience and the rationalists who believed that knowledge can only be required through reasoning. Although there are a lot of people who abides with these groups in my essay in my essay I will only deal with John locke who in this case argues that knowledge is acquired throughsense experience thereby representing the empirisists group and Rene Descartes who argues that knowledge comes fronm reasoning thereby representing the rationalists. Diffrent scholars have also shown their appreciation to the work which was done by the two groups. Rene Descartes who is the rationalist have claimed that the ultimate starting point for knowledge is is not the senses but reason. According to Cottingham,Descartes argues that knowledge of a particular subject matter is underwritten by intuition or rational insight and deductive reasoning rather than experience of that subject matter(1984). Descartes in this case is of the opinion that the only way one can acquire knowledge is through deductive reasoning ,reasoning that aims at exactitude. In one way or other that exactitude is the one which we can now call knowledge Descartes maintain that without prior categories and principles supplied by reason wen could not organise and interrupt one’s sense experience in any way (Kenny:1986). In this case one would be faced with just one huge ,undifferentiated,kaleidospic whirl of sensation ,signifying nothing(Kenny:1986). Rationalism in its purest form goes so far as to hold that al our rational beliefs and the entirety of human knowledge consists in human principles and innate concepts. According to Russel Descartes believes that men are born with innate ideas or ideas that we are born with (1946:548). He argues that those innate ideas are generated and certified by reason along with anything logically deducable these first principles. Furthermore on innate ideas ,a number of mankind still how can reason supply ay mental category or first principle at all? The question is a bit easy for such people like Descartes who claimed that we are born with several fundamental concepts or categories in our minds ready for use(Stitch:1975). Descartes went own to argue that this gives us innate knowledge . This might be through certain categories of space ,time,cause and effect. In one way or other Descartes argues that people thinks in terms of cause and effect and this helps one’s experience of the world(Stitch:1975). A ccording to Stitch Descartes argues that people think of themselves as seing some things causing other things to happen,but in terms of our raw sense experience ,one sees certain things happen before other thing happen and remember having seen such before and after the sequences at earlier times (1975). One can come up with an example like ,a rock hits the window and then the window breaks. We don’t see the third thing called causation but we believe it has happened. The rock hitting the window caused it to break but this is not experienced like the fight of the rock or the shattering of the glass. Descartes argues that experience does not seem to force the concept of causation on us. On this case Descartes bis denying the fact that knowledge comes fron sense experience but reasoning. Descartes also claimed that the foundations of our knowledge are propositions that are self-evidently true. A self-evident proposition has the strange property of being such that ,on merely understanding what it says and without any further checking or special evidence of any kind. One can just intellectually see that it is true(Caruthers:1992). If A is greater than B the B is greater than C and therefore A is greater than C. In this example the claim is that once these statements are understood ,it takes no further sense experience whatsoever to see that they are true . Descartes was athinker who used sceptical doubt as a prelude to constructing a retionalist philosophy. He was convinced that all our beliefs that are founded on the experience of the external senses could be called into doubt ,but that with certain beliefs like ‘I am thinking’,there is n o room for creating and sustaining a reasonable doubt(Pojman:1991:72). Descartes then tried to find enough other first principles with immune to rational doubt that he could provide an indubitable ,rational basis for all other legitimate beliefs. According to Pojman Descartes thought that mathematics gave a paradigm or model of certain knowledge or of attaining such knowledge (1991:73). He argued that mathematical knowledge is based on self evident axioms ,or first principles. In this case those principles are clear and distinctly persued as self-evident and in other words they are indubitable that is to say it is hard to doubt them. They are intrinsically valid on self-certifying . Dscartes argues that once we have such self-evident truths ,then with the rules of reasoning or logic ,theories can be validly deduced from them (Spinoza:1905). Descartes wanted to apply the method of philosophy as he argued that in mathematics ther is no appeal to sense experience . Human reasoning is the sole source of mathematical knowledge (Spinoza:1905). In this case Descartes claimed that by poor reasoning one can achieve knowledge. It was this method of doubt that Descartes used to get at the indubitable starting point which will be unshakable foundation of the edifice of knowledge hence to doubt means to think and think means to be(Pojman:1991). On the other hand we have the empirialists who in this case are being represented by John Locke. Locke is of the view that knowledge is acquired through sense experience. Locke was actually influenced by Descartes writings in which Descartes was arguing that knowledge comes from reasoning and the issue of innate ideas. According to Pojman Locke believes that the senses we maintain ,gives us all our raw data about the world and without this raw material their would be no knowledge at all(Pojman:1991:83). To Locke perception starts a process and from this process come all our beliefs . In its purest form ,Locke and his collegues believes that sense experience alone gave birth to all our knowledge. Locke was influenced by Descartes writings because what Descartes believes was the opposite of what Locke and his collegues believed mostly on the issue of innate ideas hence he decided to put on his suggestion on were exactly our knowledge comes from. Locke argues that innate ideas are suppose to be inborn ideas and they are their in the human mind since birth (Locke:1894). He argues that these ideas are neither created by us nor derived from our experiences. Locke argues that the human mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ meaning to say it is blank and it looks like a white sheet of paper without any content or ideas. According to Pojman there are no inborn ideas in the human mind(Pojman:1991). Ideas denote the content of human mind and consciousness. This then supports the idea that all ideas spring from experiences. According to Spinoza ,Locke argues that all knowledge is formed as and ultimately derived from sensational or inner reflection(1905) To add more the empirisists argue thatideas acquired through sensation and reflection are simple ideas. According Russel Locke argues that the mind has the power to reject ,compare and combine them to then form complex ideas(1946:551) . The simple ideas are the materials of the mind or consciousness. The mind elaborates them in defferent ways and this knowledge is developed(Russel:1946:551)Simple ideaas in this case are thus produced in the mind by the outer things through external experiences and simple ideas posseses valididty. The two theories presents different ideas on were exactly we get knowledge but I think I am convinced with the theory of Descartes which says knowledge is acquired through reason. Although the theory was mainly meant for the mathmaticians I think it is good for me because a men ought to reason so as to find knowledge. To me reasoning shows that someone really is thinking deeper so as to find whatever he wants . The method of doubt which he uses convince me also because I think through doubting you will be able to find knowledge. The Christians might want to say Thomas was wrong but in one way or other Thomas made Christians to know that realy the man they saw was Jesus and Christians were made to believe that really there is resurrection and this was through doubting Thomas. I cant just believe what I have not see without doubting because nowadays people tend to lie so as to get whatever they want in their lives . Therefore the theory of Descartes to me is good one on how we aquire knowledge . ? BIBLIOGRAPHY Carruthers. P.(1992)Human knowledge and human nature,Oxford: Oxford University Press’ Cottingham. J. (1984)Rationalism,London:Palada books. Fieser. P. (1991) Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford:Oxiford University Press Kenny. A. (ed). (1986)Rationalism,Empiricism and Idealism ,Oxiford:Oxiford University Press Locke. J. (1690)An essay on human understanding. (ed)R. Woolhouse. (1997). London:Panguin Books Louis. P. (2007)The theory of knowledge ,classical and temporary readings. Belment CA:Wadsworth Stitch. S. (ed)(1975)Innate ideas ,Berkely CA:Carlifonia University Press Russell. B. (1912)History of Western Philosophy . Oxiford:Oxiford University Press.

Barriers to Sustainable Construction Contractors

Barriers to Sustainable Construction Contractors Abstract: This research aims to investigate Sustainable Construction barriers implementation to SMEs (Small and Medium sized Enterprises) in the UK. The undertaken investigation mostly emphasises the Production/Construction phase, referred to as the RIBA Plan of Work Stage K. Research shows that barriers to the implementation of Sustainable Construction were most prominent during this stage. Through an extensive literature review the main barriers presenting themselves to SMEs have been identified at the beginning of this stage of investigation. Later, these barriers will be questioned through the investigation of the literature acquired and the most noteworthy will be scrutinized in greater detail. There were found to be six key barriers to be considered while implementing Sustainable Construction Techniques in the Production/Construction phase of a project, these are as follows: Cost Time People Technology Market Legal Even though progress in the UK construction industry as a whole is showing great potential and is showing a steady line of progression (however still lagging behind other European countries such as France, Germany and Spain), implementation by SME construction firms is limited and poor. This is mainly due to the fact that sustainable construction is considered to be expensive, complicated and time-consuming. It needs greater support from every party involved including clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, government and local authorities to achieve the goal of satisfactory implantation. Introduction As the construction industry is such a main contributor to the economy of the UK, contributing 10% of UK GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and employs 1.5 million people, the environmental impact of the industry is extraordinary; contributing 70 million tonnes of waste to landfills and a huge 50% of energy produced is used by this sector. (Addis, B. Talbot, R., 2001: 21) It is estimated that UK SMEs are responsible for as much as 60% of carbon dioxide emissions. (Marshall Report, 1998) It is also estimated that 60% of commercial waste and 8 out of 10 pollution accidents are caused by this sector. (Environment Agency, 2003 Environment Agency, Business survey reveals lack of environmental awareness, Environment Action (2003) (37).Environment Agency, 2003) Studies have found that SMEs tend to have low levels of engagement with environmental agendas. (Hillary, 2000a) Most of the literature available focuses on the larger construction companies (LEs or Large Enterprises), which is why the author hopes to undertake a study of SMEs, particularly general contractors with less than 50 employees. In 2004 the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) conducted a survey showing that there were 170,000 construction contractors working in the UK and that 93% of this figure employed less than 8 people. Initiatives by the construction SMEs indicate that this group is often ignored and hence, they are under-performed compared to larger construction companies. (Sexton, M.G. Barrett, P.S., 2003a) It is anticipated that the result of this enquiry will help the construction industry to support more medium and small construction firms in the implementation of sustainable techniques and principles suggested by the UK government. This exploration is limited to SMEs which employ 50 people or less, and also to the construction site (known as Stage K, the production/construction phase of a project). Aims and Objectives Aim: How to get SMEs to implement sustainable techniques through managing time, teams and possibly new methods of construction to maximise profit without having to police each individual contractor? Objectives: To discover the most relevant procedures to sustainable construction practices at production and construction phase. To recognize exactly the current level of understanding and implementation, of sustainable construction at the production and construction phase of a project. To identify the main barriers in incorporating sustainable construction and embracing new techniques involved in the construction process to SMEs. Facility executives building green for the first time may find that the process requires as much unlearning of old ways as it does learning of new ones. The process of building green forces facility executives to think about the design and construction process in non-traditional ways. From integrated design to commissioning, almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability. The catch is that the process, at least the first time, is more time and cost. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenditures in equipment upgrades, justifying processes may be a bit more difficult. Its more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time. There are a few simple sustainable ways of management for a contractor to utilise, and these cost saving measures help to maximise profit, here are some suggestions: Make use of grants or funding available for sustainable construction. Contact your Local Authority or Regional Development Agency about local projects and grants. Employers registered with CITB-Construction Skills can claim Training Plan or Short Duration grant to support sustainability training. Use recycled or sustainable materials whenever possible. Give preference to locally produced products. Crushed concrete and brick can be used to replace primary aggregates and avoid Aggregates Tax. Use timber only from sustainably managed woodland ask for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) timber. Only order the materials you need and store them safely. Plan ahead when ordering materials. Work with suppliers/manufacturers to minimise and return packaging and pallets. Store materials in a secure and protected area and keep liquids/sands away from drains. Minimise road journeys to and from the site. Use local suppliers wherever possible. Plan deliveries to site: during the day time in residential areas and at night and in city centres. If you have a van, ensure it can carry a variety of small materials to prevent unnecessary trips to suppliers. Separate and recycle waste then dispose of the remainder legally. Separate different types of waste and mark containers clearly. Recycle as much as possible. Use registered waste carriers and keep the paperwork. Avoid causing pollution to land, water or air. Stop uncontrolled water entering or leaving excavations, especially run-off from earth works. Avoid spillages on site and clean up if accidents happen. Dont burn waste materials recycle or dispose of them responsibly. The UK government has urged industries to take on environmental measures on their own accord on the basis that it will be good for business, a qualitative study investigating the environmental procedures of small and medium-sized construction firms found that the views of owner-managers had little resonance with this win-win approach. Respondents might not be aware of the financial returns to be obtained from eco-efficiency processes to be substantial enough to warrant the short-term investment in time and resources required to engage in them. In addition, the market was not indicating that product value could be raised or that clientele could be won by implementing environmental best practice. Respondents consistently highlighted that the enormous competitive pressures on small firms made cost and speed of build the number one priorities whilst environmental management remained a peripheral concern. At the top of the supply chain, architects claimed that whilst lip service was paid to sustainability issues within the industry, there was currently little in the way of environmental design occurring in the UK, and sustainability tended to be a peripheral issue in their own work. Although it was acknowledged that architects should be at the forefront of sustainability, most respondents felt that it was difficult to push an environmental agenda forward because clients tended to be driven by commercial rather than environmental or social concerns. Most architects thus did not promote environmental issues for fear of alienating clients, and environmental designs were only explored if it was expressly asked of them. Overall the builder cannot become environmentally friendly because the client does not want to specify certain techniques to the architect because they think itll cost too much, theyre more interested in the economic side and the architect doesnt want to specify sustainable techniques in case of maybe excluding some clients. These market dynamics were clearly having a knock-on effect down the supply chain as builders perceived a low demand for sustainable buildings and construction methods, and therefore were not incentivised to improve their environmental performance or to differentiate themselves on environmental credentials. Suppliers wont stock things that arent being sought after and that arent being specified. How can the SMEs get these sustainable products then, without maybe having to travel to a specific supplier and look themselves, making it time consuming and not cost effective. Respondents claimed that the usual criteria for choosing products was price, as buying the cheapest equivalent product was one way for builders to squeeze a profit out of tight budgets. Some builders confess that they rarely considered the environmental impacts of materials, and beyond the use of timber from sustainable sources, most were not even aware of which materials might be greener than others. Information about environmental impacts was thought to be difficult and time-consuming to obtain, and many respondents highlighted that building suppliers could do much more to encourage the use of green materials in construction, such as eco-labelling schemes to differentiate products with lower environmental impacts. The key issue for firms in this study was that customers invariably focused on value for money at the expense of environmental concerns. Many architects were of the opinion that there was not much of a business case for sustainable design to present to clients, who were unwilling to pay the premium for a more sustainable building. Respondents highlighted that there was little financial incentive to save energy on site as the mains electricity used was paid for by the client. Some felt that energy efficiency was more of an issue for designers than builders as it was in the end-use of a building that most energy savings could be made. However, most claimed that little was reused (apart from the odd expensive item such as certain slates and metals), because the cost of keeping material was often more than buying it new, once storage and labour costs had been factored in. Also, the used material was usually not quite to the specification required for the next job, so many builders felt that it was just easier and cheaper to throw it away. Recycling was similarly dismissed because of the management and labour time involved in ensuring proper waste separation procedures: It takes too long. It affects the labour. I mean if Ive got 10 labourers on site, Im not going to bring another labourer in just to make sure that copper is over there and plasterboards there and metals over there (Builder 4, 85 staff) Because small firms are typically more concerned with short-term survival than the long-term environmental impacts of their business, eco-efficiency measures may thus be rejected if the pay-back is not perceived to be immediate. Objective 1: To Discover the Most Relevant Procedures to Sustainable Construction Practices at Production and Construction Phase. Following the Egan Report the Government of the UK published Building a Better Quality of Life in 2000. Inside this publication it has been suggested a few key topics for which can be used in the construction industry: The re-use of existing building assets Designing for minimum waste Aiming for lean construction The minimisation of energy in construction Not to pollute Enhance and preserve biodiversity The conservation of water Respect people and the local environment Monitor and report in order to set benchmarks In 2005 the Government published Sustainable Development Strategy, Securing the Future which was a substitute to Building a Better Quality of Life. This proposed the following four key terms: Sustainable communities Natural resources protection and environmental enhancement Climate change and energy Sustainable consumption and production Environmental Impacts: The Environmental Agency tells us that the construction industry is responsible for: Using over 420 million tonnes of material resources Converting 6,500 hectares of land from rural to urban use per annum 13% of all materials delivered to site go into the skip without ever being used. 90 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste (three more waste than all households in the UK combined) Responsible for 21% of UKs hazardous waste 10% of the UKs energy consumption is used in the transport and production of construction products and materials Due to building on flood plains 185,000 commercial properties and 1.85 million residential homes are at risk of flooding and this figure looks set to rise Waste Management: Waste Segregation: Separating recyclable materials such as timber, plastic, plasterboard, hard-core, cardboard and general waste.Also materials such as concrete, bricks and blocks, stones and slates can be used as filling for roads, footpaths etc. Recycling: Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) claims that 30% of materials used on site can be recycled elsewhere at no extra cost.Recycled timber (off cuts) can be used in stud partition walling and can also be used in flower plant bedding. Purchasing Policy with Suppliers: Packaging waste and unused materials can be returned to the builders merchant and used several times over. Energy Consumption Reduction: Simple steps like using energy efficient heating equipment and lighting, supervising the usage of mains electricity according to equipment requirements. Water Conservation: Where practical the use of low-flow water fixtures, rain water harvesting and recycling of grey water where hygiene is not a priority. Material Selection: The focus for this section is to identify products with a relatively high sustainability score at no significant increase in capital cost over a traditional material option. Many modern building materials are now being linked with environmental and health concerns. Alternatives do exist which eliminate many of these potential impacts and risks to end users, constructors, developers and investors. Timber or Aluminium instead of PVC where possible. Formaldehyde free MDF Insulation: Recycled cellulose insulation, Rockwool, Foamed glass.Solid Concrete with primary aggregate Permeable pavements Concrete with recycled aggregate (RCA) or glass Window Frames:uPVC Durable timber framed windows, renewable source without health impacts from disposal of PVC. Double glazed units with low emissive coatings (Argon filled). Flooring:Ground Flooring: Solid concrete, hollow concrete elements with reclaimed aggregate/limestone. Hollow concrete uses less material. Solid Walls:Clay brick: recycled Bricks (recycled content 15-100%)/Reclaimed Bricks. Reclaimed bricks can also aid in character requirements of refurbishments. Partitions: Can be built from recycled wood used in construction.Timber quicker to erect and saves material costs. Pitched Roof Plywood from non FSC MDF chipboard (low Construction: formaldehyde), reduces carcinogens from standard chipboard Construction: Pitched Roof Reclaimed slates, tiles/Sedum (turf)/Fibre cement tiles. Covering: Turf can reduce urban water run off.Green roofs typically last 3x long as standard roof. Plasterwork:Lime mortar re-absorbs some of the CO2 given off during the firing process when it sets. Sewers:Clay pipe can be recycled to make new pipe, brick and roof tiles. Paving:Concrete slabs with recycled content e.g. recycled glass. Reclaimed slabs and stone can be sourced free often paying only haulage costs. Semi Hard Paving:Paving Gravel, Wood chippings/Recycled glass, sand. Wood chippings can be derived from off cuts in construction. Local Sourcing of Materials and Labour: Obtaining construction material from local outlets or from the existing site; The use of locally sourced materials should be promoted when issues involve cost, embodied energy and meeting local character requirements are considered. A local sourcing policy costs nothing to implement and requires no specialist expertise. Locally sourced materials minimise the impact of fuel transport costs/emissions and support the local economy. Stone, earth and timber (assuming it comes from a sustainable source). Salvaged materials from existing construction or demolition such as steel can also be used. This previous abstract demonstrates that significant improvements in building sustainability performance can be achieved at very little additional cost. These minimal cost increases also provide added value elsewhere. For example, in the case of sustainable buildings, in-use cost savings of fuel for heating can be generated over the life of the building. With increased uncertainty over future energy costs, a very short pay back period of a sustainable approach can be realised. Necessities, Not Luxuries Key to justifying some of these ostensible add-ons is not to view them as add-ons in the first place. Commissioning, for instance, is a critical step in the green building process and a requirement for facility executives planning to certify their buildings with LEED, an internationally recognized green building certification system. On traditional construction projects, commissioning may be considered a luxury. But, according to a study by the National Institute of Building Sciences, commissioning a building can mean it will cost 8 to 20 percent less to operate than a non-commissioned building. Objective 2:To Recognize Exactly the Current Level of Understanding and Implementation, of Sustainable Construction at the Production and Construction Phase of a Project. The incentive to innovate among construction SMEs often starts with having an awareness to seize an opportunity or a need to response to market, development or client conditions. Her are a three motivational needs as described below: Survival: Project based innovation focuses more on survival of a company due to the type of market operated in by contractors. Stability: When survival has been established firms will look then towards stabilizing and consolidating their position to ensure prosperous conditions over the medium term. Development: Once this stability has been attained the motivation necessary to exploit this becomes apparent and the firm will begin to develop and grow. When SMEs find themselves in survival posture firms do not tend to take as much risks and are more aware of outgoing costs. Not all firms are want to grow in size indefinitely, companies want to stabilize at a certain that is compatible with the aspirations of the owner. Innovation activities can be grouped into two areas, improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of the company, meaning making sure the company is doing the right activities and doing them well. Adoption of new Innovations: This is dependant on several key capabilities and motivations which are time, financial, companys structure and people. Time and Financial: The dominant role of the contractor allows for quick decision making if need be which means that in an ever changing market modernizations in sustainability can always be updated. Due to a contractors own resources a contractor will only bid on work according to their own capabilities in terms of types of work and size. Most would also prefer to work directly with clients as main contractors rather than just sub-contractors, this tends to limit risks and costs and is typical of a survival posture. Companys Structure: SMEs cannot afford to do as LEs do and have numerous departments assigned to carry out various roles and tasks. It is the job of many directors and owners to obtain information and knowledge for innovation and also to gain business contacts. Many directors find it hard to manage time for all of this, which could include attending trainings and workshops. External Supports and Motivations: These largely come from government policies but are mainly appropriate for large companies and have to be altered to suit the small and medium sized enterprise. Market Network: Rapidly shifting client demands and market conditions requires construction SMEs to involve themselves in a number of businesss of varying complexity in order to provide knowledge and expertise to their own enterprise. Access to these companies is achieved through supply and client interactions, research institutions, professional associations and government bodies. Access to Technology: Technology can be exploited to increase competitiveness among SMEs but this can only be effective when the knowledge characteristics of the technology can be transferred easily. SMEs tend to use technologies which can contribute to the growth of a company, financially, quickly and easily, dovetailing into capabilities already possessed by the firm. Technology that is out of that league and that requires more effort to invest risk, time, effort and money are generally shifted out swiftly and intuitively. Objective 1:To Identify the Main Barriers in Incorporating Sustainable Construction and Embracing New Techniques involved in the Construction Process to SMEs. Key Barriers to Sustainable Construction: Facility executives building green for the first time may find that the process requires as much unlearning of old ways as it does learning of new ones. The processes of building green forces facility executives to think about the design and construction process in non-traditional ways. From integrated design to commissioning, almost every step of the green building process is heavily focused on how building elements fit together to optimize efficiency and sustainability. The catch is that the process, at least for the first time, is more time and cost. While the strategies used may be similar to justifying expenditures in equipment upgrades, justifying processes may be a bit more difficult. Its more difficult to pinpoint specific costs for more hours of design time. The Barriers to Sustainable Construction have been classified under six key headings: Cost Time People Technology Market Legal These subsequent barriers will be challenged and validated in the following chapter. Cost: Increased Construction Costs: There has been a perception by many construction companies that sustainable construction practices may incur additional or perhaps higher capital cost (Cameron, R., 2003; KDG, 2006) The added cost is normally related with additional labour hours necessary to perform activities such as recycling and separation of waste on site. There is also the argument that sustainable materials bring upon higher search costs; this is the time spent searching for these illusive materials, and other connected costs like driving, phone calls etc. All of these increase the total cost of a development and eat into a seemingly already tight budget for the contractor and therefore are looked upon as an unnecessary and irrelevant expense. Many construction companies are forced to submit a low bid for a particular project, and this comes about by reducing construction costs rather than increasing the value gained by building sustainably. This is also on the increase in the areas of project partnership, where a fixed price tender means priority will be given to the lowest price rather than value for money. Time: Time is crucial in any phase of any type of project, most particular in construction projects. As the phrase goes, time is money, and construction developments are often under tight time constraints. Slow advancement towards a change in attitude: Because this industry is such a large and dynamic market it involves so many individual players, which means that it becomes so much harder to get everyone concerned to get into the same frame of mind and not to be just concerned with just profit. There is a feeling that there is too much effort involved and learning new initiatives become too difficult in comparison to just continuing with the tried and trusted methods of known construction techniques already in practice throughout all construction sites in the UK at this present moment. There is also the point that there is inadequate information on sustainable materials easily available, which means that getting access to manufacturers who supply such materials becomes more intricate and making them prepared within the time constraint of a project becomes too arduous to make the endeavour for. Training: Larger construction companies (LEs) usually have their own Research and Development departments but as for SMEs, they are more inclined to rely on directors to research new innovations. Directors also are relied upon to transfer this knowledge and information to staff. Due to their already hectic workload, directors may find it difficult to set time aside for training programmes, seminars, and workshops involved in development initiatives. Likewise because of limited staff in small and medium enterprises, it is frequently difficult to attend such time-consuming activities, or to attend such trainings. Without these regular meetings contractors may find it extremely difficult to establish business contacts. Emphasis is more on short term performance and speed of construction: As construction companies are pushed on deadlines and short term maximisation of profit they are mostly interested in traditional construction as they know from experience how long a particular project will take and do not want to be taking risks on new innovations and techniques which could run on longer than previously thought. The temporary nature of a development, along with short term dealings with people means that the sharing and transfer of information between teams can lead to be strenuous and extremely difficult. (Sexton. M.G. and Barrett, P.S., 2003a; CPN, 1997) People: Lack of Knowledge and Skills: Most small companies do not have the resources to gain access to information and acquire the knowledge and the skills necessary to partake in such developments, or in some circumstances to investigate and research new alternatives and the benefits involved in such construction. Lack of motivation: New legislations and technologies can be seen as off-putting or even as a threat to SMEs who may not be willing to change with known traditions without substantial financial gain. Poor Integration with New Procedure: Failure of communication between contractors, sub-contractors, architects and clients may result in difficulty of implementation throughout a project. Down to the littlest details like the separation of recyclable material and where to dispense certain products may cause disruption further down the line. Short Term Interest: Given the nature of the construction business speed is of the essence, trying to get a building taken off of a contractors hands as quickly as possible is key and therefore, as many developments have to be taken place within certain time limits and contracts are written up to enforce this, the contractor may have more pressing interests nearing the end of a job. Technology: Complicated: Sustainable design may involve MMC (Modern Methods of Construction), which means that the making up of major house elements in factories including panels (including ready-made walls, floors and roofs. Panels may also have wiring and plumbing already inside, making construction even faster) and modules (ready-made rooms, which can then be pieced together to make a whole house or flat but are used most frequently for bathrooms or kitchens, where all the fittings are added in the factory; known as pods). Both of these products require skilled workers to install them, cranes and may require supplementary tools and machines to operate and fix these prefabricated structures into position. There is also a lack of familiarity with these new technologies. Where the clients and the architects specify such methods but contractors do not get the opportunity to try out these new systems. Market: It is widely felt that there is a lack of demand within the supply chain, this is generally due to the unfamiliarity associated with the costs and benefits. Lack of Marketing for Sustainable Materials: Sustainable materials are secondary materials; recycle, reclaim and re-use materials, and there are currently no marketing advertisements or such information on these resources. Waste materials are usually perceived to be risky and a cheap solution to a problem and are thought to not perform to as high a standard as primary materials. These may also incur greater search costs as they have a more dispersed location. Dominance by Larger Suppliers: If a supplier is larger than the contractor then the supplier has more power and is able to dictate to the supplier how the processes involved should be carried out. And as is with the case of most SMEs this is almost always the case. If the supplier does not have a particular product which a small contractor requests then, more often than not, the supplier doesnt feel the need to oblige the contractor as the supplier is more interested with the Les, meaning that the SMEs are often overlooked. Legal: These aspects include government legislation, policies, and planning procedures. Limited Enforcement: Standard of inspections has repelled many companies who may have been interested in building sustainably. The companies themselves would have to push for higher