Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Project - Essay Example These sources of energy, particularly oil, have also been associated with water pollution as well as destruction of marine life and diversity through oil spills in oceans, seas, rivers and lakes among others. Even most of the existing renewable sources energies such as geothermal, wind and hydroelectric have been extremely expensive to install. In addition, these sources of energies are normally extremely affected by changes in weather conditions. Also, their abundance as compared to that of the solar energy is limited. Due to the problems associated with the available sources energies such as fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, hydroelectric and geothermal, the use of solar energy is becoming popular in most parts of the world, particularly in China and Africa (House-Soremekun & Falola 2011). The solar energy seems to the source of energy that is more sustainable as compared to other sources of energy (Richards 2010). This paper, therefore, aims at discussing the use of solar energy in Afr ica and basics of this source of energy. Africa receives more solar radiation than any other continent in the world, thereby making it the continent with the greatest potential than any other continent in the world. Sun shine in Arica is virtually uninterrupted, and one of the most abundant energy resources in the continent. However, this precious source of power has not been fully exploited in the continent for number years. Despite the abundance of this energy resource, it is estimated that about 2 billion individuals (people) in world (most of them from Africa) either struggle or fail to meet their daily energy requirements due to scarcity of supply of energy (Richards 2010). Even though there has been reluctance in the harvesting of solar energy in Africa, the situation seemed to have change to day since a number of organizations in Africa as well as African governments have been turning their attention towards renewable and sustainable sources of energy. Amongst the renewable s ources of energy that have been greatly focused by the African countries is solar energy. Africa as continent has made number of milestone towards harvesting solar energy. For example, the headquarters of United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) based in Nairobi (Kenya) is fully powered by solar energy (House-Soremekun & Falola 2011). Further according to House-Soremekun & Falola (2011), South Africa and Ghana are also planning to build amongst the biggest solar power plants in the world. Solar energy is also known as the radiant light, and it is referred to as heat energy from the sun (Richards 2010). This energy can be converted by different transducers to produce different sources of energy. For example, solar energy can be converted directly to electric energy by use of solar cells (also known as Photovoltaic). This particularly important for small scale energy requirements such as for watches and calculators. The solar energy can also be directly used to heat water for both domestic and industrial use. In addition, solar energy can be used to produce large amounts of solar energy through the use of solar radiation concentrators such as parabolic troughs. We have discussed how solar energy is converted into electric energy or used as heat energy to heat water among others (Hantula 2010). The question that might probably be lingering in the mind of the reader is how this precious energy is formed

The Donation of Constantine Essay Example for Free

The Donation of Constantine Essay The Donation of Constantine has been considered a forgery, especially since 1440 A. D. by Lorenzo Valla in his Declamatio: â€Å"So all these are yours, supreme pontiff? And it is your purpose to recover them all? To despoil all kings and princes of the West of their cities or compel them to pay you a yearly tribute, is that your plan? † (Valla, 27) â€Å"The Donation† is a very controversial document that became an instrument used by the Papacy to ‘officially justify’ its political power and control. This fraudulent document has been thought to have been written 5 centuries later, between 750 and 800 A. D. The basis of the document itself was the transfer of power from Constantine to Pope Sylvester when Constantine converted to Christianity by baptism in 324 A. D. : â€Å"So the pontiffs, who are the representatives of that same chief of the apostles, should obtain from us and our empire the power of a supremacy greater than the earthly clemency of our imperial serenity is seen to have had conceded to it, (†¦)And we ordain and decree that he shall have the supremacy as well over the four chief seats Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Jerusalem, as also over all the churches of God in the -whole world. And he who for the time being shall be pontiff of that holy Roman church shall be more exalted than, and chief over, all the priests of the whole world† (Donatio Constantini) The reality, however, was that Constantine had been baptized later in 337 A. D. , by the Bishop of Rome. The donation in question consisted in surrendering the imperial insignia, the Lateran Palace, and the Roman and Italian territories. Besides, Rome was the capital of the great Roman Empire and the seat of the Apostles. So, the idea was that these Bishops of Rome, the representatives of Christ, should inherit Rome and its seat. In the beginning, the Bishop of Rome at the time of Constantine was not a very powerful public figure. Nevertheless, he benefited from his closeness with Constantine who had been in Rome to quietly and gradually assert authority as the head of the Emperor’s religion. (Williams, 522) The rise of the predominance of the Bishops of Rome ‘owning Rome and Christianity’ was subsequently supported by different rulers like Theodosius the Great who instituted a law that stated that any nation seeking the protection of the Pope in Rome would have to become a Christian nation. (Williams, 523) Unfortunately, numerous upheavals in power in the territories surrounding Rome became evident when pagan nations moved into Britain; Arian Kings moved into the remaining West while the Lombards established their domination next door to Rome. They were not the only threat to the authority of the Pope of Rome. At the same time, the emperor of Constantinople had been an enemy of the Pope; the emperor had even tried to assassinate him. (Williams, 524) The only way for the Pope (Stephen II or III) to secure his power was to enlist the help of a powerful ruler with whom he could forge an alliance. This ruler was the Frankish king Pepin III, nicknamed â€Å"Le Bref,† French for â€Å"the Short. † Pepin the Short became an ally against the Lombards who were dangerously threatening to take over all the Italian territory. In order to get the help from the Frankish king, Stephen traveled through the Alps all the way to Gaul where he anointed Pepin as well as his two sons Carloman and Charlemagne. Subsequently, Pepin and his two sons battled the Lombards, beat them, and took over their territory, formerly a Byzantine territory. In order to fulfill their alliance, Pepin gave this territory to Stephen in the Donation of Pepin, freeing Rome from Byzantine control. This conferred authority over these territories was the beginning of the papal states, dramatically increasing the political influence and religious power of the papacy. The papal power was confirmed and supported by Charlemagne. In 799, Pope Leo III had been mistreated by the Romans and sequestered. Charlemagne came to his aid and Leo crowned him emperor on December 25, 800 A. D. Charlemagne became the renewer of the Western Roman Empire and kept up his father’s relations with the Pope while becoming his protector. Charlemagne was a ruler always at war for most of his reign and conquered many lands like Saxonia, forcing the pagan population to embrace Roman Catholicism. (Ganhof, 220) (Becher, 19-81) Conclusion The ascension of Charlemagne to the throne originated from his father’s alliance with the papacy. Around 750 A. D. , the Donation of Constantine falsely validated the Pope’s authority on Rome and the Italian territory. This authority was confirmed and supported by Charlemagne whose loyalty to the Pope earned him the imperial seat of the Western Roman Empire. He was crowned in 800 A. D. by Pope Leo III. Works Cited Valla L. Discourse on the Forgery of the Alleged Donation of Constantine. Trans. by Christopher B. Coleman. Scanned Proofread by Jonathan Perry. New Haven: Yale University Press 1922. Hanover Historical Texts Project. 2001. Donatio Constantini. 750-800AD. The Medieval Sourcebook. The Fordham University of Medieval Studies. July 22, 2006: December 3, 2006. Williams SH. The Historian’s History of the World: A Comprehensive Narrative of the Rise and Development of the Roman Empire. History Association Publication, 1904. Ganshof, F. L. The Carolingians and the Frankish Monarchy: Studies in Carolingian History, trans. Janet Sondheimer, Ithaca, N. Y. : Cornell University Press, 1971. Becher, M. Charlemagne, trans. David S. Bachrach, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003.

Free Essays - Social Expectations in Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) :: Oedipus the King Oedipus Rex

Social Expectations in Oedipus the King It is made clear that the citizens of Thebes were religious and had a deep reliance on the gods. "You cannot equal the gods..."p161. It was expected socially, that the citizens of Thebes recognized the gods power, and so for Jocasta to refer to the prophecies as "hollow" would not have been generally accepted behaviour. The priest is an elderly and religious man, something we realise is well respected in Thebes as Oedipus who is king, speaks with the priest on an equal level. The elderly were considered to be wise and therefore socially it would be expected that even the king should be polite to them. "Speak up, old man. Your years, your dignity..." p. 159 Oedipus is rude to Teiresias who is also a wise and religious man. "You're a nuisance here..."p185. Oedipus is not living up to his social expectations here, signifying he is fast approaching his downfall. Oedipus is seen to have double standards with regards to the idea of murder. He is aware that he has killed someone, yet to hear that King Laius was killed, he seems appalled, "...so daring, so wild, he'd kill a king?"p166. It is depicted as being morally less acceptable to kill someone of "royal blood". The king was someone who the people of Thebes turned to when they needed help, "find us strength, rescue!" p. 161. Oedipus had set himself high social expectations after helping free Thebes "from the sphinx". Oedipus was admired as being "best of men" p. 161, and therefore socially the citizens would have expected him to help them when they needed it. Oedipus was kinder to the citizens and more open with them than was generally expected from a king, "my children" p. 162. He spoke to them directly and not through a messenger, showing the closeness between the people and their king, "Here I am myself..." p. 159. Oedipus and Creon put all their efforts in to finding the killer of Laius. They take it on as their moral obligation as it has gone so far without justice being made, "But you, loyal men of Thebes who approve my actions, may our champion, Justice, may all the gods be with us.

I Lost the Chance :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

I Lost the Chance My father and I are made from much the same mold. As my brother resembles my mom, I resemble my father. I inherited his enjoyment for puzzles, words and wit. I share much of his eclectic musical tastes. As I grow older, I see more and more of his traits consciously and subconsciously exhibited in me. I have spoken with my father one time in the past 8 1/2 years. Divorced parents are always a messy situation for the kids, and our family was no exception. My younger brother and I had our ups and downs with both parents, fortunately mostly ups. The time came when my father decided that he wanted us to live with him. He was very convincing... but never convincing enough to gain a commitment from us. Unfortunately, he refused to let it alone at that. I was, at the time, a sophomore in high school, my brother in 8th grade. Eventually, we cracked. Agreed to move in with him. All was right in his world. Except one thing. We could not bring ourselves to tell my mom. Eventually, though, it happened. A long, late-night discussion ensued with my mom, discussing the motivations for our decision, his request, and our feelings on the entire matter. That discussion was the difference. As alike as my father and I are, he never gave us that choice. Despite the enormous emotional stress this sudden announcement must have put on mom, she never once tried to coerce us to stay for one reason or another... and in the end that is why she won. The shoe on the other foot again, we were horribly hesitant to approach our father on the issue. One day it just happened. "We're not going to move in with you." I remember nearly everything about that evening. It was Thanksgiving weekend. My father told us to gather anything we wanted from his apartment. He berated us nearly the entire drive from his place to mom's house. "You'll fit in well in the business world... completely cold-hearted." He pulled up and we stepped out of the car. For seven years, the last words I heard my father speak were "Have a nice life" as he pulled away. Over the past four years, my brother and I have made attempts to contact him or meet with him, always with the same utter avoidance in response.

Big Stick Abroad John Milton Cooper

Big Stick Abroad John Milton Cooper To get involved or not to get involved in global politics? That was not a question that Theodre Roosevelt ever had. Global politics were at the forefront of his mission as President. Within a year of Roosevelt becoming President he had interceded with Latin American affairs. I believe this was because Roosevelt felt that the problem threatened his visions for the United States. Roosevelt put the United States in the middle of Germany and Venezuela to help collect a debt that Venezuela owed Germany.He did the same thing to Heidi for Europe. By 1904 Roosevelt had made America the financial protector over the Dominican Republic. Roosevelt was impartial to English speaking Countries. In 1902 Roosevelt yet again conspired to gain Alaska land from Canada, but in 1903 he agreed to have an international tribunal settle the dispute. Canada was permitted three judges and so was America. Roosevelt conspired with Senator Lodge and Justice Holmes to side with A merica’s claim. Which in turn won America the rights to the land.One might think of Roosevelt as a bully when it came to foreign affairs because he did not always play fair and would always seem to get his way. As President sometimes you have to do what you think is best for your Country and look further down the line to decide if what you are doing will help or harm your Country. I believe the Roosevelt did what he had to do to make America a bigger and fiercer Country to mess with. I believe that his proudest moment was when he was able to strike a deal for America to have territory that would run through the of the new country.This would not only cut down on the time our men were out to sea but it would also protect them from the disease if they chose to take the path through the mountains. With Roosevelts help we were able to take Panama from Colombia and this was not the biggest victory. The biggest victory would come after Roosevelt had left office and the waterway that we called the Canal Zone was open. This ended up showing the world the maturity of America’s engineering and was thought to be the biggest triumph of technology. I believe that this could have only been done with the help of Europe.When Roosevelt left office he had remorse and guilt for the way that we took the Panama canal. While in office Roosevelt wrote several letters and had a section in his autobiography book on the way that we took Panama and what he did was morally right. Roosevelt was the bully to all of the weaker countries and would be cautious in his approach with countries of equal or greater power than he United States. I believe that the writer of the article Mr. Copper was trying to explain to us that Roosevelt did what he thought was best for America and that he pushed the envelope when it came to foreign affairs.Roosevelt prided himself on his accomplishments with how far he was able to take America with foreign affairs. Mr. Copper writing never seemed to b e one sided and told the story based on facts. I believe that this article was well written and places the facts out there for the reader to take it in and doesn’t distract the readers' views on Roosevelt. This is done by not having a one sided article this helps with not clouding the reader's judgement. After reading the article I have a different perspective on Roosevelt. I feel that he was a bully when he needed to be, but in all honesty isn’t that what America is and always will be?Roosevelt had a goal and a vision and he was able to accomplish them, and for that I applaud him for doing so. The way that he went about gain land and bullying the smaller countries that did not have as much power as we do, to me is not setting a good impression on us as a country. That if you do not give us what we feel is ours or that we want we will take it by force. I also do not agree with interfering in other countries business. Roosevelt felt the need to be the mediator in the Ge rmany and Venezuela situation and the Heidi and Europe transactions.I feel if other countries owe other countries that is for them to deal with not for anyone else to get involved. America has too many other things that should be a higher priority to deal with them to play in other countries affairs. With that being said I do feel that overall that Roosevelt was an amazing president. I am not sure if Roosevelts actions were always justified or made much sense to the citizens at the time. Without Roosevelt we would not have the Panama Canal and that was a major milestone for everyone.

Indias Look East Policy

India's Look East Policy India’s Look East Policy India’s Look East Policy is an effort being made by the Indian government to cultivate and strengthen economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asia in order to solidify its standing as a  regional power.  This aspect of India’s foreign policy also serves to position India as a counterweight to the strategic influence of the Peoples Republic of China in the region. Initiated in 1991, it marked a strategic shift in India’s perspective of the world. It was developed and enacted during the government of Prime Minister  P.V. Narasimha Rao  and has continued to enjoy energetic support from the successive administrations of  Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh and Narendra Modi, each of whom represents a different political party in India. India’s Pre-1991 Foreign Policy Before the fall of the Soviet Union, India made scant efforts to foster close relationships with the governments of Southeast Asia. There are several reasons for this. First, due to its colonial history, India’s ruling elite in the post-1947 era had an overwhelmingly pro-Western orientation. Western countries also made for better trade partners as they were significantly more developed than India’s neighbors. Second, India’s physical access to Southeast Asia was barred by Myanmar’s isolationist policies as well as Bangladesh’s refusal to provide transit facilities through its territory. Third, India and the Southeast Asian countries were on opposing sides of the Cold War divide.   India’s lack of interest in and access to Southeast Asia between its independence and the fall of the Soviet Union left much of Southeast Asia open to China’s influence. This came first in the form of China’s territorial expansionist policies. Following Deng Xiaoping’s ascent to leadership in China in 1979, China replaced its policy of expansionism with campaigns to foster extensive trade and economic relations with other Asian nations. During this period, China became the closest partner and supporter of the  military junta  of Burma, which had been ostracized from the international community following the violent suppression of pro-democracy activities  in 1988. According to former Indian Ambassador Rajiv Sikri, India missed a crucial opportunity during this period to leverage India’s shared colonial experience, cultural affinities and lack of historical baggage to build strong economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia. Implementation of the Policy In 1991, India experienced an economic crisis that coincided with the fall of the Soviet Union, which had previously been one of India’s most valued economic and strategic partners. This prompted Indian leaders to reevaluate their economic and foreign policy, which led to at least two major shifts in India’s position toward its neighbors. First, India replaced its protectionist economic policy with a more liberal one, opening up to higher levels of trade and striving to expand regional markets. Second, under the leadership of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, India ceased to view South Asia and Southeast Asia as separate strategic theaters.   Much of India’s Look East Policy involves Myanmar, which is the only Southeast Asian country that shares a border with India and is seen as India’s gateway to Southeast Asia. In 1993, India reversed its policy of support for Myanmar’s pro-democracy movement and began courting the friendship of the ruling military junta. Since then, the Indian government and, to a lesser extent, private Indian corporations, have sought and secured lucrative contracts for industrial and infrastructure projects, including the construction of highways, pipelines and ports. Before the implementation of the Look East Policy, China enjoyed a monopoly over Myanmar’s vast oil and natural gas reserves. Today, competition between India and China over these energy resources remains high.   Furthermore, while China remains Myanmar’s biggest weapons supplier, India has boosted its military cooperation with Myanmar. India has offered to train elements of the Myanmar Armed Forces and share intelligence with Myanmar in an effort to increase coordination between the two countries in combating insurgents in India’s Northeastern States. Several insurgent groups maintain bases in Myanmar territory. Since 2003, India has also embarked on a campaign to forge free trade agreements with countries and regional blocs throughout Asia. The South Asia Free Trade Agreement, which created a  free trade area  of 1.6 billion people in  Bangladesh,  Bhutan,  India,  Maldives,  Nepal,  Pakistan and  Sri Lanka, came into effect in 2006. The  ASEAN–India Free Trade Area  (AIFTA), a  free trade area  among the ten member states of the  Association of Southeast Asian Nations  (ASEAN) and  India, came into effect in 2010. India also has separate free trade agreements with Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. India has also boosted its cooperation with Asian regional groupings such as ASEAN, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). High-level diplomatic visits between India and the countries associated with these groupings have become increasingly common the last decade.   During his state visit to Myanmar in 2012, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced many new bilateral initiatives and signed around a dozen MOUs, in addition to extending a line of credit for $500 million. Since then, Indian companies have made significant economic and trade agreements in infrastructure and other areas. Some of the major projects taken up by India include the resurfacing and upgrading of the 160-kilometer Tamu-Kalewa-Kalemyo road and the Kaladan project that will connect Kolkata Port with Sittwe Port in Myanmar (which is still in progress). A bus service from Imphal, India, to Mandalay, Myanmar, is expected to launch in October 2014. Once these infrastructure projects are completed, the next step will be connecting the India-Myanmar highway network to the existing portions of the Asian Highway Network, which will connect India to Thailand and the rest of Southeast Asia.

5 Clues That Its Time to Quit

5 Clues That Its Time to Quit Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of the Harvard Business Review has compiled 5 tell-tale warning signs that may indicate it’s time for you to start job hunting. You’re Not LearningYour mind- and your career- thrive when you are constantly encountering new information, developing new skills, or following your natural curiosity into continuous learning. If your job offers you no pathway to move forward and continue growing, why are you there? The invigorating stress of a job search might even spill over into your current job- try it and see.You Are UnderperformingI wish I had researched this article in the spring of 2010; I was underutilized at my job, had a micromanaging boss, and coasted through each day with no motivation, excitement, or incentive to work any harder. If this is you, GET OUT! Find a job where you are engaged, or stressed, or challenged- anything but zoned out. If you need motivation, try to imagine the resume blurb for your current underwhelming job. â€Å"Sat at desk and tried not to nod off in front of boss. Filed company paperwork. Thought fondly of death.† Yeah, it’s time to move on.You Feel UndervaluedAppreciation can come in many forms, but if you don’t feel like your supervisors or colleagues understand your value, you may be experiencing burnout and counterproductive self-sabotage that lowers the productivity of more than just yourself. Maybe you can speak up for what you need- or maybe there’s another organization out there that can appreciate you for what you bring to the table.You’re Just In It For the MoneyWith the obvious caveat that lots of us do lots of things because we have bills that need paying, if literally the only reason you show up each day is the promise of an eventual paycheck, you are in the wrong job. Many studies have shown that compensation can make up for the lack of intrinsic rewards like enjoyment, curiosity, or personal fulfillment, but it won’t be rewarding and you certainly won’t be motivated to do your best work.You Hate Your BossThis is the biggest red flag because everything else- responsibilities, supervisees, assessment, even compensation- can be altered or adjusted. But in order to complain about your boss you have to invoke HR or go over their head (or, just wait for them to implode, if they are incompetent).Chamorro-Premuzic’s research found that 75% of working adults cite their immediate supervisors as the most stressful part of their job. This may mean your company has failed to identify and cultivate good leadership, or it might just be a personality mismatch. Either way, you may need to move on to break free.What do you think- do any of these apply, and if so, make sure to sign up and get matched with the latest job opportunity!

Drug Therapy Vs. Psychotherapy essays

Drug Therapy Vs. Psychotherapy essays What is depression? Depression is one of the most common psychological problems. It is a psychological condition that changes how you think and feel. It affects nearly everyone through personal experience or through depression in a family member. Depression can interfere with normal functions and causes problems with work and family. Depression is an illness just like diabetes or heart disease. It is an illness that affects the entire body and not just the mind. One in five people suffer from depression and it is the leading cause of alcoholism and drug abuse; as well as the number one cause for suicide. It is an illness that can be successfully treated in more than eighty percent of the people who are diagnoused with it; but most people dont recieve proper treatment for it. Depression is caused by abnormal activity in the brain. Studies have shown that certain brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play an important role in regulating moods and emotions. Neurotransmitters involve d in depression include norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. Researchers have suggested that depression results from lower than normal levels of these neurotransmitters in parts of the brain. There are many types of treatment but the two most common for treating depression are Psychotherapy and Drug therapy. Depression can be treated effectively with antidepressant drugs, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. Antidepressant, medication used to treat depression, is often the first choice of treatment for depression. While everyone experiences episodes of sadness at some point in their lives, depression is distinguished from this sadness when symptoms are present most days for a period of at least two weeks. Although the cause of depression is unknown, researchers have found that some depressed people have altered levels of chemicals called neurotransmitters, chemicals made and released by nerve cells, or neurons. One neuron, referred to as...

Organisational Behavior in Hospitality Industry Essay

Organisational Behavior in Hospitality Industry - Essay Example Therefore, it would not be wrong to assert that organisational behavior impacts employee loyalty and vice versa. The scope of this paper is to assess the positive or negative impact of organisational behavior upon employee relations and to what extent employment relations are flexible to adapt to the changing trends of service training and leadership. This paper describes a unique combination of how and why managers despite using supportive leadership vision remains unable to make effective usage of managerial control strategies to change, maintain or build a specific type of 'employee committed' culture and face challenges in the form of high turnover rate. Various factors that affect employee loyalty in the British hospitality workplaces in the context of national and private service sector patterns cannot ignore the fact that employment in service sector is subject to regulation in areas such as minimum wages, lack of pay and reward system, traditional managerial approach, gender issues etc. But beside regulations what matters, is the different economic, social, legal and political factors that create particular cultures and diverse employment systems to understand the context in which employee loyalty can be understood and measured. Despite the efforts to make employment relations in the British service industry from 'vulnerable' to 'secure', there is a difference when national service sector is compared with the private one. On one hand, employment policies and practices are responsible for conforming to the management-driven ungoverned individualism thesis which is based on cost-control, whereas on the other they reflect a more af filiated and liberal managerial approach within a customer-service attribute. It is not necessary to alienate employees, however they may trade off low pay for other compensations demonstrating enfranchised pragmatism. The employment relationship is based upon transactional, relational, and exploited recruitment. What is important in employee management is to realise that front-office or other hotel employees are different and they are subjected to a unique compelling task that trade unions face. Managers need to develop an attitude to measure their attempts in recruiting members and organise workplaces while understanding the nature of the common barriers between managers and employees. This help them to visualise what they do not share as commonly held assumptions of 'good' employment relations. This paper analyses the leadership and management style adopted in circumstances which escorts the managers to face challenges like employee shortage and lack of loyalty. The impact of Leadership on Employee Loyalty There was a time when managers used to deploy strict procedures and peer support while approaching bureaucratic managerial style. Contemporary management has no room for bureaucracy and prefer charismatic leadership, and when it comes to hospitality management, leadership does not require a simple set of traits to function but is more likely to be dependent upon a range of interacting elements that require genetically as well as culturally determined traits like attitudes towards employees, rational expectations, accent and emotions towards

Psychological pressure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Psychological pressure - Essay Example In case the pressure has grown or has an everlasting effect, it may cause psychological illness or long term chronic diseases. Pressure can be as a result of both daily responsibilities and routine events, or it can as well be caused by unusual events such as illness or trauma of oneself or family member. Human body highly respond to psychological pressure by releasing stress hormones (such as epinephrine) which in turn increases blood pressure, increases speed heart rate, and raises blood sugar level (Dambacher and HÃ ¼bner, 13). In order to perceive threats a person acts on the changes with greater strength and speed. It is therefore essential to learn how to deal and handle those pressures. However, a person has to clearly understand the causes of psychological pressure. This is to aid reduce the negative impact of pressure in people’s lives enabling them to live a more healthy lives. By meeting live threatening events, people have the kind of oppressive feeling of psychological pressure which at times is represented by cognitive, emotion and behavioral responses. Psychological pressure has shown can cause stress and research has indicated that people who have suffered long term effect of stress can develop digestive problems, fertility problems, urinary complications, and a low immune system. The impact is large such that they are also more prone to viral infections such has flu or common cold and headaches, sleep disorders, depression and also anxiety. Psychological pressure can be caused by social or cultural factors and shifts; it can as well be as a result of psychological changes or physiological shifts, including required socialization changes. It can be as a result of traumatic experience that happened suddenly or some chronic tension. Situations such as unfavorable working conditions, financial breakdowns, death of family members or a friend, divorce or separation of spouse, are always greater contribution of psychological

Genetics Science Fiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Genetics Science Fiction - Essay Example You would think that by the year 2000 they would have worked out a way to keep down the noise of trains at night. He crept forwards, feeling his way along the rough brick wall until he reached the metal door at the end. The keypad number Jimmy had sent him by email that morning was etched into his brain. He had to use the torch to illuminate the keypad, but in five quick seconds he punched in the numbers and the door slid almost silently aside. Once in the building, Jason closed the door with a satisfying â€Å"click† and looked around. He was in an ordinary corridor with several brightly colored steel doors labelled â€Å"LAB F†, â€Å"Compressor Room†, â€Å"Lab G† and one door that had no label except a hazard warning sign. At the far end of the corridor there was an unusual oval door under a large black sign which said â€Å"Maximum Containment†. It had a metal wheel and rubber seals all around it like the entrance to a submarine. Along the wall s ran a series of colored pipes. Jason headed for the oval door, turned the wheel and entered.

Culture contributed to the issues of power, politics, and leadership- Essay

Culture contributed to the issues of power, politics, and leadership- Devil Wears Prada - Essay Example Organizational culture is the set of key values, beliefs and attitudes shared by organizational members. Organizational culture is often created by company founders. (Chuck 2009). Thus, the one person who can formulate, actualize and operationalize an effective organizational culture will have to be an effective leader. The leader through many traits like power will implement or impose that culture. With the culture having been implemented, it will give rise to different responses from the employees bordering on both positive side as well as negative side. Negative side in the sense, there will be some negative office politics because of the imposition of the culture. This paper by focusing, â€Å"The Devil Wears Prada† will demonstrate how the organizational culture based issues of leadership, power and politics were portrayed in the film. As leaders are the men/women in lead, they usually have a major impact on how the group initially defines and sets into an organization. Typically, the leaders have strong assumptions about the nature of the world, the role that organizations play in that world, the characteristics that make up human nature and relationships, how truth is arrived at, and how to manage time and space. They will, therefore, be quite comfortable in imposing those views and personal cultures, on their partners and employees as the organization copes with challenges and targets. This initial stage imposition of founder’s assumptions, as a form of good culture is one of the good leadership traits, because as the workers’ mind will be fresh in their new organizational setup, they will be motivated to adopt that new culture. Motivation is the set of forces that initiates, directs and makes people persist in their efforts over time to accomplish a goal. (Williams 2009). This new culture will co nsist of many

Riordan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Riordan - Essay Example nformation, and products over the internet and includes aspects like establishment of new markets, money transfer, and ordering of products, services or information. For Riordan, E-business considerations include identifying organizational requirements which in this case include reduction of costs and to promote growth and profits. The company also focuses on exceeding ISO 9000 standards and leading in R&D while offering innovative solutions and establishing long term relations with customers. In establishing long term relations with clients located in different geographic locations like Vancouver and New York where the company is not present, long term relationships with this customer and others will be required (Yasin, Czuchry, Gonzales, & Bayes, 2006). Additionally, having introducing e-business will mean creation of new markets since the company already has a strong brand in the manufacture of medical supplies and stents, bottler and beverage containers, airplane parts, automotiv e part s and others. The presence of the right professionals is needed such that the right implementation taskforce of experts is present and representing all company departments. Given that the bottles are to be delivered long distances from the manufacturing facility, e-business consideration needed is to ensure that customer is well informed about production and delivery at all times. Riordan also needs to collect information from the customer about potential markets in Canada and New York while gathering information about other similar manufacturing companies in the regions (Yasin, Czuchry, Gonzales, & Bayes, 2006). This way, Riordan will develop the ability to sense and respond to market needs, as well as stimulate market demand and search for new markets. For customers located far and wide, the manufacturing process of the organization will shift to customized just-in-time manufacturing or demand-driven production. This way, Riordan will manage to provide customers with

Teaching and Learning Approaches and Strategies in STEM Education Research Paper

Teaching and Learning Approaches and Strategies in STEM Education - Research Paper Example The author further points out that it separates from other subjects with an objective of increasing the interests of students in one particular field. Over the years, schools in the United States have recorded a minimal number of students enrolled to take courses in STEM education. The educational trend is visible from the lower level education institutions. From high school, the situation becomes worse as students tend to drop their participation in the STEM subjects. In college and universities the number of graduates in science and technical subject has also decreased significantly. From the trend, the state realized there is a gap in the modern educational system. For instance, the job market becomes unbalanced since the number of students with business skills outmatches the numbers of students with science and technical skills. This attributes to issue such as shortage of health care workers. For this reason, the state created a STEM education system that increases the awareness of science and technical awareness among students (Asghar et.al, 2012). However, the educations system could not be of importance if the students’ attitude towards the subject was not altered. Venville, Rennie & Wallace (2004) are of the assumption that the negative perception of the students towards science and technical subjects minimized their participation. For this reason, the STEM education system should develop a way that the students’ perception could be changed. One major requirement was to change the approach used in the curriculum. The curriculum on STEM subjects was not interesting enough to capture the attention of students. Economics and Statistics Administration (2011) points out that the learning approaches used in STEM subjects aim at increasing the interest of students. Tutors were also not provided with the required expertise to explore the fun parts of STEM subjects. Another hindrance to effective learning of

Death March Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Death March Project - Essay Example However, most commonly seen results of high level risk evaluation are a blend of the risks and constraints (Pearson Higher Education). Some of the common causes of Death March projects are politics, politics, and politics. Though, the majority of software developers and programmers guarantee that they would not intervene in politics, fairly for the reason that they have learned that they are not extremely good at playing political games, however as well for the reason that they believe that all about politics is revolting. Unfortunately, avoiding politics is also not easy for software developers. In fact, the moment two or more people contribute in various joint corporate activities, politics is involved. However, when politics turns out to be the leading â€Å"driving force† in a huge and complicated project, the project is probable to worsen into a death march (Pearson Higher Education; Yourdon, 1997). Basically, the Death March project is one for which the budget, schedule, staff, or property is 50 to 100 % less than what they should be. Here comes a question in our mind, why are these limitations being placed on the same operational and working project? Though, there are numerous potential clarifications for this question; however in many cases, the response is just â€Å"politics.† It can be a controlled struggle between two determined vice presidents or directors in our business, or the project can have been established to fail as a form of payback upon a number of managers who paced on the wrong goes at the incorrect time. Simply, the causes can be infinite (Pearson Higher Education; Yourdon, 1997). In addition, there is only a small possibility that we will get the politicians to confess what is going on; though, if someone is a technical staff associate, it is not difficult to ask our project manager whether the whole Death March project is a political pretense. Despite the fact that if project team members are not involved in politics, a s well as even if they think they are a political novice, they should listen cautiously to the answer of their manager provides to them. Though, they are not stupid, as well as the project is not that inexperienced. If they have a 6th sense that there is a number of ugly politics dominating the whole project, probabilities are that they are right; and if they direct supervisor gives an immature, vague, or carefully unconvincing answer to their queries, they should draw their own endings. It can be considered in another scenario, for instance if our project sounds similar to something straight out of a â€Å"Dilbert† cartoon, probabilities are that it will be the type of Death March project in which no rational person would desire to be concerned (Pearson Higher Education; Yourdon, 2004; RATZBURG, 2010). I have outlined below some of the useful steps that can be taken to make sure that we stay healthy and happy while completing our project: If the development project is very m uch significant, then it is value taking the time to complete it fine. Without doubt project teams want to finish things as rapidly as probable, however implementing an impractical deadline does not make sure that their project gets the notice it justify (Yourdon, 1997; Wright, 2010; Egeland, 2012). In addition, we need to

Teaching and Learning Approaches and Strategies in STEM Education Research Paper

Teaching and Learning Approaches and Strategies in STEM Education - Research Paper Example The author further points out that it separates from other subjects with an objective of increasing the interests of students in one particular field. Over the years, schools in the United States have recorded a minimal number of students enrolled to take courses in STEM education. The educational trend is visible from the lower level education institutions. From high school, the situation becomes worse as students tend to drop their participation in the STEM subjects. In college and universities the number of graduates in science and technical subject has also decreased significantly. From the trend, the state realized there is a gap in the modern educational system. For instance, the job market becomes unbalanced since the number of students with business skills outmatches the numbers of students with science and technical skills. This attributes to issue such as shortage of health care workers. For this reason, the state created a STEM education system that increases the awareness of science and technical awareness among students (Asghar et.al, 2012). However, the educations system could not be of importance if the students’ attitude towards the subject was not altered. Venville, Rennie & Wallace (2004) are of the assumption that the negative perception of the students towards science and technical subjects minimized their participation. For this reason, the STEM education system should develop a way that the students’ perception could be changed. One major requirement was to change the approach used in the curriculum. The curriculum on STEM subjects was not interesting enough to capture the attention of students. Economics and Statistics Administration (2011) points out that the learning approaches used in STEM subjects aim at increasing the interest of students. Tutors were also not provided with the required expertise to explore the fun parts of STEM subjects. Another hindrance to effective learning of

Pritchett, Lant (2006) Center For Global Development Essay Example for Free

Pritchett, Lant (2006) Center For Global Development Essay Introduction: When the wings are strong, even the birds fly! Birds also, as a rule migrate, flying thousands of miles to the area and the climate of their choice every year. Even before the Christian era, adventurous traders and devoted missionaries have been moving from one country to another for their purposes in view. Migration is an age-old happening. The industrial and internet revolutions, the modern materialistic civilization have commercially shrunk the world. ‘Atlas has shrugged!’ When basic conditions are created for the people to move from one country to another, irresistible demographic forces are bound to exert their pressure. To check these forces through anti-immigration ideas is like blocking the furiously advancing avalanche with the fence of straw. Or trying to touch the moon by kite-flying! Or controlling the rising flood waters by filling pitchers! Statistical studies are no doubt needed, but it is no use digging the well when the house is on fire. In times of war, your goal should be to win the war, no matter how you win. I mean to say, all the relative efforts should be to tackle the root cause of the problem. It is no ordinary chat on the subject of migration by Pritchett†¦. Pritchett’s ideas are far-sighted. The world leaders talk about globalization and â€Å"the world is one family† concept, but the so-called national interests are entrenched too strongly in them. They wish to remain dry under water. Efforts are constantly on the anvil to check labor mobility.   Political interests are the main consideration; welfare of the common man is nicely swept under the carpet, by arguments and counterarguments. The governments are resisting the liberal ideas, because the rich people of the country protest against creating favorable conditions for the labor to immigrate! Some forward thinking statesmen/ politicians have to take initiative to break he deadlock if they really wish to do something tangible for the welfare of the people to whom employment means their livelihood. Temporary work-permits and protection of migrants’ fundamental human rights are the important issues. Lant Pritchett is touching the live wire! Your book will be controversial, Mr. Pritchett, but do not bother. All great ideas have been controversial. Some centuries ago, people and intellectuals did believe that the Earth is flat and the sun does the rotations! The book is not a voluminous work by page-count, just 151 pages, but they are sufficient to stir the thinking process of the individuals concerned, the politicians and the policy-makers. He tenders provocative ideas, on the issues where provocation is required.   The book has 5 chapters, i) Four Irresistible Forces for Increased Labor Mobility, ii) The Fifth Irresistible Force: Ghosts Zombies, iii) Immovable Ideas: Myths and Truths, iv) Accommodating Forces and Ideas to achieve development—Friendly Labor Mobility v) Conclusion: Let their People Come. To the fundamental question in Economics, what are the factors of production, the answer is, land, labor, capital and organization. Labor is the most important of them for capital without labor is dead! It is not that Lant is unaware of the political consequences of labor immigration. But he is an economist. He has soft-corner for the labor and it is not mere wishful thinking. He gives his favorable disposition towards the labor force and makes out a brilliant case for expanded immigration in rich countries. If you are thinking in terms of globalizing everything, why not labor, is the question posed by Lant. He has his own style of working on his projects. He is not concerned about the ideologies and methodologies. He will not stick to any special type of â€Å"ism†. He is a man without a label or a tag. He works with a pure heart and for the cause which he considers and concludes to be right. He is truly a global person with the global approach to his thinking. He doesn’t believe in half- hearted measures. He is the proverbial individual who believes—do not strike; if you strike, strike so hard that there is no need to strike again! He gives unassailable ideas and reasons in the very first chapter of the book: He says, â€Å"Four irresistible forces today cause observed increases in labor mobility—and each promises to become even more powerful in future. Those forces are wage gaps, demographics, â€Å"everything but labor† globalization, and the services future of labor demand in industrial countries. A fifth force—rapid and massive shifts in the desired populations of various countries†¦. Four preliminary observations are useful.†(Pritchett, 2006, p.13) Pritchett is on war with both left and right—and therefore, he invites controversy. His question to world leaders is why you stop at standard solutions, trade and aid. He stands solidly behind the guest-worker program. Why shouldn’t millions of the poorest of the world choose to work in richest economies? He is worried why people are so insensitive about this issue. He is willing to beat the national borders on this issue and paints the grim picture emerging on the curtain of the mind of an ordinary worker. â€Å"Gaps in per capita across countries are only suggestive of migration pressures, because the relevant question for a worker is the difference in wages that he or she would earn in two countries.† Pritchett, 2006, p.18) Pritchett’s critics say he thinks much ahead of his time; all great thinkers do think so! He is opposed for, Western countries do not wish to jeopardize their sovereignty, cause tremors in   the levels of domestic wages, terrorism is such a big question that involves national security, the developing countries would not like to drain their own talent on a large scale, with children migrating on such a large scale, what about the poor parents?—it is going to be such a big sociological problem, the cultural cohesion of all the affected countries will be disturbed beyond   repair, the churning process will be damaging—Pritchett has some soft   answers for many such important issues, but   his hard critics are not willing to listen. Pritchett says that the migrants are temporary workers; they are coming to return to their home country. They will stay 3 to 5 years, with no scope for regular citizenship, and they are coming as stop-gap arrangements to work in areas with certified labor shortages. They will not bring the families. So, the taxpayers of the host country need not take up the responsibility of educating the migrants’ children. A revolving labor pool will be created. Lant Pritchett is no ordinary think-tank and he is always battle ready to talk and write on global issues. He is a non-resident fellow at the Centre for Global Development and is a lead socio-economist with the World Bank, based in New Delhi, India. He is to take up the assignment of Professor of the Practice of Economic Development at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, shortly. (I think he has since taken up his assignment.) Conclusion: Labor unrest has been the cause of many devastating revolutions. Then pages of labor movements all over the world, daubed in bloodshed, ask a crying question. How to make this Planet Earth peaceful with plenty and prosperity? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love, life that effuses conflicts, and employment opportunities and freedom of movement for one and all—these alone are enough!

Management of Site Staff and Direct Labour

Management of Site Staff and Direct Labour The physical resources in a construction project account for a considerable amount of money and time. It is fundamental to the success of a construction project that these physical resources are managed and scheduled properly. Patrick (2004) comments that resource management is one of the most important aspects of construction project management in todays climate because the construction industry is resource-intensive and the costs of construction resources have steadily risen over the last several decades. Good project management in construction must vigorously pursue the efficient utilization of labour, material and equipment. (Hendrickson, 2008) It is the role of the project manager and site management team to ensure that the three main physical resources: labour, plant and materials, are managed efficiently and effectively. Failure to do so will result in delays and often expense caused by situations like resource shortage, resource queuing, poor plant productivity and poor labour relations. According to the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), (2010 p67) the main roles of the project manager during the construction phase include; Ensuring contract documents are prepared and issued to the contractor. Reviewing the contractors construction schedule and method statements. Ensuring the contractors resources are adequate and suitable. Ensuring design information required by the contractor is supplied by consultants. These roles all include scheduling and management of physical resources, which include; Site staff and direct labour Plant Materials Information Sub Contractors These are similar to the 5 ms as specified by Griffith and Watson (2004 p118) When considering resources there are five factors to take into account (the 5Ms) Materials Manpower Machinery Money Management As labour constitutes a large percentage of the construction cost and the quantity of labour hours performing a task are more susceptible to the influence of management than are materials and plant, it is important it is managed correctly and efficiently. On this project Farrans manage many different sub-contractors who have a workforce ranging from 2 40 people, as these people are not under the direct control of Farrans management team it will be discussed in the next chapter Management of sub-contractors. The authors feel it is paramount to the success and profitability of a project to manage the workforce successfully as construction workforce especially in developing countries is not seen as an important input, although project labour generally make up the most variable and the largest percentage of total project costs(Journal of civil engineering and management 2008,p1). 3.1 Planning of Site Staff and Direct Labour Employed by Farrans Labour is usually planned for before the construction work begins using ASTA Power Project to construct a programme similar to that used to produce the construction program. By using this system it again allows the site team to highlight areas where a labour shortage might occur. In theory this program allows adequate time for the project manager to allocate more labour to labour intensive work; this is done by making a formal request to their head office team for extra labour. Ultimately it is the site mangers responsibility to ensure the site has an adequate workforce whether it is labourers or sub-contractors. The clerk of works also have an input and can offer their opinion on whether more labour is needed. At each monthly meeting a scheduled review should take place to determine the following months activities and to determine the resources needed. Farrans enforce and strictly adhere to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 regarding health and safety. They value the health, safety and welfare of all people on their sites and are only too aware of the dangers that construction sites pose. Also as the main contractor they realize that a severe accident can cause delay or even shutdown of a site. Farrans recognise the importance of training and basic health and safety awareness. It is for this reason, that they enforce a policy where only people who hold a Construction Skills Register (CSR) card or equivalent are allowed to work on their sites. The aims of these registration schemes are to raise standards of health and safety and provide recognition of skills, experience and qualifications attained. To ensure all workers on site hold a valid CSR card, Farrans make it mandatory to provide proof before any operative can start work. In order to ensure that this is being enforced by the main contractor we will monitor the site induction file and do spot checks to ensure records are up to date and anyone not holding this card will not be permitted to work on-site. 3.2 Daily Allocation Sheets Each day the site manager in theory should hold two labour allocation sheets (a copy of which can be seen in appendix 3).; One created by the site manager for Farrans direct labour and one created by each individual sub-contractor which is then passed onto the project manager. This sheet contains the tasks done each day by each labourer as well as the number of hours spent doing that task. At the end of the week these sheets are forwarded to Farrans head office via citrix system, in order to calculate labourers weekly hours and pay. These sheets proof useful in order to evaluate labour productivity on-site. It provides valuable insight into how long a task should take, and can be helpful in forecasting the amount of labour for the following tasks. It also allows the site manager to check if any labourers are slacking, for example if it took one labourer, 2 hours, to do task A ,on week one then it should take the next labourer a similar time to do a similar job. 3.3 Discipline Management of labour inherently involves disputes among direct labour and between sub-contractors. It is the job of the site manager to mediate these disputes unofficially but were site rules are broken staff will face disciplinary proceedings. These matters must be resolved quickly in order to remain focused and on schedule. If further action is required the case will be dealt with by Farrans head office team. This two 3.4 Holidays and Training Farrans like most Northern Ireland construction companies, offer employees two week holidays twice a year at Christmas and the July fortnight. When time off is required outside these periods a holiday request form must be completed which is held in the site managers office. This request form must be submitted with details of time off and must give at least two weeks notice. This notice is used to find cover. 3.5 Conclusion and Recommendations One area of labour Farrans could improve on is employees motivation. Farrans do not provide overtime payment for their Site management team. Staff sign a contract which says they will not get paid for more than 39 hours work per week. Therefore employees have no incentive to work extra hours and may feel obliged to work more than 39 hours which will reduce motivation, especially as periods of the construction project will require 60 hours per week with no reward. Another recommendation we would make is that Farrans hold meeting between rank and file workers and their management team. This motivates site staff and makes them feel part of the team, as often rank and file workers feel uncomfortable with their boss. A research study into construction labour motivation carried out by the business roundtable (1989, online) found that; Workers who are actively involved in decisions that affect them are more receptive to change, work harder as they develop more enthusiasm, become more loyal to the employer, do not suffer from job alienation, experience greater job satisfaction, and show increased morale and creativity. Employers benefit from better worker-management relations, increased productivity and increased profits. Appendix for Management of Site Staff and Direct Labour Print- Copy of staff time sheet Daily diary issue 1 Daily diary completed Record of site operations 4.0 Management of Sub-contractors Many large contracting firms rely heavily on the involvement of sub-contractors in order to undertake large scale projects. A study carried out by Karim et al (2006,online) found that As much as 90 per cent of the construction work is carried out by a variety of subcontractors while the main contractor tends to focus on management and coordination. It is common in the industry for main contractors to operate solely as a management team, coordinating and scheduling sub-contractors on site. Sub-contractors are often specialised in one area, therefore they have the tools, experience and expertise to complete their task. This cannot be said for the main contractor. Sub-contractors have specialist expertise, usually trade related, for the supply and installation of an element of the total works (CIOB 2010,p69) The benefits of using sub-contractors are plentiful; it enables the main contractor to spread the risk by sub-contracting different elements of the project to sub-contractors at a reduced price than what they originally estimated the work for. Using specialist tradesmen allows for a higher quality of work by using specialist tools and equipment not available to the main contractor. Sub-contracting reduces the amount of supervision that the site manager has to supply, it also reduces the number of personnel that the site team must manage. It benefits the site manager in that there is one single point of contact for each sub-contractor and task. Sub-contracting can reduce the administration costs for the main contractor, for example the main contractor is not responsible for human resources, staff holidays, direct training etc for sub-contractors personnel. However, it must be noted that the main contractor is still responsible for the health and safety of the sub-contractors, health and safety responsibilities are defined by criminal law and cannot be passed from one party to another by law. The success of any construction project can be directly influenced by the performance of the sub-contractors. Therefore the success of a project can be directly related to how the main contractor manages sub-contractors. This view is shared by Ronchi (2006) who comments The success of a project is, to an extent, related to the degree of collaboration and coordination existing among the actors involved The main contractor has the ultimate responsibility to deliver on cost, quality and time and therefore if is paramount to manage the sub-contractors and the supply chain effectively. Management systems must be implemented to ensure the smooth coordination of sub-contractors onto and off the site. This should be dictated by the project master programme, as outlined in section 2 of this document. The site management team must be capable of arranging sub-contractors to ensure this process is free flowing and continual. The disruption of sub-contractors site schedules can cause major delays to the project, the site team must make amendments to the schedule when delays do occur or when tasks can be brought forward. This can reduce friction between sub-contractors and the main contractor and promotes Cooke and Williams view that (2004, p280) Good liaison and mutual respect must be established as early as possible in the contract period as possible and maintaining contact with subcontractors helps to build up an early working relationship 4.1 Management system employed by Farrans Farrans operate as a management team on their site, with the aim to keep direct labour to a minimum. Farrans use strict programmes and meetings in order to control sub-contractors and ensure the sub-contractor is meeting quality, time and specification targets. In order to satisfy Farrans Sustainable Procurement Policy they; Request details from Sub-Contractors regarding environmental policies, management systems, environmental breaches, and assess this information as part of our Company approval process Use local suppliers and Sub-Contractors where possible to minimise the environmental impact associated with transportation and to support the local economy 4.1.1 Meetings Meetings are required to maintain effective communications between the project manager, project team and the other parties concerned (CIOB 2010, p230) Meetings are in place to provide; effective communication between the main contractor and sub-contractor, address problems as they arise and to review progress as work continues. Farrans use two types of meetings; start up meetings and site meetings. Start up meetings Start up meeting take place after the sub-contractor has been chosen for the contract but before the sub-contractor starts work on-site. The meeting is held between the project manager, site manager, site engineer and sub contract manager. However in some cases not all members must be present only that of the project manager and sub contract manager is required. The aim of these meetings is to firstly build a working relationship between the site team and sub-contractor. It also provides a way of outlining the scope of the task and ironing out any grey areas are areas of uncertainty before work commences. It is the responsibility of the sub-contractor to provide all documentation relating to health and safety before site work begins, documentation includes: Method Statements Risk Assessments Insurance Documents Construction Skills Register Documents of the workforce The meeting will also outline the attendances that are required from Farrans, as well as the time frame of their element of the project. It is the responsibility of Farrans to notify the sub-contractor when they are due on site it is therefore important for them to know how much notice they require before they can come to site. Site Meetings Once the sub-contractor has begun work on-site they must attend weekly site meetings. This meeting is held by the site manager, project manager, site engineer and all sub-contractors manager. Other attendees might be the quantity surveyor, architect, designers etc. This meetings takes place on site usually on a weekly basis, they are used to monitor progress. It is the responsibility of the site manager to implement short term programmes derived from the master program . These weekly progress meetings enable Farrans to address any issues regarding programmes, it is also a useful way for sub-contractors to communicate between each other to make sure they are working in sync and that any delays which affect a follow on trade are communicated effectively. Any delay identified by the site team will be discussed at this meeting. It is normal at these weekly meeting for an informal question and answer session to take place, where different sub-contractors can air any issues relating to the project, the result of these sessions are useful in projecting progress and allows sub-contractors to address their time schedule, for example if the plasterer start in one weeks time, and it will take the electrician ten days to finish their first fix then action needs to be taken whether it be, delay the plasterer or else use more resources and men to stay on schedule. A weekly progress document is drawn up either before or after these meetings, as part of this document any health and safety issues are addresses including any accidents, near misses or complaints. 4.1.2 Inspection of Subcontractors Work Monitoring the actual progress of sub-contractors can prove troublesome for the construction manager, where the construction manager has no experience in that field. For example construction managers have various backgrounds whether that be; site engineer, foreman or tradesman. A foreman may be competent in assessing progress of the interior fit out but unable to project progress of the structure. It is for this reason that Farrans employ several other members to work on the project. They are known as clerk of works specialising in different elements of the project. These are broken down into mechanical and electrical, externals and fit-out. As the construction manager has not got the expertise or familiarity with this specialised work the clerk of works act as sub-contractor co-ordinators. Once one element of the sub-contractors work is completed, it will be visually inspected by the clerk of works for quality and specification and either passed off or rejected. Once the work is complete and ready to be signed off the clerk, engineer and sib-contract manager will sign the specific check sheets. 4.1.3 Work Packages Work packages are used to effectively manage sub-contractors more easily. It involves breaking down each task on the master program into specific sections and sub-sections, to which sub-contractors are assigned. An example of Farrans works package breakdown can be viewed in the Appendix at the end of this section.Associate Considerate Constructor 4.1.4 Sub-Contractors Complaints On occasion a complaint may be made from the general public, regulatory bodies, the client or site staff. These complaints must be logged into Farrans complaint log as shown in the figure below. This has the benefit of making sure the actual complaint does not fall on deaf ears and also so that action is taken to resolve the matter. This is an effective way of dispute resolution and promotes ambience between the parties involved and Farrans. Farrans are a member of the considerate constructors scheme a recognised initiative under the construction confederation, this initiative was set up to improve the image of construction. Dealing with complaints is a vital section of this initiative and as Farrans are a registered member they are expected to deal in a considerate manner with any complaints or concerns resulting from the sites activities. A template of Farrans Complaints Log can be viewed in the Appendix at the end of this section. Conclusion and Recommendations Farrans use programming as an effective tool to manage and co-ordinate sub-contractors. They use a standard Gantt chart and work packages in order to effectively plan their work. The Gantt chart is employed by most construction companies and simplifies a complex program by outlining clearly start, finish and duration of each sub-contractor. This allows close observation of the critical path and any conflicts that may appear. After reviewing Farrans management of sub-contractors and reviewing relevant literature surrounding the topic of sub-contractor management the authors fell that Farrans have an effective framework running throughout their sites in order to mange and co-ordinate sub-contractors. The authors feel that start up meetings and work packages are useful tools which are not adapted by all large contractors in Northern Ireland. One of the authors spent a year working with McAleer and Rushe, a design and build contractor based in Cookstown, Nothern Ireland. The first interaction between the site management team and the sub-contractor was the same day the sub-contractor was due to start work. This caused some confusion in that the sub-contractors usually showed up unexpectantly and no arrangements were in place for their task. Often sub-contractors showed up with no health and safety documents and their workforce were unaware that CSR identification was needed. This shows what can happen if sub-contractors are mismanaged. As a well and long established leading construction firm, they have developed the necessary approach needed to avoid mismanagement of sub-contractors. Through years of experience they have adapted and fine tuned these methods in order to be successful. Appendix for Coordination of Sub-Contractors 5.0 Management of Materials and Waste 5.1 Waste Material waste has been recognised as a major problem for the construction industry, it has important implications for the efficiency of the industry as well as the environmental impact of the construction project. It is estimated that the United Kingdom construction industry uses 400 million tonnes of resources every year with 100 million tonnes ending up as waste (CIOB 2010). Research carried out by CIRIA (undated, cited in CIOB, 2010 p199) estimates that as much as 13% of all materials delivered to site end up in a skip without ever being used. The importance of waste management is demonstrated in England where it has become legal requirement from April 2008 to have site waste management plans (SWMPs) for all construction and demolition projects valued over  £300,000. It is ethical and has commercial value to prepare a SWMP for a development. The reason for this is to provide a framework for managing the disposal of waste throughout the life of the construction project. The rationale behind introducing a SWMP is to ensure that waste management is thought about from the outset and facilitate the selection of construction techniques and materials to effectively reduce waste. A SWMP reduces waste by relying on a plan-do-check-action, which follows the figure below:. Typically this action plan aims to reuse, reduce, recycle or recover materials on and off site and if none of these actions are suitable disposal is required. It is the principle contractors duty to enforce the plan as well as recording actual waste against the estimated figures, therefore checking the effectiveness of the plan. The document is the main contractors responsibility during the construction stage and should contain the following information: Ownership of the document Information about who will be removing the waste The types of waste to be removed Details of the site(s) where the waste is being taken A post-completion statement confirming that the SWMP was monitored and updated on a regular basis An explanation of any deviation from the plan An example of a standard SWMP recommended by the CIOB (2010 p72) can be seen in appendix 5. (CIOB 2010, p72) 5.1.1 Farrans Waste Management As part of Farrans waste minimisation police they have committed to: Prevent and/or Reduce waste Reuse materials Recycle waste Send minimum amounts of waste to landfill To fulfil this commitment Farrans have implemented waste management plans on all their sites to ensure good waste management and cultivated a work ethic and awareness of waste minimisation. An important aspect of waste minimisation is to try and eradicate it through design which Farrans do. Practically on-site Farrans reduce waste by organisation of the site layout which in return reduces waste caused by poor storage of materials, and prevents damage or theft where possible. The site has security 24 hours a day which again reduces theft. Sub-contractors are made aware penalties they face for producing excessive waste through bad workmanship and bad planning. 5.2 Materials Strict monitoring of materials is both beneficial to the main contractor and the environment by; Increasing profits Decreasing overheads Minimising waste and consequent disposal costs Useful Marketing tool Lessons for the future Complying with CDM regulations The CIOB (2010) believe that it is the duty of the project manager to not only monitor the projects progress but to also monitor any work undertaken by suppliers that have an independent input into the completion of the project. The contractor has overall responsibility for the management of the supply chain, the project managers duty is to ensure that the chain is managed efficiently to avoid potential delay or completion of the project. This is an important issue as it is often the case that problems further down the contractual chain are responsible for delays. One technique that the CIOB (2010, p230) recommend during planning is; The production of an outline construction schedule indicating the latest date for placement of orders (materials equipment contractors) and design release dates. However, it is not important that every material is scheduled, it is only when major construction materials and materials concerned with the critical path lack scheduling that a disruption will occur. Materials often arrive on site in three ways, on time, too early or too late with the latter often causing the most problems. Good scheduling will ensure that materials arrive on site on time. When materials arrive on site too early the main problem is with storage. Storage on a construction site will often be limited. Storing materials on site for long periods can leave them susceptible to damage due to weather or accidental damage and vandalism and theft. Handling materials more than once will also increase the likelihood of accidental damage, for example storing materials in several locations before arriving at the actual location for use. Materials arriving too late can cause a significant delay to the completion of the project. For example a week long delay in bricks will have a knock on effect to the fit out as the building as it will not be sealed on time. The contractor will then be liable for late fees for not handing over the development on time and will result in the client not being able to rent or sell units in the development. Cooke and Williams (2004, p364) state that The responsibility for handling materials, distribution around the site and fixing them in position belongs to the site manager, who is also responsible for material loss and accounting for excessive waste. 5.2.1 Farrans Material Management Materials Planning Before construction work begins Farrans complete a materials schedule included in this schedule is major materials needed for construction. Some elements included in the project at Carmonney, Northern Ireland are concrete and reinforcing steel. These materials are essential to the critical path of the project. Farrans schedule such materials in order to allow for the manufacturers lead in time and so that they ultimately arrive on site, before or just in time. Materials Inspection Farrans check the quality and condition of all materials arriving on site, whether it be materials ordered by the main contractor or sub-contractors. Sub-contractors materials are checked to ensure specifications are as designed. Material Orders Farrans record all orders of concrete and stone in an order book complete with a unique order number. This information is sent to head office and checked against invoices received from the supplier. All material invoices are also kept in the site managers office in case of any discrepancies between site and supplier. This is a form of control put in place by farrans to ensure all materials that are delivered to site are received and paid for. Materials being removed from sight are also controlled and have to be signed off. This is done for a similar reason to materials signing, to ensure the company only pay for the actual removal of site materials. For example when soil is excavated it must be removed from sites. Conclusion and Recommendations Farrans should ensure materials arrive on-site but not too early. Material and waste is not a massive issue on this particular project, the main material ordering is reinforced steel and concrete normally which are normally ordered to demand. 6.0 Management and Maintenance of Plant and Equipment Plant and equipment as well as the other physical resources represent a large area of expense on a construction project. It is also essential to schedule plant to ensure delay does not occur due to a piece of equipment not being on-site. Scheduling of plant is needed for items of plant not held on site. Similar to materials scheduling the main contractor must make a plant schedule dating periods of when other specialist plant may be required. Plant scheduling is arguably not as critical as materials scheduling due to lack of demand in hire companies caused by the recession. McCaffer and Harris (2006) estimated in 2006 that between 50 60% of plant used on projects was hired. Usually hire companies can deliver plant at short notice meaning delays are not often incurred due to lack of scheduling. Under the CDM regulations clients as well as contractors are accountable for the impact they have on health and safety. Therefore it is imperative that as project managers we try and control factors which affect health and safety on site as well as to the surrounding area. Most contractors are aware of the impacts plant and machinery has on the environment as well as the accident risk they pose. A contractor that owns plant must be prepared to provide maintenance and servicing of the equipment (Harris and McCaffer 2006, p145). Many firms try to avoid these costs by providing minimum maintenance which results in unexpected breakdown and delays. It is good practice for the main contractor to implement a system of planned preventative maintenance. The main contractor should ensure they keep the health and safety file updated with maintenance documentation for all items of plant on site. Also included must be the next required date for inspection and how frequently this must be carried out. It is the contractors duty to ensure all plant is continually inspected and maintained, it is also their responsibility to check that hired items of plant are in good working condition and regularly inspected and maintained to a good working order. The health and safety executive (HSE) require that all operators of plant must hold the relevant license to operate it. Evidence of this certification and any relating insurance documents must be kept in the health and safety file for inspection at any time. Noise generated from plant and machinery can often be unavoidable, but measures can be taken to restrict or reduce the disturbance. In order to ensure minimal disruption the main contractor should: Maintain all plant Uses noise barriers where appropriate Plans deliveries as to avoid early morning disturbance Uses alternative less noisy plant where available Scheduling of plant is needed for items of plant not held on site. Similar to materials scheduling we will require the main contractor to make a plant schedule dating periods of when other specialist plant may be required 6.1 Farrans Management and Maintenance of Plant and Equipment Farrans use the following procedures to ensure adequate maintenance of plant and equipment and also to ensure no delays as a result of bad plant scheduling. 6.1.1 Planning and Programming Site planning is needed to identify necessary items of plant required throughout the construction phase. It is the responsibility of the planning team to know what piece of equipment is needed as wee as the period of time it is needed for. The ASTA software used by Farrans can produce Gantt charts to illustrate each item of plant, length of time it is needed and for what dates. At each monthly meeting, mentioned in earlier sections, the coming months plant requirements are ev

revolution Essays -- essays papers

revolution The American Revolution occurred because of Great Britain's failure to adjust to conditions brought on by the growth and development of the colonies, and by the aggravation of a breakdown in the political and economic harmony that existed between the colonies and their mother country. America was a revolution force from the day of its discovery. The American Revolution was not the same thing as the American War of Independence. The war itself lasted only eight years, but the Revolution lasted over a century and a half and begun when the first permanent English settlers set foot on the new continent. Insurrection of thought usually precedes insurrection of deed. Over the years such ferment had occurred in the thinking of the colonists that the Revolution was partially completed in their minds before the first shot was fire or musketball began to fly. The American Revolution had its beginnings in the French and Indian war. For seven years, Britain battled the French and Indian nations in the colonies. Where the colonies militia fought beside the troops of the British army and learned war first hand. After winning the war, Britain had a huge debt to pay. To pay these expenses, George Grenville, who was secretary of Treasury in England, came up with a plan. He reasoned that the debt should be paid by taxing the colonies. After all the war had been fought to protect their land, that is the land of the Ohio River Valley. However, even before the French and Indian War had ended the political harmony that was once between the colonies and the British was already being broken down, due to all of the new acts that were passed in accordance with the mercantile theory of economics. This theory of economics said that colonies are only here to serve and glorify their mother country, in this case Britain. This lead to Britain's passing of the Navigation Laws. These laws mandated that all goods from the colonies had to be carried by British ships, thus making British merchants rich and important because everybody wanted goods form the New World and now they would have to go threw Britain to get them. The Navigational Acts were tolerated to a certain extent but also disobeyed by the common people when necessary. In 1763, the Seven-Year War in Europe and the French and Indian War in the colonies was over, and with the end came a British debt of ove... ...moves that might start a major war. However, on the other hand, they also felt they needed to protect themselves, so they established the Continental Army and named George Washington as Commander-in-Chief. They also passed a "Declaration of Causes of Taking up Arms," which named England as an aggressor and gave the Colonists the right to take up arms against the British. After King George III officially called the Colonies in rebellion, which was after Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" was circulated and read, the Patriots realized there was no way to solve the problems peacefully. They decided to declare independence and they drafted the Declaration of Independence, which was adopted and ratified on July 4, 1776. This was the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, in it's major points. Both Britain and the American Colonies had their faults in this matter, however most of the problem resided in the fact that the colonies' perceptions of the British actions were not the reality of the British actions. Therefore in fighting these actions the American Colonies eventual lead themselves to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and into the American Revolutionary War.

Comparing James Dickeys Deliverance and Fog envelops the Animals :: Compare Contrast Comparison

Comparing James Dickey's Deliverance and "Fog envelops the Animals" Deliverance and "Fog envelops the Animals" by James Dickey are closely associated to each other in their themes. In pages 93-99 of Deliverance, Ed is in the midst of a heavy fog and decides to go hunting. At first one can easily point out that Ed is not really into the whole idea of hunting, as we might say Lewis is, yet, in a matter of moments, hunting becomes very serious to him. He has trouble walking through this fog, which is blinding him from anything within arm's reach. Still, he is able to perceive a small deer, feel its presence, and make out its figure. Since Ed now has a newfound asset to himself --invisibility by fog-- he feels more secure of himself and feels that he can kill if the chance arises. He concentrates on getting as close as possible without being noticed. Ed then decides he is ready as he will ever be. Yet, the moment he shoots his arrow he feels that he jerks upward. He immediately realizes that he is going to miss. Indeed, he does miss the shot, yet he wastes another arrow, knowing the second shot is pointless for the deer is now running. "Fog Envelops the Animals" is similar to this particular scene in Deliverance. The fog is the center of focus in both of these passages, the deciding variable that will either protect and envelop the animal from its predator, or expose it, and leave it open to the hunter. If there were no fog, it is likely that Ed would have successfully shot the deer. One can argue that Ed missing the shot is a result of his lack of seriousness towards hunting or the fact that he isn't well prepared or experienced in this field, but then the idea of including the fog would have no importance. In this case the fog becomes the only means of salvation of Ed's manly pride, of proving that he could also be a hunter as Lewis is. The fog also happens to be a means of protection by chance. It is luck that Ed wakes up and there is fog that urges him to hunt. "Fog Envelops the Animals" explores the same idea that fog hides. Fog envelops the animals. Not one can be seen, and they live.

The Impact of the End of the Cold War on Us Foreign Policy

Discuss the impact of the end of the Cold War on US foreign policy Introduction: When the world famous liberal thinker Francis Fukuyama in his masterpiece declared that we were witnessing the end of the history, he was greeting the new political structure and also the new international environment, which is peaceful[1]. However, developments that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union showed us that the dissolution of the Soviets was unexpected. The international society was not ready for peace and Fukuyama’s optimistic assumptions were far from becoming real. Moreover, the international society currently started to realise that the tension and the potential of mass destructive war during the Cold War era had provided a much more stable and securitize world order for any other periods of the history. Recent developments that occurred after 9/11 attacks showed us that the world is not much securer due to the characteristics of this new type of threat which is commonly known and referred as terrorism. As being the flagship of the Western powers during the Cold War, the US is facing with much more pressure than before. Post- Cold war developments proved that although the US has the leadership features and military superiority against conventional threats or in other words ‘known’ enemies, it is still lacking of showing the same attributes in the Post-cold War era. This paper is going to analyse the impact of the end of the Cold War on US foreign policy. In order to do it so, it will provide historic background information on Cold War era and also the developments occurred after. Later on this paper will focus on the shifts that occurred in the American foreign policy after the Cold War. Basics of the Cold War Policies: For almost five decades the Cold War was the main stage for the evolution of international relations. Many institutions, political or military organisations and even international norms and regulations of the Cold War are setting the base even for the modern day politics. Hence the legacy of the Cold War era is still shaping the political, economic and social relationships within, and also in between the states. Although there is no specific agreement between the historians on when it began, the Cold War is the name given to approximately 50 years long conflict between the Communist block led by Soviet Union and the Western nations led by United States of America. Cold War was a conflict, which did not include any direct military engagements between these two parties. On the other hand, it was fought by various types of means including diplomatic, economic and mostly by propaganda. In general basics of the Cold War era can be grouped under 4 categories. These are: 1) Bipolar System: The primary outcome of the Second World War probably was the emergence of two superpowers which created a new and never been before experienced system anytime in the history of international relations called bipolar system. A bipolar system includes two evenly matched powers in this case The US and the Soviet Union. Once allies during and opponents after the Second World War, these two victorious states have became the main actors of the world politics for over 50 years. 2) The US Foreign Policy of Containment: The Soviet Union and its supporters were declared as the enemy of the free world by the Western states mostly by the US during the Cold War. Although it has been argued that the first indications of hostility between these two states have emerged during The Yalta and Potsdam conferences[2], the first arguments on the soviet threat have taken place between the American decision makers in late 1940s[3]. The main idea during these arguments was focusing on the essential importance of containing the Soviets, both politically and geographically in order to save and protect the US interests in overseas. In his reply to the US Treasury Department, George Kennan a former American diplomat, mentioned the expansionist policies of the Soviets and suggested that the US should follow an active foreign policy approach in order to ‘contain’ the Soviets in its current (by late 40s) geographic borders[4]. In following years, when the Truman Doctrine came into action the idea of containment has also become one of the main strategies of the US against its opponent, the Soviets. 3) Crisis without Major Conflicts: Dissimilarity between the two blocs have produced a series of international crises during the Cold War such as the Soviets intervention in Germany/Berlin (1948), Korean War (1950-1953), Cuban Crisis (1962), Although both parties did not fight or exchange fire against each other. However, they did support the fighting groups and pick sides during these crises according to their national interests. 4) Second Strike Capability & Mutual Assured Destruction: Both superpowers of the Cold War era were also nuclear powers. They had highly effective and destructive nuclear weapons in their arsenal. Their nuclear capabilities were the main reason for the tension in the international society, during the Cold War. On the other hand, however this capability of theirs was also the reason why they were no major conflicts or military clashes between these super powers. Each party had the ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacking party[5]. This ability is called second-strike capability. Obviously as a result of this nuclear capacity both parties could have completely created a nuclear destruction not only for each other but also for the rest of the world as well[6]. That is why non- of the superpowers dared to attack the other one with its nuclear powers in order to eliminate the opposition, hostility, competition etc. The competition and increasing awareness on democratic rights did force the Soviets to stand back and make some major policy changes in 1980s. The Soviet Premier of the time Gorbachev tried to set some political and social reforms in the soviet society in order to ease the pressure and help Soviets to continue to survive in the international arena. Moreover, the Soviets did not only make shifts in their internal policies but also in their foreign policy understanding as well. For instance withdrawal from Afghanistan, signing of various nuclear deterrence agreements with multi parties including the US are some of the key changes that occurred in the 1980s. However, the reforms of Gorbachev did not prevent the Soviets to stop its collapse and eventually after a series of events in 1991 the Soviet Union formally announced its dissolution[7]. The First Ten Years: Although the indications were present well before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world was not completely ready for the end of the Cold War. The US was left alone without any major balancing opponents. Furthermore, after the dissolution of the Soviets the numbers of newly established independent states have increased significantly. All these new states were lacking of self-governing capabilities and also the Western vision, which was the victorious ideology of the Cold war. Moreover, some researchers courageously support the idea that international environment during the Cold War was much more safer and less hazardous system for the global security issues. Historian Paul Dukes criticizes the former American decision makers of the Cold War for only â€Å"trying to save the day† but not working for the future[8]. He suggests that due to the lack of long-term policies of the US administrators, the world had to face with too many new issues and problems at the same time with of the Cold War[9]. If we generalize the facts before we start analysing the American foreign policy approach to the end of the Cold War, we can see that there are now much more various types of threats then it used to be. The lack of long-term policies has got the world into an uncertainty. Not only the US but also most of the states got caught out without any preparation to the circumstances of the end of the Cold War. That is way the first decade after the Cold War had a crucial importance for the US to establish, promote and also to maintain its supremacy and leadership around the world. We have seen the effects of the reforms occurred during the 1980s in the Soviet Union on the previous chapters. When these reforms combined with the ne Soviet policy of compromising have eased the tension and created a new dialogue between two superpowers. The first real challenge of the post-Cold War era was the Gulf War. Despite its historic connections in the UN Security Council meeting the Soviets (later Russian Federation) agreed to take economic sanctions against Iraq[10]. Although it seemed like the first positive international attitude towards a multi polar political system, the US policy makers misinterpreted the facts and started to crate a hegemonic power. The first real post-Cold War indication for America’s attempts to build a hegemonic power is the so-called New World Order (NWO) doctrine of the Senior Bush’s administration. The NOW came as a response from the US after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi military forces[11]. On September 11, 1990 former US president G. H. Bush addressed the nation prior to a joint session of Congress and underlined the ideals that the US is willing to fight for[12]. Some of the points that Bush underlined are: ? A new structure of international system based on international law and norms under the leadership of the West (particularly the US) ? International cooperation on the issues of nuclear disarmament and the promotion of collective peace ? An integrated international financial structure International cooperation on regional issues. In other words lesser sovereignty and much more international/humanitarian interventions[13]. Bush’s NWO have been criticised by various social scientists. In his 1992 article Joseph Nye categorises the NWO as a traditionally realist documentation, due to key points that was emphasised in it such as the leadership of the US [14]. Howev er, another political scientist Freedman argues that the NWO gives special importance to the UN and other multinational institutions and that is why it should be seen as a statement of liberalism and also the promotion of liberal values and norms[15]. No matter whose opinion is correct, Bush’s NWO is a fine statement of the US foreign policy makers on the Western leadership in the world politics. There is a significant increase on the numbers of US supported ‘humanitarian interventions’ since the end of the Cold War. One of the main reasons for this suitable environment for humanitarian intervention is the emergence of the newly established former communist states. Since the declaration of the NWO the US got more involved in world politics not only under the Bush administration but also under Bush’s successors. Many of these humanitarian interventions, took place under the president Clinton’s administration especially in the Balkans. In order to understand the logic of these interventions it is essential to point out the main focuses of the Clinton administration. A few weeks after he took the office President Clinton mentioned the new challenges of the post-Cold War world on a speech at the American University. These challenges and goals are: ? â€Å"To restore the American economy to good health; ? to increase the importance attached to trade and open markets for American business; to help the developing countries grow faster; ? to promote democracy in Russia and elsewhere; ? to demonstrate US leadership in the global economy[16]† The former communist states experienced series of problems during their transition periods. They not only suffered from disintegration but also they were also â€Å"forced to redefine their national interest and roles in the light of the radical c hange in the international balance of power†[17]. As a consequence of establishing a sovereign nation state, especially in the Balkans, nationalistic movements grew and tuned into violent acts. The lack of an opposing superpower helped the US to carry out the flag and start creating its global leadership. The US and its Northern Atlantic allies lunched series of military and civilian actions in order to ease the violence especially in the Balkans. During the Clinton administration US led coalition forces carried out more than 20 military missions in Yugoslavia to put an end to the ongoing violence. Main critics for the US supported missions came from a very familiar place. Although NATO eased the tension in the Balkans with its operations, the Russia was critical of the NATO operations in the Balkans. Russia prepared a resolution proposal to the UN Security Council to condemn NATO actions in Yugoslavia, though, the proposal was defeated 12-3 during the Security Council meeting, with only Russia, Namibia and China voting in favor of the resolution while NATO member countries along with the temporary members of the Security Council voted against it[18]. Hence, in general due to the sudden changes in the world politics it can be assumed that the uncertain environment and the need of a leading power led the international society to show full support on the US policies and foreign actions. Post-post Cold War? : The tragic events of the September 11, 2001did not create a new era such as post-post Cold War. However, they did assist to end a decade of positivity[19]. The attacks have generated a new era and a dimension not only for the US policies but also for the rest of the world as well specifically on the issues of global security. Although the G. W. Bush administration got the full support of international society after the attacks and even during the Afghanistan intervention, with the start of the campaign against Iraq and Saddam Hussein regime the US started to lose its supporters. The US lost its soft power over the other states and even after President Obama took the office in 2008 elections it looks like the decline will continue. Conclusion: Since the declaration of the Truman Doctrine until the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tension between two major blocks led to many crucial events, which have changed the context of the international relations and also re-framed the understanding of the world politics. The effects of these major events, which occurred during the Cold War, are traceable in contemporary world politics and also in the working structure of today's international society. On the other hand, it should be noted that no matter how important are these Cold War based policies, the collapse of the Soviet Union has brought up a new dimension to the international relations. In general the international society faced with new radical changes with the end of the Cold War. The World has seen the implementation of various types of new policy changes in both Western and Eastern blocks. For example instead of fighting with communism the US changed its role as the promoter and the fighter of the democracy and also the global security[20]. Furthermore, the former communist states focused and forced to rethink on issues of transition and liberalisation as well[21]. The US leadership started to lose its connective power within the first decade of the post 9/11 era. Unfortunately the Bush administration misread the consequences of both post-Cold War and also September 11 attacks. The administration acted much more unilaterally then its predecessor and also its successor. The support on the US supremacy/ leadership will continue to decline unless the US foreign policy makers start to interpreting correctly the current world system. The World is no longer a secure place. International cooperation and partnership is an essential element in order to fill in the vacuum that created after the Cold War. Reference List Cameron, F US Foreign Policy after the Cold War, Routledge, Second Edition, 2006 Crockatt, R ‘The end of the cold war’, in J Baylis & S Smith (eds), The Globalization of World Politics, Oxford Press, Second Edition, 2001 Dukes, P ‘A long view of the cold war’, History Today, vol. 51, issue. 1, 2006, retrieved on 20 September 2011, Evans, G & Newnham, J The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations, Penguin, 1998 Freedman, L ‘ Order and Disorder in the new world’, Foreign Affairs, Winter 1992 [22] Fukuyama, F ‘The end of history’, in G Tuthail & S Dalby(eds), The Geopolitics Reader, Routledge, Second Edition, 2006 Hass, R. N. ‘Defining U. S. foreign policy in a post cold war world’, The DISAM Journal, Fall 2002/Winter 2003 Kennan, G. F Memoirs 1925-1950, Pantheon, 1983 Kessler, B. R ‘ Bush’s new world order: The meaning behind the words’, Air Command and Staff Collage, ACSC Research Department NSW, 1997 Mingst, K Essentials of international Relations, Norton & Company, Second Edition, 2003 Nye, J. S ‘What new world order? Foreign Affairs, Spring 1992 Petherick C. J, ‘Bush announces new world financial order’, American Free Press, December 2008, retrieved on 21 September 2011, Sokoloski, H. D Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice, Strategic Studies Institute, November 2004 ‘T he Yalta and Potsdam conferences’, BBC UK, retrieved on 20 September 2011, ‘Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’, Encyclopedia Britannica, retrieved on 21 September 2011, Williams, I ‘Balkan crisis report: The UN’s surprising support’, Institute for War and Peace, 19 April 1999, retrieved on 21 September 2011, ———————– 1] Fukuyama, F ‘The end of history’, in G Tuthail & S Dalby(eds), The Geopolitics Reader, Routledge, Second Edition, 2006, pp. 107 – 114 [2] ‘The Yalta and Potsdam conferences’, BBC UK, retrieved on 20 September 2011, [3] Mingst, K Essentials of international Relations, Norton & Company, Second Edition, 2003, p. 40 [4] Kennan, G. F Memoirs 1925-1950, Pantheon, 1983, p. 356 [5] Evans, G & Newnham, J The Penguin Dictionary of International Relations, Penguin, 1998, p. 487 [6] Sokoloski, H. D Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice, Strategic Studies Institute, November 2004, p. 5 [7] ‘Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’, Encyclopedia Britannica, retrieved on 21 September 2011, [8] Dukes, P ‘A long view of the cold war’, History Today, vol. 51, issue. 1, 2006, retrieved on 20 September 2011, [9] ibid. [10] ibid. [11] Mingst. op. cit. , p. 54 [12] Petherick C. J, ‘Bush announces new world financial order’, American Free Press, December 2008, retrieved on 21 September 2011, [13] Kessler, B. R ‘ Bush’s new world order: The meaning behind the words’, Air Command and Staff Collage, ACSC Research Department NSW, 1997, pp. 2-4 [14] Nye, J. S ‘What new world order? ’ Foreign Affairs, Spring 1992, p. 84 [15] Freedman, L Order and Disorder in the new world’, Foreign Affairs, Winter 1992, p. 22 [16] Cameron, F US Foreign Policy after the Cold War, Routledge, Second Edition, 2006, p. 19 [17] Crockatt, R ‘The end of the cold war’, in J Baylis & S Smith (eds), The Globalization of World Politics, Oxford Press, Second Edition, 2001, p. 93 [18] Williams, I ‘Balkan crisis report: The UN’s surprising support’, Institute for War and Peace, 19 April 1999, retrieved on 21 September 2011, [19] Hass, R. N. ‘Defining U. S. foreign policy in a post cold war world’, The DISAM Journal, Fall 2002/Winter 2003, p. 31 [20] Crockatt, op. cit. p. 93 [21] ibid.