Transcendentalist Mccandless

Transcendentalist McCandless What is transcendentalism? How is Christopher J. McCandless a transcendentalist? Transcendentalism is a philosophy, and a way of life. It consists of being a non-conformist, becoming one with nature, and rejecting materialism. Throughout Jon Krakauer’s novel, Into The Wild, McCandless happens to achieve all of the above. â€Å"Whoso would be a man, must be a non-conformist† (Emerson). He defied society, lived in the wild, and never cared about â€Å"things†. He existed off the land in Alaska, the west coast, and even Mexico. McCandless did not want anything else in life but happiness; he found this in the wilderness.As Emerson states in Self-Reliance, â€Å"society everywhere is in conspiracy against the manhood of ever one of its members. † Conforming to society means to not be true to oneself. McCandless thought that conforming to society would make him another robot citizen. He believed in having his own opinion, being origi nal, and living how he wanted to. He proved this by â€Å"wandering across North America in search of raw, transcendent experience† (Krakauer authors note). This describes the adventure of his life, what he wanted, and what his plans were. Nobody knew Chris had planned on this.During his time working at McDonalds, McCandless also refused to wear socks. The assistant manager, George Dreeszen, even says that Chris â€Å"just plain couldn’t stand to wear socks† (40). McCandless did not care what people criticize him for, he did what he wanted to do, not what others told him was proper. In fact, as soon as he was done work he would immediately take his socks off. Another way McCandless proves to being a non-conformist is by living in the Slabs. Anybody could live in the Slabs, â€Å"the retired, the exiled, the destitute, the perpetually unemployed.Its constituents are men and women and children of all ages†¦the middle-class grind† (43). Any type and eve ry type of person lived in the Slabs. Chris felt accepted here, for nobody was judging your every move. By wearing no socks, living in the Slabs, and doing what he wanted made McCandless a non-conformist, a social outcast. Throughout the novel, it is evident that McCandless promotes becoming one with nature by talking about it with other employees when working at McDonald’s, writing about it in a letter to Ronald Franz, and writing about it in other letters as well.For example, in a letter McCandless wrote to Ronald Franz, he talks about becoming one with nature. He pressures how Franz should life his life. McCandless states, â€Å"you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of†¦ Don’t settle down and sit in one place. Move around, be nomadic, make each day a new horizon† (57). McCandless not only wants a life in the wild, he is also trying to spread the wilderness lifestyle to Franz. Likewise, while McCandless wa s employed at Bullhead’s McDonalds, he tends to talk about becoming one with nature.Other employees could tell that he loved nature by spending very little time with him. Lori Zarza, the second assistant manager of the McDonald’s, states that, â€Å"he was always going on about trees and nature and weird stuff like that† (40). McCandless was infatuated over the idea of living in the wild. Moreover, in another letter that McCandless wrote, he talks about how nature has transformed him. McCandless states, â€Å"The beauty of this country is becoming part of me† (91). He is absorbing the country; it is changing the way he looks at life. McCandless can only fixate on becoming one with nature while he is not in its presence.Christopher McCandless rejects materialism during the course of the novel and pursues the simple life by refusing a brand new car from his parents, rebuffing Jim Gallien’s watch, and giving his savings away, and burning his cash. McC andless first rejects materialism by burning all the cash he had left after giving away his savings. He did not wish to be able to use money as a way to help him. â€Å"He changed his name, gave the entire balance of a twenty-four-thousand-dollar savings account to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, [and] burned all the cash in his wallet† (Author’s Note).Any materialistic person would consider him crazy for his bizarre actions. Then, he turns down a brand new car his parents offered to buy him. He believed his car to be in perfect condition. McCandless states, â€Å"I’ve told them a million times that I have the best car in the world†¦ yet they ignore what I say and think I’d actually accept a new car from them† (21). McCandless has visibly made his point that he does not want any â€Å"things†. McCandless then goes on to decline Jim Gallien’s offer to take his watch. He did not want to know the time nor whe re he was.Gallien states that wished not, â€Å"to know what time it is. I don’t want to know what day it is or where I am† (7). McCandless wants to be as free as he can, having a watch will give him too much unnecessary information. A typical materialist has reasons to believe McCandless as outlandish for his discarding of his money, and not wanting a free watch or car. McCandless did not worry about the â€Å"things† in life; he just wanted happiness. Krakauer proved McCandless to be a transcendentalist. McCandless could not care less about the standards that were bestowed upon his generation.He wanted to be himself, not a societal robot. McCandless did not enjoy wearing socks, he lived in the Slabs; a place where almost all non-conformist go. He left the Slabs to live in the wilderness; he worshipped the wilderness, which led to his demise. Of all the things that were offered to him, McCandless accepted none. â€Å"Rather than love, than money, than fame, gi ve me truth† (117). He just wanted the truth to his family. He wanted happiness, McCandless wanted to know everything would be safe and sound. McCandless is a transcendentalist, he only wished to be happy, free of all the â€Å"things†, and in the wild.

Analysis of Psychosocial Development Theory Essay

The psychosocial theory provides a theoretical structure that highlights the constant assimilation and communication of individual competencies with resources, difficulties, and culture. Development is seen as a product of genetic, social, maturational, and autonomous dynamics. For this assignment, I am analyzing personal development using Erickson’s psychosocial theory of development. Erickson believed that development follows the epigenetic principle, that anything that grows has a ground plan (Vander Zanden et al., 2006). Simply stated, each stage of Erickson’s theory ascends according to an innate plan with each stage building upon the previous stages and focuses on a challenge that must be resolved during that stage in order to move effectively onto the next developmental stage. Erickson’s psychosocial theory draws our attention to the continual process of personality development that takes place s throughout the life span. Erickson believed each part each part of the personality has a particular time in the life span when it must develop if at all (Vander Zanden et al., 2006). Psychosocial Stages of DevelopmentThe first stage in Erikson’s theory begins in infancy, with the conflict of trust versus mistrust. In this stage an infant is dependent upon others, specifically their parent or caregiver to meet their basic needs. If these needs are meet, the infant will develop trust in self, parent’s caregivers, and their surroundings, if not mistrust will develop. Trust versus mistrust is present throughout a person’s life span. Consequently, if the conflict is not positively resolved within this developmental period, the person maybe affected negatively and only partially immerses themselves into society. As a mother, I understand that my daughter’s need for nourishment, comfort, care, and familiarity, must be met by me. In order for her to develop a loving and trusting relationship with me, I remained responsive and consistent. As my daughter grows older, she will become more knowledgeable and understanding with her peers and begin investigating her surroundings with persistence and eagerness. Stage two picks up at toddlerhood, usually starting around age 2 and continuing through age 3, with the conflict autonomy versus shame and doubt. During this stage children become mobile within their environment. This new found mobility is like a since of freedom to a child. If parents consistently encourage their children’s mobility, they will aid the children in developing a sense of autonomy, self control, and self confidence. If parents do not reinforce their child’s new freedom then the child will experience shame and learn self-doubt. My toddler is currently within this stage and she has started to undertake the responsibilities of feeding, dressing, bathing, and toileting. As a parent I have the tendency to be protective, thus assisting her without her approval. Nonetheless, I realize that I can do more harm than help to her development if I am overbearing and overprotective during this stage. I could positively or negatively influence my daughter’s ability to reach autonomy through my level of covetousness. Stage three of Erikson’s psychosocial theory begins at age 4 and continues through age 5, with the conflict initiative versus guilt. Initiative is the readiness to embark on new ventures whereas guilt is a sense that they have done something wrong. During this stage children are eager for responsibility and look to their parents for conformation. As parents the duty is ours to validate to our children, by proving that their initiative is valued no matter the size of the deed. Sadly, when parents are restrictive and do not allow their child the chance to be responsible and independent, the child may develop a sense of guilt and disapproval in the eyes of their parents. As a child my father always allowed me to help with projects around the house, by allowing me to pass him tools. My mother always allowed me to assist her in kitchen with dinner, by letting me mix the batter, oil the pan, break the egg, and pass her various kitchen utensils. I cherished my parents for this freedom and always viewed them as my unsung heroes. Today, in my daily life and work, I take the initiative with projects, chores, packing, and much more. It times I do feel guilt over some actions, but I am assured that it linked to my beliefs of achievement rather than my parents restrictive actions on occasion. From age 6 to age 12 a child is considered to be in the fourth stage of the psychosocial theory with the conflict industry versus inferiority. During this stage a child is learning to read, write, and how to create things by themselves. During this stage my educators became increasingly key figures in my life. They gave me many tasks and taught me many skills. I was always determined to master the tasks and skills (i.e. math and science) set before me. At this point in my life my peers became more momentous in my life because I was learning to work with them in order to complete tasks. I have never much of a follower, nonetheless school opened the door to new social roles therefore, gaining the approval and acceptance of my peers and teachers was important. I worked hard in all my classes and extracurricular activities to be the best by obtaining the top grades, best batting record, most assists and points, most volunteer hours, and more. The skills I developed along throughout this stage gave me confidence that others saw and appreciated, which showed approval and acceptance. I believe that when a child does not develop the necessary skills needed for school, home, and other cultural task that it can lead to the child developing a sense of inferiority because their acceptance is based on competent performance. Erikson’s fifth stage is the conflict identity versus identity confusion. Stage five typically starts at age 12 and continues to age 18. At this stage, adolescents are striving to find their identity and place in the world that will lead them into young adulthood. At some point in this stage I was struggling to find out what to with my life and remember asking myself this question, â€Å"Who Am I?† I wanted to separated myself apart from my parents and siblings, so I made a conscious search for identity and found things I enjoyed (i.e., school, softball, basketball, tutoring) an excelled. At the end of my high school career I had discovered my cultural, communal, and personal identity as a member of society identity and was ready to face the new challenges of college. My childhood friend, Amelia struggled during this stage with identity development by gender. In her parents eyes, she was a girl and should behavior as such, therefore sports and other male related activities where  frown upon within her home. It was not until Amelia reached the age of sixteen that she made a conscious decision to make her own choices, in spite of her parent’s viewpoints. Woolfolk, (1987), notes that if adolescents are unable to make conscious choices and decisions, especially as it pertains to their career and sexual orientation, then their role confusion becomes a threat. Success at this stage is dependent upon the child’s resolution of conflicts in earlier stages. If past experiences are integrated and past conflicts resolved, there will be a strong ego identity. Conversely, identity confusion will arise if the ego is weak. Stage six is the beginning of the developmental period of young adulthood. This is a period when most of us finish college, find a career, and create a family of our own. During this time most of us are changing cognitively, physically, and socioemotionally. In this stage the conflict is intimacy versus isolation. According to Erikson’s stages of development, I am in this stage. During this stage one either gets involved in an intimate relationship or retreat into isolation. In the initial stage of being an adult individual’s seek one or more companions and love. As individual’s try to find mutually satisfying relationships, primarily through marriage and friendships, they generally also begin to start a career and family, as have I. An example of my success in this stage is my giving and sharing within my marriage and friendships without feelings of obligation or asking for anything in return. The age in the stage has been pushed back to the mid thirties because today many couples wait until then to start families. My belief is that if a person has not resolved the conflict of identity in stage five, that they will fear a committed relationship, thus causing them to retreat into isolation. Lastly, when people have difficulty creating lasting and satisfying relationships, they may isolate and distance themselves from others due to feeling of inferiority. Stage seven of Erikson’s psychosocial theory begins around age 40 and continues through age 65, with the conflict generativity versus stagnation. Generativity, refers to an adult’s competence to care for another human  being (Newman & Newman, 1991). A personal example is my older sister Deloris, who had settled into a stable career, marriage, church, family, and other numerous responsibilities. Our mother was diagnosed with Alzehemier’s Disease (AD) during this stage and because Deloris was the closet and oldest, she was expected to give of herself by adding the responsibility of caring for our mother. The responsibilities were overwhelming, but she overcame because of her willingness to be flexible and adaptable, which allowed her to rely on her environment and family to help her deal. If Deloris had remained inflexible and enabled the responsibilities to overwhelm she would have become stagnate. The debilitating state of our mother’s AD forced my siste r to be flexible, by reducing church activities, additional work duties and ultimately changing the way she dealt with her world. Integrity versus despair is the eighth psychosocial stage of development. The developmental period for this stage is age 65 to death. This stage occurs when many of our parents are up in age and must come to terms with the approach of death. At this period in my parent’s life, both where retired and had time to analyze what they had accomplished and accumulated throughout life. They had come to accept their entire life with a positive outlook and even decided how their estate would be divided up amongst 21 children, thus leaving them with a sense to integrity. According to Newman and Newman, (1991) if my parents had been unable to accept responsibility for their life’s outcome and resolve conflict in earlier stages, they may have experienced despair and regret. Sadly, many older adults feel as if their life was filled with disappointment and failure, thus making it hard for them to handle life and the probability of death at this stage. Despair versus hope and faith is the final stage of Erikson’s psychosocial theory. The developmental period for this stage is late 80s and beyond. During this stage person are faced with a new sense of self over failing bodies and need for care. The favored outcome of this stage is to achieve a new sense of wisdom and transcendence (Vander Zanden et al., 2006). Comparison of Erikson and Kohlberg TheoriesErikson’s psychosocial theory  holds that developmentproceeds throughout nine developmental stages that are distinguished by a specific conflict. Kohlberg’s moral development theory holds that moral reasoning has six developmental stages with three distinctive levels. Erikson and Kohlberg theories each focus on a particular facet of maturation, such as social, moral, and psychosocial. It has been stated that psychosocial development and moral reasoning are influenced by factors such as socialization and gender identity. When a person is born they are identified by their gender as either a boy or a girl. It is my belief that the title of boy and girl or man and woman influence how children respond to psychosocial developmental challenges and resolve moral dilemmas. These titles provide a structure around which role and behavioral expectations formed. Brief Analysis of Kohlberg’s Model of Moral DevelopmentWhen people talk about moral development, they are referring to conduct and attitude towards other people in society. They look to see if societal norms, rules, and laws are being followed. In terms of children, it is their ability to distinguish right from wrong. Moral development, embraces pro-social behaviors, such as philanthropy and emotional development. Kohlberg stressed that moral development is based primarily on moral reasoning and unfolds in stages. On the basis of his research, Kohlberg identified six stages of moral reasoning grouped into three major levels (preconventional morality, conventional morality, postconventional morality). Each developmental level represented a fundamental shift in the social-moral perspective of the individual. As a child and now adult, I have at one point and time, fallen within each level and stage. My parents always stressed honesty, trust, and respect. They also give consequences when I was disobedient to the rules. In order to avoid punishment I obeyed the rules. During church and school, I behaved properly by obeying the teachers, completing assignments on-time, returning lost items (i.e., pencils, fans, and money), and repenting when needed in order to gain approval from my peers, teachers, pastor, and administrators. At other times, in my life, I have been concerned with my rights as a citizen, student, mother, and wife, while at other times I have been guided entirely by my conscience. My  conscience always gets the best of me no matter the circumstance. When I was five years old, my brother Rico took candy from my father’s private stash and shared it with me. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the candy so I keep my mouth closed. I thought I could just put it behind and move on, but I had a sense of wrong come over me and I could not sleep until I told my father the truth. Once, the truth was revealed I was freed and felt good within. My view of moral development aligns with Kohlberg’s theory of moral development which was actually based on Piaget’s cognitive theory. He believed young children’s cognitive thinking develops along with their moral development. Young children are ego centered and their moral judgment is based on their own perspectives, not others and they follow rule because they are afraid of punishment. As children grow they understand values, rules, and their obedience is not out of fear, yet is based on their moral development. ReflectionAccording to Erikson’s nine stages of development, I am in the sixth stage with conflict intimacy versus isolation. Erikson’s psychosocial development theory aligns with many of my viewpoints. His theory stresses that children are curious, active explorers who are adaptive, impacted by social and cultural influences, and rational. The theory emphasizes that individuals continue to develop and change throughout their lives, and that personality is not solely shaped during early childhood. The theories framework is a tool that can aid individuals in understanding self-awareness and self-improvement. Erikson’s stages of development enabled me to better understand the connections between my behavior and personal experiences. As a parent, it has opened my eyes to how I can help rather than hinder my daughter’s development into mature, well-rounded, and emotionally stable individual. Lastly, each stage has a vital conflict that the child, adolescent, and adult can resolve positively or negatively. The nature of the resolution depends mainly on relations and associations with others, although the individual’s choices also play a key role. The conflicts and resolution of conflicts within each stage gave me hope that people can obtain personal growth and  change. Resolving the conflicts within each stage allows for progress and future success by building upon the knowledge gained within the preceding stage(s). Conversely, I believe that not all is misplaced if an individual has an unconstructive and depressing occurrence within a particular stage and conflict. As people live they learn therefore, lessons can recur and be effectively resolved when identified, acknowledged and received. â€Æ'References Hamachek, D. E. (1998). Evaluating self-concept and ego development within erikson’s psychosocial framework: A formulation. Journal of Counseling and Development, 66(8), 354-360. Newman, B., & Newman, P. (1991) Development through life: A psychosocial approach (5thed.) Palisades, CA: Brooks-Cole. Vander Zanden, J. W., Crandell, T. L., & Crandell, C. H. (2006). Human development (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Woolfolk, A. E. (1987). Educational Psychology (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Computer †Aided Instruction Essay

A self-learning technique, usually offline/online, involving interaction of the student with programmed instructional materials. Computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is an interactive instructional technique whereby a computer is used to present the instructional material and monitor the learning that takes place. CAI uses a combination of text, graphics, sound and video in enhancing the learning process. The computer has many purposes in the classroom, and it can be utilized to help a student in all areas of the curriculum. CAI refers to the use of the computer as a tool to facilitate and improve instruction. CAI programs use tutorials, drill and practice, simulation, and problem solving approaches to present topics, and they test the student’s understanding. Typical CAI provides 1. text or multimedia content 2. multiple-choice questions 3. problems 4. immediate feedback 5. notes on incorrect responses 6. summarizes students’ performance 7. exercises for practice 8. Worksheets and tests. Types of Computer Assisted Instruction 1. Drill-and-practice Drill and practice provide opportunities or students to repeatedly practice the skills that have previously been presented and that further practice is necessary for mastery. 2. Tutorial Tutorial activity includes both the presentation of information and its extension into different forms of work, including drill and practice, games and simulation. 3. Games Game software often creates a contest to achieve the highest score and either beat others or beat the computer. 4. Simulation Simulation software can provide an approximation of reality that does not require the expense of real life or its risks. 5. Discovery Discovery approach provides a large database of information specific to a course or content area and challenges the learner to analyze, compare, infer and evaluate based on their explorations of the data. 6. Problem Solving This approach helps children develop specific problem solving skills and strategies. Advantages of CAI †¢ one-to-one interaction †¢ great motivator †¢ freedom to experiment with different options †¢ instantaneous response/immediate feedback to the answers elicited †¢ Self pacing – allow students to proceed at their own pace †¢ Helps teacher can devote more time to individual students †¢ Privacy helps the shy and slow learner to learns †¢ Individual attention †¢ learn more and more rapidly †¢ multimedia helps to understand difficult concepts through multi sensory approach †¢ self directed learning – students can decide when, where, and what to learn

Strategic Choice and Evaluation (synopsis) Essay

Strategic Choice and Evaluation (synopsis) - Essay Example Management can determine the direction the firm needs to head for continued success by conducting a SWOT. To take this a step further, the strategic manager may also conduct a matched paired analysis. The matched paired analysis allows the manager to match the strengths and weaknesses of the firm with the opportunities and threats. This will allow management to determine what strengths and opportunities are the best options for the firm to ensure the strategic plan objectives are achieved. Evaluating the strategies of each individual company allows management to find alternatives to improve the organizations plans for continued growth. Therefore, each company has to implement strategies to innovate new ideas and products for profitable gain. The Team D was involved in analyzing a company in order to develop a strategy for the company. The team tried to work on three areas including the development of a generic as well as a grand strategy and to identify the method of delivering high value. This in turn will help the company in developing a strategy that will assist then in their future goals. In order to develop a strategy an organization based strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis is necessary. The SWOT analysis along with the matched pair analysis helps the organization in matching the organization’s strengths as well as weakness with its respective opportunities and threats. The matching of these components helps organization in identifying opportunities that the organization can explore with its strengths for the attainment of organizational objectives. The company can even evaluate the strategies of its competitors in order to identify ways through which it can improve its own oper ations and attain

Coming Of Age In Mississippi, Anne Moody Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coming Of Age In Mississippi, Anne Moody - Essay Example During her college years she worked for the NAACP, CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) which culminated in her involvement with the Woolworth’s Lunch counter in Jackson which is also in Mississippi. Moody’s â€Å"Coming of Age in the Mississippi† is divided into 4 parts – â€Å"Childhood†, â€Å"High School†, â€Å"College† and â€Å"The Movement†. This book remains a classic in its own right in the priceless literature of the Civil Rights Movement. It also tells us about the motivations that led the author to turn her attention towards militancy and how she moved to New York City which is where she presently resides. Working in the movement did not seem to satisfy Moody because she felt that nothing much was being accomplished by her working there. Through her writing she realized that even though they worked so hard in the movement nothing much seemed to happen and nothing much seemed to change. The people in the Movement made a few gains here and there but by far, the root cause remained the same always. In Moody’s own words, â€Å"the Movement was not in control of its destiny — nor did we have any means of controlling its destiny." Moody describes a bitter experience she had at the Woolworth’s Lunch counter in Jackson. She was one of the participants of a delegation of black children and in trying to integrate everyone she sat in the front counter reserved for the whites, instead of sitting at the counter at the back. Before she could know what was happening, she along with her other friends were slapped and threatened with hanging. The crowd of bystanders smeared their faces with sugar, mustard, ketchup, pies and everything else on the counter while shouting words like â€Å"Communist† and â€Å"nigger†. One of the students was hit brass knuckles across the jaw and another had the word â€Å"nigger† spray – painted on his white shirt. They were then escorted by 90

Electronic government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Electronic government - Essay Example The commencement of the new system of e-government can be simply linked to its purpose (Kostopoulos, 2003). The development in technology has gbrought new challenges in governments facilitating its emergence. The purpose of electronic government is to build the complete digital age and work as the best intermediary for the information through whole the state. Choudrie et al (2004) refer the purpose of e-government, to the emerging need to improve the external and internal relationship with the stakeholder and share the knowledge with them. Meanwhile, Bwoma and Huang (2003) highlight another purpose of e-government, which is to cut cost. It should be noted that there is an increase of government expenditure in building more offices and agencies around the country to provide the government services to the citizen and mismanagement and poor organization which will affect the whole public expenditure. E-government cut cost by making operations constrained online. Information technologies has been widely used in institutions either public or private sector. So, the governments are eagerly looking toward an information technology to improve their services and relationships. Gong further; it is useful identify the meaning of e-government. Kostopoulos (2003) has mentioned that the use of web technologies will force improving the interaction and the communication between the government and its users. Moreover, the internet will be the best solution for government to establish an agencies opened for 24/365 to serve there customers. Similar to this definition, Zhenyu and Peterson (2003) note that e-government are those technologies which help the government to establish a new line of services to deliver to the citizen and help the citizen to interact with those services and access information. Provision of such services will reduce the need to directly contact the

Marketing services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing services - Essay Example According to the management, the firm has a focus on satisfying the needs of consumers, with the aim of providing comfort, safety and protection and achieving market leadership in all parts of Switzerland. Security is an important issue, and each member is checked for a postal address. The transactions are insured with an insurance charge and there is encryption of user data. Members enjoy a modern, simple and secure website. Members can avail a six-language customer service by phone during office hours, and on all days via e-mail. The management has emphasized that one of the aims of the firm is to make services affordable for all people, and the firm strives to offer its members a high quality of services at minimal fees. Partnerships include major Swiss websites such as www.bluewin.ch; www.romandie.com; www.ticinonline.ch, and ch.msn.com. There are over 5000 affiliate advertisers. The management team includes Heiner Kroke as CEO, Eveline Duschletta as Head of Customer Service, Christian Kunzler as Director of Finance and Controlling, and Luke Thoma as Head of Marketing and Communications. The portal has been successful for over ten years and is the largest and most popular eCommerce site in Switzerland. The site is listed at number three behind Google and Facebook in Switzerland. The success of the firm can be attributed to ease of use, optimal pricing, performance and safety. Safety lies at the heart of the Ricardo.ch site. This is in sync with the needs of 84 percent of users who place safety at the top of online shopping (Ricardo.ch, 2010). One of the services from Ricardo.ch is shops from particular areas. Shops provide over 2.5 M products continuously at a fixed price. Products can be inserted and purchased comfortably on Ricardo.ch. Shop articles can be found by selecting search category and entering the search term. Well known shops have

General Education Teachers Expectations of Special Education Students Essay

General Education Teachers Expectations of Special Education Students - Essay Example The IDEA Amendments Act of 1997 emphasizes the importance of ensuring that students with special needs can access the general curriculum, meeting education standards applicable to every child (O’Connor, 2010). In order to meet these challenges, therefore, general education teachers across the US have had to acquire new strategies and skills. These changes signify a period of transformation for general education teachers, informing a re-evaluation of service delivery required to support special needs students in the general education environment. One challenge that general education teachers face is to meet and maintain high standards of education for every student, also ensuring that all the unique instructional requirements of each child are met. These expectations, however, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The educational standards can be used as impetus and motivation for focused instructional planning in the general education environment for special needs students, leading to improved achievement (O’Connor, 2010). Lewis and Doorlag (2013), for example, report that general education teachers believe that standards-based reform increases learning opportunities for students who have special needs, while also noting that special education teachers contend that standards improve the characterizations of student requirements. Prior to the changes set in place by IDEAA 1997, there was a huge gap in expectations between general and special education students, who had their own room, teachers, routines, curriculum, and community. These students, majority of whom had learning disabilities, underperformed academically. At national level, most of the students with special needs were placed in self-contained classes, isolated from the general education environment, and labeled as behaviorally challenged, sending the message that they could not meet the expectations of the general

How the simple search engine became a leader in the technology Term Paper

How the simple search engine became a leader in the technology industry - Term Paper Example Google has reported big increases in sales and profits for the first quarter ended 31 March, 2005 as web advertising and sponsored search revenues continue to grow. The search engine company reported net profits of $369.2m (?205.1m) on sales of $1.26bn for the quarter. This compares with a net profit of $64m on sales of $651.6m for the same quarter last year (Savaas, 2005) In 2005, Google joined the list of 100 most powerful companies in the world. Google’s revenues increased steadily over the last few years. Even though Google started as a search engine company, they have many other product or service portfolios such as social networking, operating systems, online books, mobile phones, healthcare etc at present. In this project I will discuss and elaborate on the changes Google has made from being a user service for search to an internet giant in terms of many different aspects of technology. These aspects range from their original search, to email, to videos, to retail, to m obile industry to much more. Analyzing the changes in the past 15 years will produce the how and why Google is one of the kings of marketing and advertising. Google’s journey towards an industry leader During the initial periods of 2000, Google realised that search engine business alone may not help them to sustain their position as an industry leader in IT industry. Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft and Yahoo like IT business companies raised stiff challenges to Google’s business interests during this period. Amazon was the leader in online book business. In order to seize leadership in online book industry, Google has established an online book store in 2004. In December 2010, Google expanded its online book store in the name of Google eBooks (Google Editions) and it is now became the biggest online book store, in the world. As of now Google’s book collection have already crossed the 20 million mark. Social networking is another area in which Google made its mark. Google plus is the social network introduced by Google to counter the challenges from arch rival Facebook. â€Å"Google CEO Larry Page trotted out an impressive statistic during January 2012 quarterly earnings call: Google+ now has 90 million users, double what it had three months ago. Even better, 60 percent of those users are engaged daily, and 80 percent weekly† (Brodkin, 2012). Even though Google Plus membership is extremely small compared to that of facebook, many people believe that it has the potential to beat facebook in near future itself. Operating system market is another area in which Google established themselves in the recent past. Apple was the industry leader in touchscreen phone and tablet markets until recent times. In fact Apple’s ‘I† series products such as iPhone, iPad, iPod, etc brought enormous success to them. Today apple is the second largest company in the world in terms of market capitalization. Moreover they are the most va luable technology company in the world at present. In order to expel apple from the top spot, Google established business tie ups with Samsung like mobile phone and tablet manufacturers. Google devised a special operating system; android for the modern smartphones and tablets. Current android operating system is believed to be the best in the industry. Its latest version jelly bean is causing all problems to apple’

Assignment three Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Three - Assignment Example at all the land transactions that were to be made in the west area of the Appalachian crest would be handled by the British government and not the American colonists as it was the case. This brought about an infuriation from the colonists as well as the entrepreneurs and they started opposing the British policy makers whom they had embraced once and it also contributed to the revolution (McConville 116). In addition, the British policy makers increased the payment of import taxes through an increase in the Townshed duties. Many Americans complained of the unfairness of this and criticized the move. They made their complaints openly in published letters and even open articles which angered the British and made them send troops to America to control the situation and try to calm people down. This led to an increase in political fervor, massacres in Boston as well as caused the beginning of the American Revolution through the violent actions as they revenged the attack by the British troops (Nash

Legacy leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Legacy leader - Essay Example A legacy leader knows that the success of the organization depends on the productive and heartfelt performance of the employees. It is all about motivating the members of the organization to serve its customers with warmth and enthusiasm. One remarkable example of a legacy leader in the hospitality industry is J. Willard Marriott. The leadership legacy of the father, J. Willard Marriott, was passed on to his son, J.W. ‘Bill’ Marriott (Burwash, 2008). Admired throughout the hospitality industry for his practical approach to leadership, J.W. Marriott has developed a reputable culture that focuses on the people and acknowledges the value they endow the organization with. He is a perfect example of a legacy leader because he emphasizes the importance of a positive employee culture. He also values diversity and continuously tries to build a multicultural workforce. He only wants the best for their customers. He embraces the doctrine of kindness, sympathy, and compassion. The hospitality industry, for an ideal legacy leader like J. Willard Marriott, is all about this

The Economy of China (Globalization Effect) Essay Example for Free

The Economy of China (Globalization Effect) Essay The effects of globalisation on Economic growth and the quality of life in China. China holds the second largest economy in the world, measured by Purchasing Power Parity (a technique used to determine and compare the relative value of different currencies). From the late 1970’s, the Chinese economy has become more market orientated, rather than its former closed and planned political system. This change has played a major role in the development of their economy and impact of globalisation. At present, it is the world’s fastest growing major economy. Growth rates in the Chinese economy have averaged 10% throughout the past 30 years. By utilising Chinas perfect environment for manufacturing with low minimum income levels compared to other countries, and little to no policies surrounding work place health and safety, in 2010 China became the worlds largest exporter. In 2010, 19. 8% of the world’s manufacturing output was produced by China, and Industry and Manufacturing account for 46. 8% of China’s GDP. Apart from the thriving Manufacturing industry, China also produces 45% of the worlds steel and is the world’s third largest Automotive Manufacturer. Over recent years, China’s Urban wages have received a 13-19% increase to an average of $2472USDp. a. The Chinese Economy has gained both benefit and been disadvantaged by globalisation trends. One advantage is China has received extensive amounts of high GDP over recent years, although it sometimes due to the over exploitation of their unbelievably cheap labour compared to other countries. China has become almost an essential to the global supply chain because of its cheap labour leading to the massive growth we have seen over recent years. Other Positive effects of globalisation include the improvement of living standards due to higher employment and therefore larger income and contribution to the economy. The amount of employment in china has increased due to the rise in growth and creation of TNC’s and movement of production due to globalisation. This means that in order to meet demands, they need to create more jobs which is suited best in China because of low minimum income levels Negative effects of Globalisation on China include environmental changes and urbanisation. The Chinese Environment has been damaged due to rapid pollution and industrialisation consequences. The growth of industries specializing in manufacturing has caused the pollution of the air, ground and permanent damage on the surroundings of these factories due to production processes such as burning or pollution from capital goods. The growth of urbanisation was a result after the rapid increase in jobs around cities, but this can also lead to the lowering of standards of living and the amount of jobs and resources available elsewhere. The urban cities are unable to provide necessities and services the population need. By the end of 2012 52. 6% of the Chinese population had become urbanised, an increase from the former 26% in 1990 . Although currently, the cities cannot provide for the amount of people urbanising, the government has aimed to create services, increase availability of necessities and support a range of mass transit around and inside the city as a part of their 5-year-plan for 2011-2015. The creation of low-income apartments is also being accommodated to support the lowest income earners and reduce homelessness. Another problem with this sudden spark in urbanisation is the lowering of workplace safety regulations yet to be created. The people are working in factories with very poor standards which reduce hygiene and can also cause mental issues such as suicides. The Chinese Economy has implemented particular strategies in order to promote and stabilize the economic growth and development they have received. These policies and strategies are a result of increasing demand because of globalisation in China. The introduction of the â€Å"Open door policy† (essential opening china into a mass of once protected foreign direct investment) created a huge utilisation of Chinese labour. Chinese capital and labour resources have become efficiently allocated, which then has greatly boosted economic growth and productivity. The Chinese economy then strategically utilised their obvious comparative advantage in export orientated and labour intensive industries. The Chinese Economy’s rapid growth is due to creation of particular strategies such us export Incentives and decentralisation of government. Export Incentives are monetary, tax or legal motivations designed to encourage businesses to export certain types of goods or services. This large labour force, huge investments in efficient technology and the introduction of subsidies and incentives have created the perfect environment for mass growth of this emerging economy. Chinese exporting alone has generated up to a staggering 36 per cent of Chinas GDP (2006). Since the â€Å"Decentralization† of Government (the process of redistributing, powers, people or things away from the government) the Chinese GDP per capita has risen from its previous $674 in 1978 to $5,085 in 2004 (ppp adjusted). That is over 7 and a half times greater than the previous recording. This change in government, liberalization of prices, reduction in agriculture resources, and integration into world markets, had proved to be a major cause of the Chinese economic boom over the past 30 years beginning with the open door policy The use of â€Å"Special Economic Zones† in china created an ability to alter the policies and investments in areas suited. For example, lower taxes and lower tariffs and other protection policies were introduced in order to encourage the exportation of technology. Their immediate success fuelled the way for more specific zones in order to utilise the economic boom they were currently experiencing. The implementations of a practise known as the â€Å"household responsibility system† was a specific quota for agricultural demand created by the government in order to remain self-sufficient in agricultural goods, but continue to redistribute their resources to other more profitable and efficient areas. The farmers and producers were given compensation for completing these merit goods that compared to other industrialised productions, were not very profitable. These strategies allowed the Chinese people and economy to thrive during economic boom but also increase their standard of living. The Chinese Government has introduced a way to change economic strategies and policies in order to relate to the current economic activities. This plan is called the 5-year-plan, a set of policies that have to remain active for the remaining 5 years until they are reassessed for the new economic activities. This 5 year plan applies for all regions of china, and is used in order to map strategies for economic development, setting growth targets, and launching reforms. The 12th 5 year plan (2011-2015) outlines their planned urbanisation amount, GDP growth and estimated output from industries and the building of new low-income apartments to reduce poverty and increase the standard of living for the Chinese Population. The policies can also aim to stabilize their current growth, make incomes more equal and improve social infrastructure. The Chinese government believe that the increase of employment and reduction in unemployed population is the top priority to create stability in their rapidly growing economy. By the end of 2005, the registered unemployment population in urban areas reached 8. 39 million, and the registered unemployment rate in the urban areas was 4. 2 per cent. In order to counteract the growing unemployment, The Chinese Government applied structural â€Å"Proactive employment Policies† in order to create incentive and encourage unemployed members of the Chinese population to look, create, or innovate their own employment These practises were used to promote the economic growth but also increase the poor standard of living in China. These included: 1. Encouraging the unemployed to start up their own businesses. Reducing taxes and charges, plus small loans with discounted interests created a perfect environment and incentive for the Chinese unemployed to stimulate the economy and its growth. 2. Exempting and reducing taxes on enterprises willing to employ disadvantaged unemployed people. 3. Offering particular insurance subsidies for flexible employment terms. Evaluation of Economic Growth and development Strategies: Strategies used by the Chinese Government are all aimed to create, stabilise and promote growth of the Economy and the quality of life of the Chinese people. The Open Door policy has unlocked the swift growth of the Chinese Economy by allowing the flooding of Foreign Direct Investment. With an increase of Chinas GDP per capita from $153 to $1284 , this single indicator outlines the success of opening China to Foreign Direct Investment. The open door policy has also created an opening for greater employment, income and therefore better living standards for the Chinese population. This is because the open door policy allows more TNC’s and large enterprises to base their factories and outlets around the Chinese population. Export and business incentives have also fuelled a large amount of success though the encouragement of reaching the technical optimum in economies of scale, and employing more people, once again, creating more jobs and increasing living standards of the Chinese population. The Decentralization from government is a strategy that started the growth they have received and the increase of economic development in China. Through this decentralization, the redistribution of income and resources has unlocked the flood for foreign direct investment, creation of employment and increased the living standards of the population. The 5 year plan has fulfilled its potential by maintaining the economic stability of china, whilst still creating growth. Through the increase of GDP, employment rates, and living standards of the Chinese population, it is obvious that the changing of political policies and goals have succeeded in guiding the Chinese economies growth. This planning allowed the government to change into a market orientated system whilst still keeping the benefits of planning goals, rates and living standards to predict the future of the Chinese economy. The strategies under the â€Å"Proactive employment policies† are used to create jobs and stimulate the economy, whist also decreasing unemployment and increasing the living standards of the Chinese population. Not only has the policies reduced the people unemployed, but they also can be used to raise the minimum income. Overall, the effects of globalisation on economic growth and the quality of life in china have been mostly benefiting. Through the introduction of new employment, high income and standards of living, and the decentralization of the Chinese government, China continues to gain expediential growth over any other country in the world. The industrialisation of China has proven to be a crucial time for reassessing political strategies and adding policies to benefit the Chinese population.

Financial Reporting on Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Financial Reporting on Goodwill and Intangible Assets Question 1 Under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), goodwill and intangible assets must be treated separately during a business combination in accordance with IFRS3. Prior to IFRS 3, companies, during a business combination situation, intangible assets and goodwill could be accounted for as goodwill[1]. Under IFRS 3, acquired intangible assets are treated separately to goodwill. With recognised intangible assets, the value of the intangible asset can be amortised over the useful life of the asset. Goodwill is the value difference between the price paid for a business on acquisition and the value of the assets. Unlike intangible assets, goodwill cannot be amortised but needs to be re-measured for impairment, on an annual basis. This impairment value can be included in the income statement as an expense, on an annual basis. This is the critical difference between intangible assets and goodwill[2]. Upon acquiring a business, the acquiring company must assess the fair value of the relevant assets and liabilities including some identifiable intangible assets. This is the only time that these assets can be recognised on the balance sheet. Internally created intangible assets cannot be amortised in a straight line and reduced in this way on the balance sheet unless they are identifiable in terms of a useful life expectancy. Intangible assets that have an indefinite life span cannot be amortised on a straight line basis and must be re-measured for impairment, instead. All internally created intangible assets are re-measured for impairment, regardless of whether or not they are able to ascertain the useful life expectancy of the asset[3]. Goodwill is generally considered as a type of intangible asset; however, for the purposes of IFRS 3, it must be accounted for separately, during a business acquisition, with goodwill never being amortised and intangible assets that can be recognised to have a specific life expectancy can be amortised on a straight line basis. This is not the same for internally created intangible assets which will never be amortised. Question 2 (a) Gearing is calculated by considering the ratio of debt to equity, which is considered as debt divided by capital employed (or debt divided by debt plus shareholder funds). Intangible assets are often added back on to the shareholders’ funds as intangible assets such as goodwill and are a measure of the history of the company and not its current financial strength[4]. Calculation Gearing Numbers reported in company’s balance sheet (733 + 8585) which is total borrowings divided by shareholder equity / (9318 + 4013) total debt plus shareholder equity 69.90% Adjusted to make goodwill valueless (733+8585) / (4013 + 9318 – 4514) goodwill is taken off the shareholder equity 105.68% Adjusted to treat both goodwill and intangible assets as valueless (733+8585) / (4013 + 9318 – 9974) goodwill and intangible assets are added back on 277.57% The higher the ratio or gearing percentage, the greater the company favours debt over equity. A ratio of 100% would indicate that the company has an equal preference for both the use of equity and debt[5]. Therefore, the higher the percentage the greater the dependence and the greater the perceived financial risk. Shareholders will only obtain a return on their equity once all interest payments have been made. Therefore, the higher the reliance on debt, the more volatile the shareholder earnings are going to be. However, the debt repayment is set and, therefore, the higher the gearing ratio, the greater the risk but also the greater the potential return for the existing shareholders[6]. The figure for Allied Boots, for the purposes of this analysis is 105.68%. Any figure over 100% is considered high, which means that there may be volatility for the shareholders, but the profit growth will also be higher. In this case, the figure with goodwill ignored, has been used as this takes into account the fact that goodwill is largely a measure of historic value. The reason for this is that goodwill is entirely a reference to historic value generated in the business and should not, therefore, be taken into account as part of the shareholder equity. Intangible assets are continued value generating assets and should, therefore, remain in the calculation. For example, the intangible assets could include intellectual property which continues to add value to the business, whereas goodwill at the point of business acquisition is simply a reflection of the value of the business name at that point; no further value will be generated by virtue of this figure[7]. Question 3 In an entirely efficient market, all analysts will have all relevant information available to them, allowing them to makes suitable adjustments to give them the best possible information in relation to the value of the business. Truly efficient figures imply that all figures within the accounts reflect all known information[8]. However, in reality, markets are not entirely efficient as there is information that is not reflected in the financial data. Financial data, by its very nature, is historic and simply reflects what has happened in the past. Values for intangible assets such as intellectual property and goodwill can vary very quickly and are extremely subjective in nature. Goodwill and intangible assets are often based on information that is not publicly available such as internal know-how and, therefore, cannot be suitably analysed to see how realistic they are; this potentially offers considerable discretion for managers in terms of how these figures are reflected in the acco unts[9]. Due to the potential discretion in this area, regulators need to lay down certain treatment rules to ensure that the information being provided by the financial accounts is as close to full, true and fair as is possible. This then allows the analysts to make the most suitable decisions for their chosen position. Bibliography Blake, John, Lunt, Henry, Accounting Standards, Pearson Education, 2001 Dunse, Neil A., Hutchison, Norman E., Goodacre, Alan, Trade-related valuations and the treatment of goodwill, Journal of Property Investment Finance, 22, 3, 2004 Elliott, Barry, Elliott, Jamie, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Pearson Education, 2006 Mard, Michael J., Hitchner, James R., Hyden, Steven D., Zyla, Mark L., Valuation for Financial Reporting: Intangible Assets, Goodwill, and Impairment Analysis, SFAS 141 and 142, John Wiley and Sons, 2002 Reilly, Robert F., Schweihs, Robert P., Valuing Intangible Assets, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1999 Seetharaman, A., Sreenivasan, Jayashree, Sudha, Raju, Yee, Tey Ya, Managing impairment of goodwill, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 7, 3, 2006 Seetharaman, A., Balachandran, M., Saravanan, A.S., Accounting treatment of goodwill: yesterday, today and tomorrow: Problems and prospects in the international perspective, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5, 1, 2004 Weetman, Pauline, Financial Accounting: An Introduction, Pearson Education, 2006 Wines, Graeme, Dagwell, Ron, Windsor, Carolyn, Implications of the IFRS goodwill accounting treatment, Managerial Auditing Journal, 22, 9, 2007 Footnotes [1] Weetman, Pauline, Financial Accounting: An Introduction, Pearson Education, 2006 [2] Mard, Michael J., Hitchner, James R., Hyden, Steven D., Zyla, Mark L., Valuation for Financial Reporting: Intangible Assets, Goodwill, and Impairment Analysis, SFAS 141 and 142, John Wiley and Sons, 2002 [3] Blake, John, Lunt, Henry, Accounting Standards, Pearson Education, 2001 [4] Seetharaman, A., Sreenivasan, Jayashree, Sudha, Raju, Yee, Tey Ya, Managing impairment of goodwill, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 7, 3, 2006 [5] Elliott, Barry, Elliott, Jamie, Financial Accounting and Reporting, Pearson Education, 2006 [6] Dunse, Neil A., Hutchison, Norman E., Goodacre, Alan, Trade-related valuations and the treatment of goodwill, Journal of Property Investment Finance, 22, 3, 2004 [7] Seetharaman, A., Balachandran, M., Saravanan, A.S., Accounting treatment of goodwill: yesterday, today and tomorrow: Problems and prospects in the international perspective, Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5, 1, 2004 [8] Reilly, Robert F., Schweihs, Robert P., Valuing Intangible Assets, McGraw-Hill Professional, 1999 [9] Wines, Graeme, Dagwell, Ron, Windsor, Carolyn, Implications of the IFRS goodwill accounting treatment, Managerial Auditing Journal, 22, 9, 2007

Examining Whole Life Costing Construction Essay

Examining Whole Life Costing Construction Essay Whole life costing (WLC) can contribute significantly to control the financial and non-financial risks objectives of many construction, and construction organisations. This is especially relevant in terms of customer service, internal business processes, and financial performance. WLC is changing the approach to design, procurement, construction and facilities management and delivering major benefits. Many public and private sector clients now procure on cost of ownership, not capital cost. (Your development, 2008) There is a growing awareness that unplanned and unexpected maintenance and refurbishment costs may amount to half of all money spent on existing buildings, according to the Building Research Establishment. Estimates of the value of the unplanned portion in UK construction output range from  £8bn to a staggering  £20bn a year. This is why whole-life costing (WLC) is beginning to play a crucial role in project management (Bourke, 2005). This time, however, lifecycle cost ing/Whole life cycle costing is here to stay, for two reasons PFI and global warming. PFI has made it the basis of the commercial agreement between the client and the provider and global warming has made everybody think about the future impact of decisions to build. (Martin, 2008) Some of the ideas behind the justification for whole life-cycle costing (WLCC) are synonymous with key issues in todays construction industry. (Boussabaine, A., Kirkham, R.2004) Meeting clients expectations Clients now require buildings that are efficient during and after construction. WLCC techniques can demonstrate real cost savings in design solutions. Sustainability Achieving sustainable design solutions relies on the consideration of long term operational costs and performance of building components. Monitoring performance of constructed assets For example, are PFI/PPP (Private Finance Initiative / Public Private Partnerships) projects really cost effective? Only by considering the whole life costs can this be assessed. Using WLLC also supports benchmarking and key performance indicators. Monitoring cost effectiveness of constructed assets WLCC provides the means by which to constantly review this and base future capital investment on this information. Lean construction By considering long term cost and physical performance, waste is minimised both during construction and through the life of the building. The UK government has challenged the way its organisations deliver services, and has placed on them a duty to continuously improve in order to provide the services that people require economically, efficiently and effectively. This concept of best value has dominated public sector capital investment policy in the UK since the 1990s. (Boussabaine, A., Kirkham, R.2004) As a result of the fundamental revisions in public procurement policy that have subsequently taken place, interest in and demand for the use of WLCC techniques have risen to unprecedented levels. These policy changes are clearly demonstrated in recent government publications such as Construction Procurement Guidance, No 7 Whole Life Costs (Office of Government Commerce), which states that all procurement must be made solely on the basis of value for money in terms of the optimum combination of whole life costs and quality to meet the users requirements. This view is fully endorsed by National Audit Office (NAO) policy an d reinforced in their joint guide Getting value for money from procurement. How auditors can help. Consequently the award of public construction contracts based on simply the lowest capital cost bid is no longer recognised as good practice; best value must be taken into account and thereby WLCC should be fully appraised as part of the decision making process. (Boussabaine, A., Kirkham, R.2004) 2.2 HISTORY OF WHOLE LIFE COSTING Figure 2.1 History of whole life costing, Source (Boussabaine, A., Kirkham, R.2004) According to Ashworth (2008) during the 1960s it was often referred to as costs-in-use, although strictly speaking this term excluded anything to do with initial construction costs. In the 1970s, life cycle costing became the commonly accepted terminology but by the end of the century this had been replaced with whole life costing and this is the description under which it is now most commonly referred. 2.3 DEFINITION OF WHOLE LIFE COSTING The New construction research and innovation Strategy Panel (nCRISP) defines WLC as the systematic consideration of all relevant costs and revenues associated with the acquisition and ownership of an asset. (Constructing Excellence in the building environment, 2009) At its most basic, WLC includes the systematic consideration of all costs and revenues associated with the acquisition, use and maintenance and disposal of an asset. Ashworth (2004), Seely (1997), Ashworth and Hogg (2007), Cartlidge (2008) and Ferry and Flanagan (1991); according to BS ISO 15686, WLC can be defined as: a tool to assist in assessing the cost performance of construction work, aimed at facilitating choices where there are alternative means of achieving the clients objectives and where those alternatives differ, not only in their initial costs but also in their subsequent operational costs. Whole life appraisal (costing) is not the universal panacea for the construction sector, but properly understood and used it is a useful and powerful tool. (Flanagan, R., Jewell, C., 2005) Figure 2.2 The hidden costs, Source (Ellingham, I., and Fawcett, W.,2006) While initial costs are clear and visible at an early stage, longer-term costs are not see Figure 2.2. Nevertheless, these longer-term costs can far outweigh initial capital costs, and should have a much stronger influence on decisions with respect to facilities and individual elements Figure 2.3 Whole life cost, Source (Calford seaden, 2009) The sequence of the seven phases of a buildings life is described appropriately in British Standard 3811. Whole life phases Description Associated costs Specification The formulation of the clients Initial costsassociated with land purchase, professional fees and construction. Requirements at inception and briefing. Feasibility and viability of different proposals Design Translating ideas into working drawings Cost planning including whole life costing of alternative design solutions from outline proposals scheme and detail Deign Associated contract procurement documentation Installation The construction process Interim payments and financial statements Commissioning Handover of the project to the client Final accounts Maintenance The project in use Recurring costs associated with repairs, running and replacement items Modification Alterations and modifications necessary to keep the project to a good standard Costs associated with major refurbishment items Replacement Evaluation of the project for major changes or the site for redevelopment Redevelopment costs Table 2.1 Whole life phases (Ashworth.A, 2008) 2.4 WHY RISK ASSESSMENT IN WHOLE LIFE COSTING Combined with WLCC, risk assessment should from a major element in the strategic decision making process during project procurement and also in value analysis. Project cost, design and operational decision parameters are often established very early in the life of a given building project. Often, these parameters are chosen based on owners and project teams personal experiences. While these approaches are common, they do not provide a robust framework for dealing with the risks and decisions that are taken in the evaluation process. Nor do they allow for a systematic evaluation of all the parameters that are considered important in the examination of the WLCC aspect of a project. Capital costs and future costs must be quantified, analysed and presented as part of the strategic decision making process in todays business environment. Cost analysis and value analysis techniques are used to quantify and assess the economic implications of investment in building facilities in general. Whi le these techniques do provide a basis for making project cost decisions, they most often do not account for many of the parameters which may affect the actual project value or cost (Plenty et al.1999). Risk assessment should be an integral part of the WLCC process. A framework that uses formal decision making processes and risk assessment of each aspect of the decision to be taken in performing WLCC life cycle analysis can help owners, design teams and cost planners in marking strategic decisions based on analysis results that truly the inherent risks and costs related to the project. 2.5 DATA REQUIREMENTS IN WHOLE LIFE CYCLE COSTING AND RISK ASSESSMENT Flanagan and Norman (1983) highlighted three fundamental requirements in successfully implementing a life cycle costing methodology. A system by which the technologies can be used: a set of rule and procedures. Data for the proposed project under consideration: estimates of initial and running costs of elemental life cycles, discount rates, inflation indices, periods of occupancy, energy consumption, cleaning and the like. The data required to carry out WLCC analysis can be derived from a range of possible source Direct estimation from know costs and components Historical data from typical applications Models based on expected performance, average, etc. Best guesses of the future trends in technology, marking application Professional skill and judgement. All these factors have some bearing on the quality of data that is collected and how it is used in modelling and decision making processes. Whilst WLCC is now becoming widely used as a valuable tool in the design process, probably two key factors have undersized its potential impact A suspicion that life cycle cost estimates are in some sense inaccurate or based merely on guesswork The absence of sufficient and appropriate cost and performance data. 2.5.1 Data sources It has been highlighted how important the data and its composition are to WLCC, but where can this data be obtained? Ferry and Brandon (1991) highlighted six main outputs: Technical press Builders price books Information services such as the Building Cost Information Service (BCIS) Government research literature such as from the National Economic Development Office (NEDO) University research Technical information services. Flanagan and Norman (1983) defined these into four subgroups: Manufacturers data Suppliers and contractors Modelling techniques Historical data Manufacturers data These specialists as a rule will have detailed breakdowns of the life cycle of the product, its material components and its performance characteristics. This data can also be obtained from other authorities that are responsible for testing the integrity and material for construction. The British Board of Agreement is a UK government testing body which carries out independent testing of materials used in the industry. Materials that meet a set specification and performance are issued with agreement certificates, which give details on service lives and other critical information. The Building Research Establishment also carries out testing on materials and can be a useful source of information. 2.5.3 Forecasts from models In the absence of any historical or suppliers data / feedback, models can be used as a way to analyse the WLCC implications of particular design decisions or choices of materials. The concept behind modelling is to facilitate and introduce a higher degree of accuracy in the estimates made by cost analysts when drawing up life cycle cost profiles. Historical data Historical data can be obtained from a variety of sources such as the BMCIS, clients and building occupies and in some cases the design team themselves. The value of historical data is relevant in that the values of initial capital cost and subsequent running cost can be categorised for certain groups of element in the building and this comparison can then be used to identify the elements which will benefit from a life cycle cost approach. 2.6 COMPONENTS OF A WHOLE LIFE COST ANALYSIS Figure 2.4 Components of a whole life cost analysis, Source (Boussabaine, A., Kirkham, R.2004) 2.6.1 Service life The prediction of component service life is a very important aspect in WLCC assessment. One such methodology currently in use is the factor method. The ISO/CD 15686-1 factor method for the estimation of the service life of components or assembly under specific conditions treats the service life as a deterministic value. In reality the service life has a big scatter and should be treated as a stochastic quantity. 2.6.2 Capital costs Returns on invested capital costs are essential in marking decisions on investment scenarios. Minimum capital commitment would be required if the client wanted to bear most of the cost until the building was handed over. In the event of limited capital budget is the prime consideration of the client, quality, in the form of a reduced specification, is like to be restricted. (Ashworth and Hogg, 2002, p.192).Further the cost of the project is a combination of land ,construction ,fees and finance and the employer will need to balance these against the various procurement systems available (Ashworth,1997,p.107). The capital cost objectives that need to be assessed include. Land acquisition cost. The location, and land viability may have a direct effect on the whole life cost and life expectancy of a facility. Predesign costs. The amounts of time and quality of information generated at this stage have great consequences on the quality and operation of a facility. The investors have a good opportunity to optimise the whole life cost of a facility through the selection of component and functional flexibility. Ideally, the issues relating to obsolescence should be investigated, accounted for as costs at this stage. Design costs. The quality of design in terms of error, detailing and buildability will have a direct effect on the cost of production and operation. A high quality building might also require higher costs in use in order to maintain its high aesthetic quality in use (Ashworth and Hogg, 2000) Development and production costs. The quality of workmanship is directly related to the level of maintenance. It is important to ensure that quality control is in place to ensure sound construction practices are used. Fees Risk costs Financial costs, tax, interest, etc. 2.6.3 Operational costs Operational costs are less certain as the time span increases due to uncertainties in energy costs, maintenance, fees, staff and regulatory changes. It is important to view operational cost estimates in their holistic state; several qualitative factors will have an important effect on the total operational costs. The operational cost objectives that need to be assessed include; Factors which contribute significantly to the total operational costs Optimum balance between capital and operational costs Operational risk management systems Optimum asset cleaning procedures Optimum waste management procedures Optimum utilities management procedures Optimum staffing level Minimum disruption due to denial use of the asset. 2.6.4 Maintenance costs The costs and priority of required maintenance, rehabilitation and replacement can be obtained from historical data but base cost estimates have to be supplemented with expert opinions in order to perform whole life cycle analysis and risk assessment. The maintenance cost objectives that need to be assessed include. Performance indicators for the assessment of maintenance costs Remaining service life of facility components Frequency and replacement costs In house or subcontracted maintenance Selection of exterior and interior materials and surfaces Selection of light fixtures with minimum routine repair and replacement requirements. Type of preventive maintenance programme. 2.6.5 Financing costs and revenues The objective here is to deal with WLCC input parameters of discount, inflation rates, taxes, expenses, etc. Critical analysis of investments must include both initial and ongoing costs and returns over the period of the investment. This will allow stakeholders to compare different options and decide which offers the best return for the investment. Usually discount rate is used for computing the value of future revenues. This includes a large degree of risk return. For example, if the discount rate is set too high or too low then future costs may appear insignificant; this could result in high operational costs and capital costs, which will discourage investment. Also, if inflation is different from the selected rates this may lead to inappropriate investment choices. The financing cost objectives that need to be assessed include assumptions about: Inflation rates, interest and taxes Level of returns and risks Optimum discount rate Economic activity. This has a direct on the economic obsolescence of facilities. Level of risk financing Cash inflow versus outflows Different rates, time periods and cash flows. The characteristics of new or existing facilities are very important aspect of WLCC computation. For the example a relationship may exist between building function and mechanical service costs, a particularly important feature of modern facilities. Little research has been published with regard to the impact of building characteristics on WLCC. 2.6.6 Asset characteristics The characteristics of new or existing facilities are very important aspect of WLCC computation. For the example a relationship may exist between building function and mechanical service costs, a particularly important feature of modern facilities. Little research has been published with regard to the impact of building characteristics on WLCC. Experience shows that an indirect link exists through many aspects, including energy, thus increasing WLCC and possible downtime costs in maintenance. The characteristics that should be assessed and included in the computation of WLCC include. Layout and location Functionality Construction technology Gross floor area Number of storeys and storeys height Glazing area Occupancy (m2/person) Shape of the facility Aesthetics Energy saving measures Quality of components Type and quality of public health system Type and quality of superstructure building fabric Type and quality of internal fabric Type and quality of electrical and mechanical services Extent of site works 2.6.6 Economic performance measures The procurement of building facilities involves a variety of decision making who decide on alternatives that generate capital and ongoing costs during a projects life. These capital costs generative value for different stakeholders and potential for returns to the project owner which should be durable over the life cycle of the asset. Therefore ,economic performance measurement in WLCC is very important for decision making to evaluate and allocate identifiable value from capital cost and continuing costs to relevant stakeholders in the life cycle of a facility. The objective that should be assessed under this heading should include. What type of performance indicators should be used to aid in the selection of alternatives The boundaries of these indicators, i.e. minimum and maximum values that the stakeholders are prepared to work to The best measures of performance in terms of WLCC outputs Mechanisms for WLCC benchmarking Measures for mitigating economic risks. 2.7 USE OF WHOLE LIFE COSTING Ferry and Flanagan (1991) argue that application of WLC, in any environment, exists on two levels. The lower level of life cycle costing is represented as a Management Tool to aid the decision making process. The higher level of life cycle costing is termed the Management System whose continuous operation dictates that responsibility for asset management should be retained. In general terms, they argue that during the management of a typical project, all stages, except project initiation, have a potential use for WLC. Whole life costing as a decision-making tool The primary use of WLC is to be used in the effective choice between a number of competing project alternatives. Although this can be done at any stage of the project, the potential of its effective use is Maximum during early design stages. In addition, the ability to influence cost decreases continually as the project progresses, from 100% at project sanction to typically 20% or less by the time construction starts. Furthermore, once the building is delivered, there is a very slim chance to change the total cost of ownership because the decision to own or to purchase a building normally commits users to most of the total cost of ownership. According to Kirk Al-Hajj ( 2004), 80-90% percent of the cost of running, maintaining and repairing a building is determined at the design stage. Figure 2.5 the relationship between whole life cost savings and time of implementation (Source- Al-Hajj,A.,Pollock,R.,Kishk,M.,Aouad,G.,Sun,M.andBakis,N,2004) Whole life costing as a management tool WLC can also be used as a management tool to identify the actual costs incurred in operating assets. The primary objective is to relate running costs and performance data. Thus, it could be useful for clients who want to estimate the actual running costs of the building and also for budgeting purposes. In addition, it can be a valuable feedback device to assist in the design (Al-Hajj,A.,Pollock,R.,Kishk,M.,Aouad,G.,Sun,M.andBakis,N,2004) BARRIERS TO SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF WHOLE LIFE COSTING TECHNIQUES 2.8.1 Industry barriers The capital cost of construction is almost always separated from the running cost. It is normal practice to accept the cheapest initial cost and then hand over the building to others to maintain. In addition, there is no clear definition of the buyer, seller, and their responsibilities towards the operating and maintenance costs (Bull 1993). Furthermore, there is a lack of motivation in cost optimisation because the design and cost estimating fees are usually a percentage of the total project cost. However, the expansion of new project delivery systems such as private finance initiative (PFI) and build operate and transfer (BOT) seems to overcome these obstacles 2.8.2 Client barriers Bull (1993) pointed out that there is also a lack of understanding on the part of the client. This may increase the possibility of subjective decision making. In addition, there are usually multiple aspects of needs desired by clients. Most of these aspects cannot be assessed in a strict WLC framework. This is mainly because either they are in conflict with the main WLC objective or because they are mostly non-financial. Some of these factors are even intangible such as aesthetics. In many cases, these intangibles are also in conflict with results of WLC (Picken 1989; Wilkinson 1996). Analysis difficulties The major obstacle facing the analyst is the difficulty of obtaining the proper level of information upon which to base a WLC analysis. This is because of the lack of appropriate, relevant and reliable historical information and data (Bull 1993). In addition, costs of data collection are enormous (Ferry and Flanagan 1991). Furthermore, the time needed for data collection and the analysis process may leave inadequate time for the essential dialogue with the decision-maker and the re-run of alternative options. This is one of the reasons why computerised models are valuable. Another difficulty is the need to be able to forecast, a long way ahead in time, many factors such as life cycles, future operating and maintenance costs, and discount and inflation rates (Ferry and Flanagan 1991). Besides, the uncertainty surrounding the variables in any WLC exercise should be properly assessed (Al-Hajj,A.,Pollock,R.,Kishk,M.,Aouad,G.,Sun,M.andBakis,N,2004) PRODUCING COSTS WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED? Before any evaluation of the projects whole life cycle costs can be made, the following factors need careful identification. Overall time scale of the building or element i.e. the life cycle; Statement of all costs and revenues attributable by disposal time; The design lives of the various components and equipment so that any calculation can include for replacements and repairs at appropriate times; Obsolescence where changes in technology, land values, working styles make the economic life of the building shorter than the planned design use; Tax implications allowances for certain items of plant and equipment can be offset against tax, thereby reducing their costs to the building owner; The time value of money (discounting) which incorporates allowances for interest and can consider inflation (iii) are relatively easy to calculate; (iv) (vi) are much more unpredictable as they tend to be guesses. From these elements come the typical WLC/LCC approach; STEP 1 establish the objective of the calculation STEP 2 choice of costing method STEP 3 formulate assumptions from list above STEP 4 identify the costs and the life cycle STEP 5 compare alternative solutions and rank STEP 6 sensitivity analysis (technique whereby costs revisited to identify items likely to change and the impact of those changes) STEP 7 report costs to client WHOLE LIFE COST / SUSTAINABILITY Contractors, particularly those involved with public private partnerships are recognising the importance of sustainability issues and the early consideration of whole life cost. The process of getting the minimum whole life cost and environmental impact is so complex, being a three dimensional problem as indicated below. Figure 2.6 Whole life cost considerations, Source (Cartidge, 2006) Each design option will have associated impacts and costs, and trade-offs have to be made between apparently unrelated entities Environmental value. This focuses on environmental aspects of development such as pollution, waste and CO2 emissions. These issues involve the initial manufacture of construction materials, the construction of the project, its use and eventual replacement. In this context value is maximised when environmental pressures are minimised to the level of the carrying capacity of ecological systems while using natural resources effectively and safeguarding natural capital and its productivity.

Proctor and Gamble Essay -- Business Marketing Market Essays

Proctor and Gamble This paper will describe the four elements of the marketing mix (product, place, price, promotion). In addition, it will describe how each element is implemented within a specific organization and how the four elements relate to that organizations marketing strategy. The company used in this example is both a product and service driven company and is in business for profit. The company chosen to demonstrate the marketing mix has been a leader in the industry for many years as well as an innovator in product advertising design. Starting out as a soap and candle manufacturer, more than earned their place in the market place. The company is Proctor and Gamble (P&R) and their earliest beginnings are rooted in strong family tradition and humility from the early 1800s. The Proctor and Gamble of today is far different than the founding company operating in a global marketplace, in 140 countries, distributing their products and services to consumers two billion times a day. With such meager beginnings and at the time of inception, their product was needless to say, unpopular. Soap in the early part of the nineteenth century was not on the priority list for consumers to spend their monies on. P&G depended heavily on their candle making but as the light bulb became more popular they quickly realized that candles had become a thing of the past and quickly turned their attentions to the soap business. With a few governmental contracts and some investors, t...

Indias Economic Success :: essays research papers

India's Economic Success In every region of the world there are culture and social differences that set countries apart. Each with an economic, social and political outlooks on the future that determine the way people live. These endless arrays, even occur in different parts of a particular of every country including one of the worlds most diverse, India. India is separated into 25 states and 7 territories which create 16 major languages and 1,000 minor languages and dialects. This diversity in language creates somewhat of a barrier for India to become one of the foremost leaders in world because of the lack of unity. Although, in the past, the India government has taken steps to correct this matter with promoting Hindi as the national language. However, Indians who cannot speak Hindi frowned upon this notion. They believed the best jobs would go to Indians who spoke Hindi and with their pride of their regional languages kept them from accepting this unity, thus government decided against this idea. Now, the India government recognizes 13 regional languages as official languages. Children in schools learn Hindi as their second language, with English being used primary in higher education. Education has become the most recognizable forms of advancing one's country, India has exploded in schools and enrollment in these schools. As we can see by page 2, both chart's, the difference in a little more then 10 years is considerable. Both school enrollment and the number of educational institutions have increased by an average of 63%, however do not get fooled by these numbers. The Indian's school system are extremely overcrowded and many children drop out to get a job to help support their families. This problem with India's educational system falls in two parts, the first being that children who do drop out to find a job, is part of the social problem that India has been trying to correct. The Indian government started this quest to eliminate child labor in 1986 with a whole section in the United Nations' convention on the Rights of the Child. Additionally, in 1986 they passed the Child Labor Act that intended to ban the employment of children in occupations that are considered hazardous and to regulate conditions of work for children employed in occupations where child labor is not actually banned. However, as we can see by the summery of this act it does not make the necessary changes to the social conditions in which children have to work to ensure that the family has money. The second problem with the educational system in India is the overcrowding. However this occurrence has more to do with the situation of population

Subnet Masking And Addressing :: essays research papers

Ok, this explains subnet addressing which is useful if you run a scanner, a firewall, a router or anything else that is bound to IP subnet addressing. Note that this only describes IPv4 subnets. Reading binary values Normally, you read binary numbers bytewise (8 bit wise). Start at the last bit, bit 0. If it is 1, add 2^0 to your number, else add 0. Then the next bit, bit 1, If it is 1, add 2^1 (2) to your number, If bit 3 is 1 add 2^2 (4) to your number, if bit 4 is 1 add 2^3 (8) to your number ... if bit 8 is 1 add 2^7 (128) to your number. You see, the base is always 2 because it can be either 0 or 1. Example 1: 10100100 = 2^7+0+2^5+0+0+0+2^2+0+0 = 164 Example 2: 11111111 = 2^7+2^6+2^5+2^4+2^3+2^2+2^1+2^0 = 255 Thats it! Now to subnet addressing. When you state a host including a subnet (example: nmap), you do it like this: 1.2.3.4/24, where /24 is the subnet. Lets have a look at what this means: an IP address is a 32 bit address. It is divided into 4 bytes (each 8 bits meaning they can be 0 to 255) in general notation: 00000001 00000010 00000011 00000100 = "1.2.3.4" now, IP uses one part of this address to specify which Net it is on. Most of the time, this is a physical Net like an ethernet LAN that is linked to the internet. Nets that link to the internet get dedicated IPs for each of their hosts from the IANA.org. /24 means that the first 24 bits are the Net address and the remaining 8 bits are the Host address. This looks like this: Net: 000000010000001000000011 Host: 00000100 Meaning, we are on the net 1.2.3.0 (0 used as a wildcard here) and on the host 4 of 256. SUBNET MASK: In this case, the subnet mask would be 255.255.255.0. A subnet mask is created simply by filling all NET address bits with 1 and the HOST bits with 0. (11111111 = 255). There are 4 "Classes" on the Internet, which are the standard Subnets. *Class A: "0" + 7 net bits + 24 host bits, hosts 0.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255 Net IDs: 0 0000000 to 0 1111111 (which is 127 => 127.0.0.0 reserved for local loopback) *Class B: "10" + 14 net bits + 14 host bits, hosts 128.

Ambulatory Care Essay

Ambulatory health care has definitely been a type of health care that has benefited a lot of Americans since it became of existence. There are several health care clinics available in every city that helps the people on a daily basis. Its not as costly as the ER and you can receive just about the same kind of service as if your were going to the Hospital just in a faster time in some cases. There is a need to sometimes get further assistance, meaning that the particular outpatient service was not able to assist the patient fully and needs some additional help in diagnosing the problem. A visit to the doctors office provides someone with a sense of calmness to be able to have a one on one relationship with their private doctor, as opposed to going to the a large place like the hospital to see a doctor, any doctor at that. When I think of Ambulatory care I think of a one and done type of scenario, in some cases. The patient is able to see the doctor get a diagnosis and prescription at one time, without the need of visiting several doctors. In most cases, now there are times when the patient would need to visit different specialists for their care. With the upbringing of ambulatory care systems, there is a less need for someone to have to be in the ER waiting for hours unless it is a real emergency and the regular office is closed.

Do the Environmentalist Overstated Their Case Essay

From this article you entrust project that milieualists be tending close the environmental catastrophe. Some of them claimed that world was in risk of exposure and we shouldnt neglect somewhat this issue. tho Lomborg opposed in his article that the environmentalist have been enlarged from the real situation. The agent said that some of environmental organizations ar using simply selective reading and also distort the truth. likewise from the informant research evidence shown that environment is in good condition In my opinion, l agreed with Lomborg that some organization overstate their case.Also one of the word he wrote in his article that thing was mend now but they are remedy not good enough. It is legitimate that nowadays we have more feed per person than we need. In contrast aliment are in increasing in slow regulate while the rate of population continue rising. If we begettert control the rate of childs birth. Moreover in my point of enamor the state tha t fewer bulk are starving is not certain. Because nowadays thither are a lot of people in the world suffer from malnutrition. Owning to tincture of land, soil and fertility is important for ware process but now in response to the enlarge using of pesticides.Also about de woodsation even it is original as research said that globally forest has been reduced in very(prenominal) small portions even so we shouldnt loss even more forest because forest is the most important resource for living things. Forest is not only providing valuable products but they also custody ecosystem in balance. They reduce problem about air pollution. So why dont we trying to protect and increase in the forest. Last issue is about global change. This is a long-term problem. It is true that doomsday not going to happened in short but if we keep ignoring about this issue.This world power chase up global warming to happen faster. So for me it is time to concern about environment and plan for our nigh generation. Because as you see nowadays from each one of person prefer a spunky standard of living. But if we serve everybody entreat the supply of environment resources must be lower and lower. This is the proper time to wield about our earth use the environment resource in economize and turn a profit ways. Then the story that many environmental organizations keep telling us will not happen in the nigh future like them expected.

Dupont Analysis Essay

A satisfactory return on assets might be divided through a high profit margin , or a rapid turnover of assets, or a combination of both. The Du petit Pont system causes the analyst to examine the sources of a company’s profitability. Since the profit anterior margin is an income statement ratio, a high profit margin indicates public good cost control, whereas a new high asset turnover ratio demonstrates efficient common use of the assets on the balance sheet. Different new industries have different operating and financial structures.Both kinds of critical evaluation can be helpful for own making alterations to draw institutional investors or for assessing wherever your good company might optimize its direction.Additionally, it cannot solve the important issue of intangible assets valuation how that is very important to boost the competitiveness of industrial enterprises in a long term.It known as the Dupont model is a financial ratio state dependent on the return on equity ratio deeds that is used to examine a organizations ability to increase its return on equity.

Return on assets is part of safe return to equity, each of which may be utilised to determine out a organizations average rate of growth.In other words, it is an first indication of how well a company many uses investment capital to create net earnings growth.It is a company that is going many places in the community.Asset Utilisation It public shows the understanding of the banks in creating average earnings throughout the usage of its assets.

Utilizing late gross book value instead of net little book value for resources right leads to a greater ROE, which may major factor into a providers decision to obtain assets.Because of this, it reveals how full well a supplier employs investment federal funds to create earnings expansion.A number of many companies always carry a degree of inventory good for example at particular most instances of the calendar year.Increase and it old has has been attempting to expand their production.