Research Real Estate Data Set

Abstract In this paper the team analyzed three scholarly articles relating to our study. Furthermore, the team also analyzed additional data sets to include more variables like bedrooms and bathrooms in our investigation to test our hypothesis which shows that the results are consistent with the hypothesis. The population size, primary and secondary data, using unbiased information and applying ethics are also discussed in detail. Real Estate Data Set II As we begin the final stages of our project it is important to understand the process of applied research and how one or more variable have an impact on the dependable variable.It is important to understand why research is necessary and how we apply research to get answers to issues. The team analyzed thirty date sets to research homes with or without a pool, with or without a garage, and on the proximity of the house to the city, and how those factors affected the selling prices of homes. Furthermore, the team also analyzed more dat a sets to include more variables like bedrooms and bathrooms. Six bedrooms, three bath houses will sell for more than a one bedroom, one bath houses, regardless of whether it has a pool or garage.As we go forward with this assignment and analyze more data collection sets, it seems that the hypothesis that we proposed is the right one. Our hypothesis is based around the concept of human prioritization and its role in home selection. Additionally, the team researched three scholarly articles that are pertinent to our study to help us understand why the research is important and necessary. The first article uses analysis to discuss the connection between the selling price of a home and â€Å"Time on the Market† (TOM) (Sirmans, et al, 2010).It states that the longer the house is on the market the lower the selling price of the house. The study uses data sets to examine single family homes and whether the TOM co-efficient is susceptible to location, income of families, wealth and time. The results proved that the TOM co-efficient is sensitive to the variables and there is a significant relationship between TOM and the selling prices (Sirmans et al, 2010). It also states that selling prices and TOM is a very complicated because ellers / buyers want to maximize the price, while sellers want to sell at the top price buyers want to purchase at the lowest price. The second article discusses the study of how technology of real estate is changing and how important technology is key to gather important data from private and public sources for the real estate industry. Many studies have been published about the impact of the information on the real estate industry, on market size and efficiency, and market innovation. These studies have proven that email and the use of internet are used as a positive marketing tool.Survey questions were developed to gather information about real estate agents and their attitude about using information technology as marketing their se rvices. The results were positive and all that were surveyed viewed that information technology was key in some areas. Internet usage got a high score along with online research but personal webpage’s indicated a lower score (Acharya et al, 2010). The third article examined that in real estate development there is a need for risk assessment techniques to assess the impact of the project.The article is based on an exploratory survey which data was collected through interviews and a questionnaire. The study was conducted in the Thailand area using Thai real estate development companies. The study revealed that there are no systematic techniques to deal with the concerns of economic and political risks (Khumpaisal et al, 2010). All three articles focus on real estate research and how information is collected and used in different studies. All three article discuss how data, the collection of the data and the usage of the data play an important part while conducting research.When conducting research it is often difficult, or impractical to test the entire population. Many issues can arise, such as time consumption, cost, and redundant information. Often it is possible for researchers to draw conclusions based on population samples. This is when we test a small portion of the population and draw conclusions on the entire population based on the sample results. For our research the sample of thirty homes came from a larger sample of one hundred six homes. These homes were a sample of homes in one state, across five townships.For our research we decided to limit the sample to around thirty homes of similar qualities (outside of the variables we are testing). The reason we do this is to be sure there isn’t an outside, unknown variable affecting the experiment. Therefore we chose homes that are between two and three bedrooms, with two bathrooms. This gave us a sample of thirty-one homes. For this particular research, it is possible to see the affects of d ifferent variables on home prices. Also, with more than thirty samples it is also possible to eliminate outliers that may skew averages.For example, if we only tested three homes and two of them were priced outrageously, we wouldn’t be able to draw valid conclusions. However, by testing thirty-one homes, we can eliminate outliers. There are many possible sources of bias and error when testing a hypothesis with only sample of the population. In our case, we could simply omit homes that disprove our hypothesis. One reason for this is if we were working for a real estate company and they want to see which homes can make them the most money, and we know there are a lot of homes near the city center for sale.If we omit homes far away from the city that are selling for more, our bias has caused us to give false findings. Not all omissions are intentional. Sometimes errors are simply made in the research process. For example, with our research we could have included homes with any n umber of bedrooms. This would have resulted in data that may not have been practical for our research. For example, the complete data set included homes with up to eight bedrooms. If we were to compare that to a home with only two bedrooms the fact that either had a pool, or garage, or was close to the city would have been negligible.Again, we chose to only test similar homes in respect to number of bedrooms and bathrooms in order to prevent this error. It is necessary to collect primary data when a researcher cannot find the data needed in secondary sources. Some methods of primary research would include observation, postal surveys, telephone interviews, online surveys, face to face surveys, focus groups, and test marketing. Observation works well in retail markets. Observing consumer behavior provides many insights, although can sometimes leave unanswered questions.Postal surveys are great because they are relatively cheap with the ability to cover a wide geographical area. Howeve r, response rates are minimal and can take quite some time before any of the surveys are returned. Telephone interviews allow quicker feedback than a postal survey but any potential customers are usually hesitant on giving anything but short answers. Increasingly popular and at relatively low cost, surveys online are widely used by growing businesses as a way of gathering the views of potential and existing customers.Face to face surveys are sometimes costly, but a great way to get individual detailed insight, while focus groups are a good way of getting detailed information about customer preferences and tastes. Test marketing involves picking a small section of the market and selling a new product in order to assess customer reaction. This primary research can be a great predictor of how a new product or service will be received by the larger market. Primary research is the preferred research and conducted all of the time.National polls and surveys collect the population’s thoughts about proposals or particular political figures, journalists use it as their primary means of reporting events as well as news, and organizations collect data on their market trends and consumer base. When conducting research in professional or academic settings, the researcher needs to be aware of the ethics behind the research activity Ethical issues arise throughout any piece of all research. These issues often turn into political ones, and there are also close connections between issues around participation and ethical concerns.Ethical issues also have a tendency to turn into questions of trust. The researcher is the research instrument therefore the reader and/or user of qualitative research must be able to trust the researcher to have followed the proper procedures. There are quite a few key phrases which describe the system of ethical protections that medical research and the contemporary social establishments have created such as, voluntary participation, informed c onsent, confidentiality, anonymity, and rights to service, to better protect the research participant’s rights.When conducting research it is important to understand all stages of the research and apply good practices such as using unbiased sources and clear and ethical standards. Even when clear ethical standards and principles are in place, there will be times when the rights of potential participants runs up against the need to do accurate research. No set of standards can possibly anticipate every ethical circumstance. Furthermore, there needs to be a procedure that assures that researchers will consider all relevant ethical issues in formulating research plans (Trochim, 2006).References Acharya N, R. et al (2010). Influence of Email marketing on Real Estate Agent Performance: Journal of Real Estate Literature, 2010, v. 18, issue. 2. Retrieved from https://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=4&hid=124&sid=20ac27d 8-422b-4f27-a523-f24b0ea694e2%40sessionmgr110 . Khumpaisal,S et al (2010). An Examination of Thai practitioners’ perceptions of risk assessment techniques in real estate development projects: Journal of Retail & Leisure Property.Retrieved from https://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=5&hid=124&sid=20ac27d8-422b. Sirmans,G. S. et al (2010). A Meta Analysis of Selling Price and Time –on –the Market: Journal of Housing Research, 2010, Vol. 19 Issue 2. Retrieved from https://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer? vid=4&hid=124&sid=20ac27d8-422b-4f27-a523-f24b0ea694e2%40sessionmgr110. Trochim, W. (2006). Research methods knowledge base. Retrieved from http://www. socialresearchmethods. net/kb/ethics. php

Autonomous Learning Essay

2.1 A General Review on Learner Autonomy Two classic definitions of autonomy influenced my study a lot when I set up my research programme.The first was put forward by Henri Holec in 1981, and the second by David Little in 1991. 2.1.1 Definitions of Autonomy â€Å"Learner autonomy is when the learner is willing and capable of taking charge of his/her own learning. The learner should be capable of determining the objectives;defining the contents and the progressions; selecting methods and techniques to be used; monitoring the procedure of acquisition, evaluating what has been acquired.†(Henri Holec,1981). â€Å"Autonomy is a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making and independent action. It presupposes, but also entails, that the learner will develop a particular kind of psychological relation to the process and content of his learning†.(Little,1991). It is clear from this that autonomy is not a method of language learning – it is a capacity: the capacity to take control one’s own learning.(Benson, 2001:2)This seems to distinguish it from some other types of learning with which it is sometimes associated, such as: â€Å"self-study†, â€Å"distance learning† and â€Å"indepen dent learning†. The main point here is that most of these can be seen as ways of organizing learning, as methods. They may be more or less teacher-led and the degree of teacher control is not clear. Holec use the term â€Å"autonomy† to refer to a â€Å"capacity† and not a â€Å"method† It is a capacity that usually needs to be acquired, hence our emphasis is on â€Å"learning how to learn†. On a general note, the term autonomy has come to be used in at least five ways: the first is for situations in which learners study entirely on their own; the second is for a set of skills which can be learned and applied in self-directed learning; the third is for an inborn capacity which is suppressed by institutional education; the fourth is for the exercise of learners’ responsibility for their own learning; and the last is for the right of learners to determine the direction of their own learning. (Benson & Voller, 1997: 2) It is noteworthy that autonomy can be thought of in terms of a departure from education as a social process, as well as in terms of redistribution of power attending the construction of knowledge and the roles of the participants in the learning process. Autonomous language learning requires the learners to be responsible for their learning, including deciding their learning objective, choosing their learning materials, monitoring and adjusting their learning process and evaluating their learning results. There is broad agreement in the theoretical literature that learner autonomy grows out of the individual learner’s acceptance of responsibility for his or her own learning (e.g., Holec, 1981;Little, 1991). This means that learner autonomy is a matter of explicit or conscious intention:we cannot accept responsibility for our own learning unless we have some idea of what, why,and how we are trying to learn. The learner must take at least some of the initiatives that give shape and direction to the learning process, and must share in monitoring progress and evaluating the extent to which learning targets are achieved. The pedagogical justification for wanting to foster the development of learner autonomy rests on the claim that in formal educational contexts, reflectivity and self-awareness produce better learning. The autonomous learner shows initiative regarding learning, and shares in monitoring progress and evaluating the extent to which learning is achieved (Schunk, 2005).The ideas that cluster around the concept of learner autonomy have also been promoted under banners such as, â€Å"humanistic language teaching,† â€Å"collaborative learning,† â€Å"experiential learning,† and â€Å"the learning-centered classroom.† We prefer the term â€Å"Learner autonomy† because it implies a holistic view of the learner as an individual. This seems to us important for two reasons. First, it reminds us that learners bring to the classroom a personal history and personal needs that may have little in common with the assumed background and implied needs on which the curri culum is based. Second, it reminds us that the ultimate measure of success in second or foreign language learning is the extent to which the target language becomes a fully integrated part of the learner’s identity. In conlusion,some of the most well known definitions in present literature are: â€Å"Autonomy is the ability to take charge of one’s own learning† (Henri Holec,1981); â€Å"Autonomy is essentially a matter of the learner’s psychological relation to the process and content of learning† (David Little,1991); â€Å"Autonomy is a situation in which the learner is totally responsible for all the decisions concerned with his [or her] learning and the implementation of those decisions†. (Leslie Dickinson,1987); â€Å"Autonomy is a recognition of the rights of learners within educational systems†. (Benson,2001) 2.1.2 Theoretical Background of Learner Autonomy Autonomy is not developed by single, clearly defined theories or methods, its evolution has reflected a more general trend in language teaching; however, its independence from specific theories does not mean that theory is not relevant. In fact, many researchers in the literature seek justifications of learner autonomy from a wide variety of philosophical, psychological, and political sources. And some approaches to educational psychology— humanism, constructivism— had a profound impact on the advocacy of autonomous learning. A review of the two approaches to language education, especially to second language learning and teaching will be offered. 2.1.2.1 Constructivism Constructivism is one of the hottest topics in educational psychology. Constructivism is a new educational psychology school which is influenced by Piaget’s cognitive developmental psychology and Vygotsky’s social interactionism. Constructivism is described as a learning theory based on authentic and real-world situations. Students internalize and construct new knowledge based on past experiences. The constructivism theory is student-centered and encourages higher level processing skills to apply their working knowledge. In other words, â€Å"everyone makes their own sense of the world and the experiences that surround them. In this way the learner is brought into central focus in learning theory†(Williams M.&Burden R.L., 1997:2). The educational impact of constructivism is positive, in that instruction is based on student’s prior knowledge, allowing them to make significant connections and solve complex problems. Vygotsky’s point of view was that acquisition and participation were synergistic strategies in learning situations. Aspects of participation involved teaching in contexts that could be meaningful to students based on their personal and social history, negotiating, class discussions, small group collaborative learning with projects and tasks, and valuing meaningful activity over correct answers. Social Constructivism emphasizes that learning takes place through interactions with other students, teachers, and the world-at-large. (Vygotsky,1978) In terms of process of learning, acquiring and constructing new knowledge, the student plays an active role. The student brings past experiences and prior knowledge to the classroom and uses these to actively connect with new ideas or problems that are presented. ‘Knowing’ is being able to internalize the material, connecting it with things you already know. Students use higher level processing skills, such as evaluating, analyzing and synthesis to apply newly constructed knowledge to problems or situations. According to the theory of constructivism, student responsibility is greater, as they discover how new knowledge connects with prior knowledge. The learner continuously asks questions and guides their own learning process. Students learn that there is not just one way to solve problems, but rather multiple ways to finding answers. Typical classroom instruction, consistent with the constructivist learning theory may include: problem-based approach to teaching, hands-on activities, including the use of manipulatives, experimentation, and simulations. The constructivist theory allows teachers to be creative and innovative with teaching. In brief, constructivism believes that learning is a process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based on their past knowledge. Constructivist learning theory advocates that learning is student-centered and instructed by teachers, which puts great emphasis on learners. Students are not passive receiver. Instead, they are active constructors. The learners select and transform information, construct hypotheses and make decisions relying on a cognitive structure. Cognitive structure (i.e. schema, mental models) provides meaning and organization to experiences and allows the individual to go beyond the information given. 2.1.2.2 Humanism Humanism is a school of thought that believes human beings are different from other species and possess capacities that cannot be found in animals. Humanists, therefore, give primacy to the study of human needs and interests. In humanistic view, the basic concern is the human potential growth and education is to enhance actualization and give free harness to one’s potential. â€Å"Humanistic approaches emphasize the importance of the inner world of the learner and place the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and emotions at the forefront of all human development†(Williams,M.&Burden, R.L. 1997:4). These aspects of the learning process are often unjustly neglected, yet they are vitally important if we are to understand human learning in its totality. There are five basic objectives of the humanistic view of education: the first is to promote positive self-direction and independence (development of the regulatory system);the second is to develop the ability to take responsibility for what is learned (regulatory and affective systems);the third is to develop creativity (divergent thinking aspect of cognition);the fourth is to arouse curiosity (exploratory behavior, a function of imbalance or dissonance in any of the systems);the last is to cultivate an interest in the arts (primarily to develop the affective/emotional system). 2.1.3 Teachers’ Role in Autonomous Learning In literature works there are many detailed descriptions of the teachers’ role in developing learner autonomy. According to Huttunen (1986), teachers should guide the learners in the process of their logical, psychological and ethical development towards autonomy. Their task is to enrich, balance, and clarify the learners’ experience and to help them to seek new experiences to structure and simplify experiences they need, and to find ways of associating the learners’ experiences with the various aspects of life in their culture, including its heritage; Higgs (1988) stated that in the process of learners’ autonomous learning teachers should act as a manager who is available as a resource, will create learners a supportive and nonthreatening learning environment, can motivate learners to achieve their potential and can help learners to be aware of institutional requirements and expectations associated with the discipline in which they are learning; according to Nunan (1993), teachers are readjusting their traditional roles and to the new ones. They become active participants, monitors, consultants and guides in the process of students’ language learning and help students to develop better learning strategies; Hill (1994) suggested that â€Å"since the decision to promote autonomy comes usually from the teacher, and the success of attempts to empower learners to become actively involved in their learning depends to a large extent on the teacher’s ability to redefine roles†; to Little (1999), he believes that teachers should be responsible for â€Å"deciding whether and to what extent it is possible for learners to determine their own learning objectiveness, select their own learning materials and evaluate their own learning process†; HuaWeifen (2001)believes that language teachers should enable students to set learning objectives, choose learning materials, develop the effective learning strategies, monitor their learning process and evaluate the learning results. She further proposes three roles of teachers in developing students’ independent learning: a counselor who helps learners to develop their own learning ability instead of making decisions for them, a facilitator who provides psychological, social support and technical support, and an information resource; Xiao Fei (2002) feels that teachers must adjust their counselors, roles from the â€Å"purveyors of language information’ to the organizers and managers of learning activities, and resource learning providing necessary help. Teacher serves as one of many resources for students, not necessarily the primary source of information. The teacher engages students in experiences that challenge previous conceptions of their existing knowledge. The teacher uses student responses in the planning of next lessons and seeks elaboration of students’ initial responses. The teacher encourages questions and discussion among students by asking open-ended questions. The teacher assists students to understand their own cognitive processes (metacognition) by using cognitive terminology such as classify, analyze, create, organize, hierarchy, etc. when framing tasks. The teacher encourages and accepts student autonomy and initiative by being willing to let go of classroom control The teacher makes available raw data and primary resources, along with manipulative and interactive physical materials. The teacher does not separate knowing from the process of finding out. Nouns and verbs. The teacher facilitates clear communication from students in writing and verbal responses, from the point of view that communication comes from ones deep structural understanding of the concepts being communicated. When they can communicate clearly and meaningfully, they have truly integrated the new learning. The teacher’s role is to anticipate and address student misconceptions while presenting authentic questions and real-world problems or situations. The teacher does not provide clear answers on how to solve these problems or questions, but guides students to make sense of how things work according to what their past experiences are and how it applies to the new knowledge they are constructing. 2.2 Input Theory 2.2.1 Krashen’s theory of language acquisition During the late 1970s Krashen put forward an account of SLA first known as the Monitor Model after its main claim about the role of monitoring in language learning (Krashen, 1979). In the early 1980s this was expanded into a broader-based model, described in Krashen (1981;1982), which consisted of five linked hypotheses: acquisition/learning, monitor, natural order, input, and affective filter. The aspect of the model that became most developed was termed the Input Hypothesis, the title of Krashen’s last major theoretical book (Krashen, 1985). In order to better understand the Input Hypothesis, it is necessary to have a general idea about the five hypotheses as they are closely related to each other. They are:The Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis;The Monitor Hypothesis ;The Natural Order Hypothesis; The Input Hypothesis ;The Affective Filter Hypothesis. Krashen summarizes the five hypotheses with a single claim: â€Å"People acquire second languages only if they obtain comprehensible input and if their affective filters are low enough to allow the input `in’ †¦In other words, comprehensible input is the essential ingredient for second language acquisition. All other factors thought to encourage or cause second-language acquisition work only when they contribute to comprehensible input and/or a low affective filter.† [pic] 2.2.2 Input hypothesis in second language learning The Input Hypothesis is Krashen’s attempt to explain how the learner acquires a second language. In other words, this hypothesis is Krashen’s explanation of how second language acquisition takes place. So, the Input Hypothesis is only concerned with â€Å"acquisition†, not â€Å"learning†. According to this hypothesis, the learner improves and progresses along the â€Å"natural order† when he/she receives second language â€Å"input† that is one step beyond his/her current stage of linguistic competence. For example, if a learner is at stage â€Å"i†, then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to â€Å"comprehensible input† that belongs to level â€Å"i+1†. Since not all of the learners can be at the same level of linguistic competence at the same time, Krashen suggests that natural communicative input is the key to designing a syllabus, ensuring in this way that each learner will receive some â€Å"i+1†in put that is appropriate for his /her current stage of linguistic competence. The Input Hypothesis is simply stated: â€Å"Humans acquire language in only one wayä ¸â‚¬by understanding messages or by receiving `comprehensible input†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Krashen, 1985ï ¼Å'2). That is to say, language acquisition depends upon trying to comprehend what other people are saying. Provided that the learner hears meaningful speech and endeavors to understand it, acquisition will occur (cited in Cook, 1993). The theory (Krashen 1981;1985; 1989) also makes the following claims, as Ellis (1994) has summarized:Learners progress along the natural order by understanding input that contains structures a little bit beyond their current level of competence. Although comprehensible input is necessary for acquisition to take place, it is not sufficient, as learners also need to be affectively disposed to `let in’ the input they comprehend. Input becomes comprehensible as a result of simplification and with the help of contextual and extralinguistic clues; â€Å"fine-tuning† (i.e. ensuring that learners receive input rich in the specific linguistic property they are due to acquire next) is not necessary. Speaking is the result of acquisition, not its cause; learner production does not contribute directly to acquisition. It is understood that to be useful to the learner, the input must be neither too difficult to understand nor too easy. This is conceptualized by Krashen in terms of the learner’s current level, called â€Å"i†, and the level that the learner will get to next, called â€Å"i+1†.For the learner to progress rather than remain static, the input has always to be slightly beyond the level at which he or she is completely at home; the gap between the learner’s â€Å"i† and the â€Å"i+1†that he or she needs is bridged by information drawn from the situation and from the learner’s previous experience. â€Å"We also use context, our knowledge of the world, our extra-linguistic competence to help us understand† (Krashen, 1982, 21).Krashen emphasizes that input does not need to be â€Å"finely tuned† in the sense that it is linguistically adjusted to contain â€Å"i+1†.It requires only rough tuning, which is automatic if the focus is on successful communication. 2.2.3 The web-based meltimedia language input for autonomous learning Students need accessible materialsï ¼Å¡comprehensible input, the underlying assumption is that the learner needs help identifying the critical features in â€Å"the wealth of the linguistic and nonlinguistic information they receive† (Plass & Jones, 2005, p. 470). This means that the supports embedded in a multimedia instructional approach should guide what students notice in a word, sentence, passage, or image. The autonomous leaners need to be provided with more and up-to-date language input in as many ways as possible, such as vedio and audio materials downloaded from the internet. This strategy can also be accomplished through immediate and focused teacher feedback. When a teacher highlights portions of an assignment that require revisions, the student’s ability to evaluate and revise her work increases. These strategies help the learner understand task directions and focus on pertinent informati on to comprehend or revise. 2.3 Web-Based Language Teaching and Learning 2.3.1.The development of web-based language teaching and learning Web-based language learning is developed from Computer-Assisted Language Learning. It may be defined as â€Å"the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning† (Levy, 1997:1).As for teaching, the lecturer presents a language teaching plan in a logical order and learns whether the students’ responses are correct or not correct by computers. As for learning, the language learners use computers to monitor their own progress, and provide themselves with proper lessons, materials, etc. Richards. J.C.(1998) also points out that CALL refers to the use of computer in the teaching and learning of second or foreign language. The CALL in the academic literature has been existed for about forty years. The subject is interdisciplinary by nature, and it has evolved out of previous efforts to find ways of using computer for teaching or for instructional purpose across a wide var iety of subjects areas, with the weight of knowledge and breadth of application in language learning ultimately resulting in a more specialized field of study (Levy, 1997). According to Warschauer and Healey (1998), CALL has experienced three stages in the last forty years: behavioristic, communicative and integrative. Each stage will be featured by its important projects and development despite the fact that there is in fact no clear-cut line among stages (Hu&Jiang, 2002:5 34-538). The first stage of CALL, Behavioristic Call, started from the 1950s and applied in 1960s and 1970s, was on the basis of the then dominant behaviorist theories of learning. Programs of this stage were repetitive language drills and can be concluded as â€Å"drill and practice†. One of the most complicated projects of this period is the PLATO (Programmed Logic/Learning for Automated Teaching Operations) system, which operates on its own special PLATO hard ware, including central computers and terminals. The vocabulary drills, brief grammar explanations drills, and translation tests at various intervals (Ahmad, Corbett, Rogers&Sussex, 1985)were included. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, behavioristic CALL was replaced because of two important factors. First, behavioristic approaches to language learning had been out of stage at both the theoretical and the pedagogical level. Secondly, the application of microcomputer provided a whole new range of chances. The stage was set for a new era of CALL-Communicative CALL. One of the main advocates of this new approach was John Underwood, who in 1984 proposed a series of â€Å"premises for `Communicative’ CALL† (Underwood, 1984:52). According to him, the Communicative CALL focuses more on using forms. The teacher uses the computer to teach grammar implicitly rather than explicitly; allow and encourage students to utter naturally rather than just manipulate prefabricated language; it does not assess everything the students do nor give them congratulatory message, lights, or bells; avoids telling students that they are incorrect and is flexible to a variety of student responses; it uses the target language exclusively and creates an environment in which using the target language feels natural, both on and off the screen; and will never try to do anything that a book can do just as well. Many types of CALL programs were developed and applied during this period. Integrative computer assisted language learning covers the more recent development of 1990s, and even the multimedia computers and the Internet. This period was greatly influenced by the growth of constructivist approach, which believes that knowledge is not obtained through the transmission of teachers, but the meaning construction of learners themselves in a certain social and cultural context with the others, including their teachers and their peers, and also the use of resources. Furthermore, this approach emphasizes that learners are the necessary component of learning main body in the cognitive process and the active constructor of knowledge meanings, and teachers take the roles as organizers, guiders and facilitators. Also, the importance of authentic learning environment and social interaction is emphasized. This phase is featured by the use of multimedia, hypermedia and interactive technologies to enhance comprehensive skills. 2.3.2 web-based language learning context and input thoery Compared with the traditional language teaching and learning context, web-based language learning would expose college students to greater amount of language information input. On the one hand, the colorful, multi-facet, and limitless information provided by the internet and computer programs attracts the learners’ attention. It could also make their English study much easier. It is obvious that, the multimedia, hypermedia and Internet enrich the information input and to a large extent promote the students’ curiosity, interest and motivation in English learning. On the other hand, the multi-facet or multi-channel information input may be in some way distract learners’ attention and make learners feel at a loss in their autonomous learning after class, thus weaken the learners’ productivity of English language. Therefore, to help learners to wisely choose the useful information to develop their own autonomous language learning models become the teachersâ₠¬â„¢ focuses. 2.4 Assessment in autonomou learning In a recent report, Dam and Legenhausen (1999: 90) claim that learners’ ability to reflect critically on their learning is a measure of the effectiveness of the learning environment. They use the term ‘evaluation’ to refer to the metacognitive activity of reviewing past and future learning experiences in order to enhance learning, and claim that: In an autonomous classroom . . . [evaluation] is viewed as the pivot of a good learning/teaching cycle . . . Evaluation has a retrospective and prospective function, in which the learning experiences of the past are reflected upon and transformed into plans for future action. The potential for learner autonomy increases as an individual’s learning awareness grows. Therefore activities which prompt learners to reflect on their learning aim to enhance learners’ insight into their learning processes. Assessments for autonomous learners may cover a wide area of knowledge,for example, reading an authentic languag e text or a small, tightly focused area ,for example, questions at the end of a worksheet on a specific grammar point. Assessments may serve one or more of a number of purposes, such as confidence building, demonstrating learning gain, or motivation, and they may be constructed in a number of ways, for example, by the teacher, by the learner, collaboratively or as a portfolio (Gardner and Miller, 1999). Assessments with any combination of the above criteria can be self-assessments because this term refers simply to the mode of administration, i.e., assessments which are self-administered. It is reasonable to assume that autonomous learners would benefit from feedback on chievements in their learning through engaging in some kind of assessment procedure. The individualised nature of autonomous learning makes large-scale, institutionalised assessments problematic although an autonomous learner may make the decision to include these as part of a personalised assessment regime. Self-assessment seems to accommodate itself much more easily to the diverse and flexible requirements of an autonomous learner. Indeed, it has been argued that self-assessment is an integral part of autonomous learning (Holec, 1981; Tudor, 1996; Thomson, 1996; Gardner and Miller, 1999) and that all learners engage in it (Holec, 1985) although not necessarily knowingly (Thomson, 1996). Dickinson (1987) argues that self-evaluation of performance is an important skill for all language learners but of particular importance to autonomous language learners. Thomson (1996) implemented a self-assessment project as a way of getting learners involved in self-directed learning. The effectiveness of self-assessment is detailed by Nunan (1996: 21), who states that, â€Å"Autonomy is enhanced when learners are encouraged to self-monitor and self-assess.† An important aspect of the monitoring process for learners is simply knowing how they are doing in their learning. They want to know if they are becoming more proficient as users of the target language. Brindley (1989: 60) says that self-assessment has five purposes. Firstly, learners have greater responsibility for assessment of their proficiency and progress; secondly it lets them diagnose their strong and weak areas; thirdly it lets them compare their present level with the level they wish to obtain; fourthly it helps them become more motivated; and lastly it helps them to develop their own criteria for monitoring their progress.However, Brindley (1989: 61) also points out that there are objections to self-assessment. â€Å"The idea that learners can be reliable judges of their own performance is by no means universally accepted.† Therefore self-assessment is a skill, that has to be learned. Brindley (1989: 83) divides this learning into technical training, and psychological training. Technical training is to help the students judge their own performance, and consists of self-monitoring of language use, development of criteria, definition of objectives, and knowledge about language learning. Self-assessments help learners monitor their level of success in specific learning tasks. A series of self-assessments will contribute to monitoring progress towards specific learning objectives. They can also have a motivational effect. Success breeds confidence. Self-assessment does not always demonstrate success but where it does, even on a small scale, learners’ motivation will be enhanced. Teachers also need to know how well learners are doing. They have a professional responsibility to help learners learn. Gardner and Miller (1999: 210) suggest the assessment should contain the following pieces of information: the purpose of the assessment, the benefit to the learner, the procedure for conducting the assessment, the procedure for marking the assessment, a suggested marking scale, a choice of follow up actions based on the score achieved.

Battle Of The Beasts Essay Research Paper

Battle Of The Animals Essay, Research Paper In 1954, with nil but their originative heads, the Toho Movie company produced the first elephantine monster film. Japan s Godzilla was brought to life. In 1998, with nil but Lucas Arts particular effects, and a name which guaranteed a blockbuster, the Centropolis Movie Company produced the All American Godzilla Flick. U.S.A. has eventually found its ain Godzilla. But is this new animal better than the Asiatic one? Despite the technological progresss and successful advertisement, the U.S. Godzilla has truly no comparing to the Nipponese one. Cinema has changed a batch in 45 old ages. In the times of King Kong and Dracula, # 8221 ; chilling # 8221 ; had a really important significance. Nowadays we are excessively smart for that. To do a batch of money, one might state a scientific discipline fiction film needs to look existent. In this regard, the American film is far better. The American audiences want to see an exciting film. In this regard besides, the American film is better. The film is besides, in most respects, a better film so any which came out in Japan. It is non nevertheless, Godzilla. The American monster doesn t even look like Godzilla. The visual aspect of Japan s Godzilla is better. The American Godzilla leans frontward at the hips when he walks. He has triangular bony home bases and a thin pointy tail. His oral cavity is like an iguana s. The Nipponese Godzilla is non a lizard. He is a mutated animal unlike any other. His bony home bases are really flimsy growings that are all over the topographic point. Godzilla, who was meant to mean atomic holocaust, besides closely resembles a human. In this manner, we can see a character out of him, non merely another elephantine lizard. His eyes are both pointed forward like a human, he walks unsloped like a human, and he has long forearms like a human. Godzilla doesn T have graduated tables, he has large perpendicular channels in a leathery tegument. He has a broad stance, muscular legs, and an look that merely takes some peoples breath off. And his illustriousness goes far beyond his expressions ; you can besides see it in his bosom. The Nipponese Godzilla is better because he has a psyche. He is powerful, yet sometimes defeated. He is an unstoppable force of nature, but besides a warrior. Godzilla is a elephantine monster, but he is besides a character. His face has looks, and he has a batch of motive. Such minute nsters are about non-existent in American civilization besides a few. King Kong, Frankenstein, and Dracula are all successful because the monster made sense. If the audience can t experience regretful or understanding for an evil animal, the animal has non done its occupation. Today s American audiences do non hold monsters with psyches. Our monster films are about the people in the movies, non the monsters. For illustration, Alien, Predator, Jurassic Park, Jaws. They are large computerized props. The audience has no emotion towards them. When they are on the screen sometimes we might desire them off. The American Godzilla is a lizard, nil more, even if it looks realistic. Last, the Nipponese Godzilla is better in the regard that it does non look existent. No Godzilla film has of all time been 100 % realistic. The U.S.A. Godzilla movie is realistic. When an audience tickers it, they believe their eyes. When you watch a Nipponese Godzilla film you can appreciate the fact that it is a film. It neer one time seems existent. The audience can play over the eldritch scientific discipline and rubber suits in their heads. Nipponese Godzilla films aren t existent, they re fictious ; beyond existent. They are like we imagine when we read a book. Most of all nevertheless, Japan s Godzilla is fun to watch, America s is non. America s Godzilla is merely a cool lizard from the find channel. We have possibly to many particular effects. Ever since Jurassic Parks improbably realistic dinosaurs, we are non as excited by the awful lizards we see and read about. When something fabulous becomes existent, it is no longer every bit interesting as it was earlier. One of the best Godzilla films of all time made would hold to be Godzilla V. King Kong. The conflict between the big E and west monster. There are a batch of good scenes in it, including when King Kong shoves a large tree down Godzilla s pharynx, and he coughs it back up. At the terminal King Kong and Godzilla are contending when they all of a sudden fall over the side of a drop. They fall in H2O, and King Kong is seen swimming to shore, presumptively stating Godzilla is dead. But is he? Remember he can swim underwater! Godzilla International Relations and Security Network t an animate being. He isn t a lizard or a firedrake or a dinosaur or even a cat in a gum elastic costume. Godzilla is a universe broad film fable. Truly, Godzilla is excessively large to melt off. Godzilla is truly one of a sort.

Comprehension Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Comprehension Strategies - Essay Example Systems that are openly distributed can be sources of information whose reliability is not certain. More so, the process of looking up for information in large masses of given data can prove to be a hectic and difficult process. In this life, we are often faced with similar situations calling for the need to make judgments on the reliability of information and the most effective method of accessing such information. Most people depend on the Internet as their main source of information but the uncertainty and complexity associated with the expanding Internet has made the users experience several problems. The problems include; how reliable the information they obtain from the Internet is. Most of the information from the Internet are on pages identified with queried keywords. This is meant to easily get at the information required but it ends up failing to qualify the information obtained with the data on the information sources themselves (George, 2006). Every person has his or her credibility standards when it comes to information they need. In most cases, this depends on the application of the information. This calls for the need to get it right every time one needs to evaluate different sources and settle on a judgment call. Most people depend on the Internet as their main source of information thus they have to be guided against the uncertainties and complexity associated with the expanding Internet. It is also close to impossible for any Internet user to sieve through all the available information from the Internet and pick out the best suited information. Following this situation, it is evident that reputation and trust play an important role in determining the credibility of a particular source. Some of the ways of determining if an Internet source is credible and can be trusted include The other problem is the issue of sematic mapping; the use of key words to locate information from different sources from the Internet can be misleading as the keywords used may have several meanings in relation to the language used or the context. It is also close to impossible for any Internet user to sieve through all the available information from Internet and pick out the best suited information. Following this situation, it is evident that reputation and trust play an important role in checking on such problems. It’s the nature of every human being to put more weight to the ideas and opinions of the people they trust and know well. Hence, by having the process of retrieving information be guided by trust , chances are that such information will end up being more reliable than the information obtained from arbitrary sources. This approach also checks on the information overload issue now that the internet users will only reach out to sources they trust. One can have the confidence to regard a source to be credible if the author of the source has a degree or a better credential on the subject. In a situation where the source has no autho r or the organization is not named, then there are high chances that the source is not credible. More so, there are sources where the authors are named but they end up not being credible (George, 2006). If the work is original, the ideas presented are the ones that have to be evaluated and not the author’

Something related to women experiencing psychosomatic issues, must be Essay

Something related to women experiencing psychosomatic issues, must be focued on women - Essay Example First, common psychological disorders are more common among women. Most women suffer from some disorder, like anxiety or depression. Second, women are more likely to experience the trauma caused by past and present abuse. This leads to a greater incidence of somatic symptoms. Third, there is significant difference in the emotional threshold of men and women. Furthermore, childhood socialization has a substantial effect on the attitude adopted, while reporting sensations. There is a well felt need to conduct further research in this area, in order to assess reporting patterns (Barsky, Peekna, & Borus, 2001). As such, the gender differential in reporting symptoms has to be dealt with by exploring its root causes. A causal relationship between gynecological symptoms and psychological disorders in women was perceived to exist by some gynecologists and psychologists. One gynecologist states that many females exhibited gynecological symptoms, in the absence of any gynecological illness. This phenomenon could be described as a psychological disorder masquerading as a gynecological issue (Gath, et al., 1987, p. 213). In a few studies, gynecological patients were evaluated on the basis of their self-assessment. These studies suggested that nearly 50 % of these women were suffering from psychiatric illness. This is a seemingly very high incidence of psychological disorders. However, these studies do not take into consideration, women who attend other types of medical clinics (Gath, et al., 1987, p. 213). Despite this argument, there is considerable evidence that gynecological morbidity is high in women with psychological disorders. In addition, it was observed that women who had undergone gynecological surgery were more frequently diagnosed with hysteria. Moreover, many women with neurotic disorders had complained of irregular menstrual periods.It has frequently been

Summary and Impact Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary and Impact - Essay Example tudy shows that brain activity visibly increases in the process of nondirective meditation; however, it remains almost the same during concentrative meditation. Researchers explain these results by the fact that nondirective meditation allows more space for different thoughts and feelings in it which concentrative meditation is restricting them. Only 3 researchers involved in this study practice meditation to cope with daily stress. Stress follows people everywhere and they need to cope with it somehow. Since this article proves that meditation works, I can try to practice it in my daily life to come down during critical moments. I find this article useful because I often suffer from own inability to deal with stressful events effectively. As a result, I experience problems with falling asleep or feel nervous during the day. Out of two types of meditation described in the article, I would like to practice concentrative meditation first because it seems to be more understandable for me. Perhaps, meditation or simple concentration on breathing will improve my coping

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Case study - Essay Example Then came the contributions of Lee Gordon along with other famous American idols such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochrane, and Gene Vincent whose musical styles helped lay foundations to the pop culture of rock & roll in the country (Jitterbug, 2009). By the start of a new decade in the 60s, a significant number of the youth population in Australia were engrossed about the American ‘Rock and Roll’ which started hitting their airwaves also through artists like Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, and Bill Haley and His Comets who inspired the Australians to initiate modern popular music recordings (Creswell & Fabinyi, 1999). As one product of this shared genre, Johnny O’Keefe became the first Australian rock star to have notched the first in the charts. Australians further gained appreciation of the ‘Twist’ and the ‘Stomp’ fads, the latter being based on American surf culture and about this time, 'The Beach Boys' earned wider acclaim on touring Aussie populace. Out of this influence emerged the surf rock band Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. ‘The Beach Craze’ likewise was drawing Australian teenagers to consider spark for surfing and this new heap idea did make it to a trend among the youth at the time who looked up to Midget Farrelly after winning the Surfing World Championships at Bondi aside from the relevant music of ‘The Beach Boys’ and Little Pattie (Batstone & Pyne) which all the more enhanced the ‘Stomp’ fad era. The presence of Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley in the scene of pop culture and world tour served as another blast of sensation for Australian followers of the enduring American ‘Rock and Roll’. Because the American craft with music as such truly bore heights of motivation for the Australians to establish their own identity with rock & roll, the level of enthusiasm rose up in quest of individuals with the right set of potentials. Besides Johnny O'Keefe and Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Jimmy Little also managed to have gone the same way, becoming known with ‘Royal Telephone’ (Creswell & Fabinyi, 1999) and these Australian artists obviously adhered or at least exhibited significant inclination to American themes as reflected in the contents of their songs and general outfit thereof. Invasion of Australian culture by the British, in the similar manner, amounted to an equivalent degree of reception marveling at ‘The Beatles’ which essentially made Australians begin weighing options in the market where British and American alternatives coexisted. Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs dominated the Australian Top Ten charts with the Beatles. British acts had turned out to be more influential over the American acts in the long run especially upon the arrival of ‘The Rolling Stones’ to the sellout crowds and such events with the British idols marked the reception of Britain's prevailing ‘Mod’ fad during the mid-1 960s in major cities as Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth (Creswell & Fabinyi, 1999). ‘Beatlemania’ obtained enormous fanaticism of hundreds of thousands while several other bands from Liverpool like the ‘Merseyside’ (Batstone & Pyne) also made quite a remarkable impression to still numbers after numbers. As another consequence, Australian rock & roll group AC/DC was formed in 1967 through Malcolm and Angus who obtained production support from their guitarist brother, George Young of ‘The Easybeats’ whose pop song ‘

Human Resource Management Degree Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Human Resource Management Degree - Essay Example Julie Beardwell and Tim Claydon, in their book have asserted that the theoretical concept of human resource management has become 'fuzzy concept' with abstract empiricism and needs to be looked from a wider perspective of providing the invaluable human capital that can meet the challenges of the rapid globalization and advancing technology (Beardwell & Claydon, 2007). With the global competition becoming increasingly stiff, the jobs specifications are becoming less rigid and changing the overall perspective of job criteria and employment. The compulsions of the present times require versatility in the working force. Individuals and firms must embrace the culture of multi skilled professionals that are able to meet the challenges with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. The recent concept of externalization of 'resources', through outsourcing has become popular with the organizations that need to concentrate in their core competencies. The contractual workforce serves to decrease the responsibility of the organization towards the people who would be 'indirectly' doing their work and at the same time, providing them with the opportunity to improve and improvise their business competencies through state of the art research and development. The strategy helps to provide the company with huge leverage in innovative products and services. Need for new approach The workforce is the backbone of an organization and the HR strategy needs to develop its unique organizational culture with well defined vision and mission statements which are effectively communicated to their employees. As employees are very important part of organizational culture, their welfare is an intrinsic part of corporate responsibility. In the era of advancing technology and rapid globalization, it is imperative that the workforce is encouraged to share mutual knowledge and ideas but they must also be involved into collective decision making to work towards common goals. Hence, the fast changing global values have necessitated drastic shift in the approach to traditional HR strategy. The increasingly changing pattern of society, which is becoming multicultural in essence, needs to be addressed in the wider application of social imperatives and included in all spheres of public and private business strategy. The businesses must introduce effective strategic goals and managerial controls that are able to address the emerging challenges of the society at large. The new HR strategy, therefore, must take account of the various factors that are intrinsically linked to people. Human resource as proactive human capital The globalization has ushered in a huge database of human capital whose potential needs to be exploited to realize one's own vision and mission. The contemporary times have redefined the business processes and business houses are becoming less rigid and changing their business and market strategy as per the socio- economic compulsions of the region. The contemporary times require versatility in the work ideology and functioning, thus making it imperative that the workforce must be looked as resource that can be tapped to improve and im

A critique of a research article that may be relevant to base your Essay

A critique of a research article that may be relevant to base your practice on - Essay Example Use of dependency and prioritization tools by clinical nurse specialists in palliative care: an exploratory study. International Journal of Palliative Nursing. 2011, Vol 17, No 12† The research problem was how to use dependency and prioritization instruments by clinical nurse professional in palliative care. Research questions included; how the CNSs who SPC in the community form a part in caring for sick individuals and sustaining families after patients’ demise? How the prioritization and dependency tools assist CNSs (clinical nurse specialists) in SPC (specialist palliative care)? A broad review of the empirical findings was undertaken prior to this research to recognize any empirical patient reliance and workload evaluation tools for application by CNSs when providing community-oriented SPC. The participants were ladies with a mean age of 41 years of range 21 years. The mean number of years labouring in palliative care was thirteen thus a range of 15, while the common figure of years as a CNS was 5. Exploratory mixed techniques were used to undertake the research and analyze the three tools to a selection of patients receiving of SPC community care, to determine the predictive capacity of each tool. The Vale prioritization instrument emerged the most helpful for prioritizing patient necessities and controlling workload. Statistical assessment pointed out minimal differences between selected dependency instruments. In this section, the article’ strengths and weaknesses are analyzed and critically evaluated. In order to do that, three main sections of the article is selected as follows: methodology/design; sample / subjects / participants; and data collection methods. These are the building points of a good article, more so, in an evidence based practice article. The strength of this research article is its methodology approach that incorporates mixed method research approach. This is

Qualitative Nursing Research Report Analysis Essay

Qualitative Nursing Research Report Analysis - Essay Example However there has to be a methodology to integrate the practice of advocacy as integral part of the nursing curriculum. Moreover there is greater need for institutional support in practicing advocacy. Nurse's role of advocacy is as old as scientific nursing profession. Florence Nightingale advocated for the victims of Crimean war by insisting on the need for clean patient care environment. Advocacy was also obvious in the efforts of Clara Barton and other nurses during the American Civil War (Rogge, 1987). In the 70s the zealots in human rights movements took special note of the need for fighting for the rights of the patients. Nurse's perspective as one of the most important stake holders in health care, has a better role to play in this. The military model of health care with its language of loyalty and obedience primarily to the physicians and the legal model, where the focus is on the right of the patient, are the two models described in the nursing literature now. The complete patient centered healthcare is possible only with the realization of the unique identity of a nurse. The realization of the absence of thrust for advocacy in the nursing education should not deter the nurse from practicing it as has been done in the practice of military nursing in recent wars. The military tradition of nursing focused on loyalty and obedience to the physician. ... 33). This tradition of nurse started losing its popularity with the patient's rights movements in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Advocacy as a cardinal role for nurses was formalized during the 1970s when terms such as "loyal obedience" and "obeying physicians' orders" disappeared from the literature of the International Council of Nurses (International Council of Nurses, 1973) and the American Nurses Association. Nursing from then onwards took a new direction centered on the advocacy of the rights of patients as the important aspect of nursing practice. Empirical Research Segesten (1993) found that advocacy situations sprang from the helplessness of the patients. Millette (1993) highlighted the need for choosing the client advocacy model faced with choices like bureaucratic advocacy and physician advocacy. Snowball (1996) interviewed nurses concerning advocacy in their practice. She found that the important aspects leading to advocacy included nurses and patients sharing a common humanity and the cultural milieu being one of care. Snowball concluded that a therapeutic relationship was fundamental to advocacy. Conclusions drawn from the literature are that advocacy was initially included into nursing practice at the time when nurses developed a sense of service more for their patients than for physicians. Little empirical knowledge has been produced on the concept of nursing advocacy even though nurses consider advocacy to be central to their career. It is an anomaly that the empirical articles concerning advocacy contain no mention of how advocacy is inculcated or how advocacy is learned. Thus, the purpose of this study is to describe how nurses learn the skill of advocating for patients. Study Design A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological approach was

Instructional Design Essay Example for Free

Instructional Design Essay Organizational success primarily lies upon the quality of the people working with ay concerned organization. Under this concept, soft skills must be essentially established through efficient and effective hiring or recruitment methods and polished through rational and functional training facilities and techniques. In essence, this was strategically applied by American Express by initiating an extensive and all-encompassing training program that would address the technical and attitudinal qualities of its workforce in order to meet its corporate goals and objectives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Basically, the corporate training department at the American Express sought to train and empower the organization’s distributed servicing network. But targeting this goal is not as easy as formulating corporate policies. There are factors and concerns to consider— that is, to address the five Ws and one H in human resource management— who may conduct the training, what kind of training program may be executed, where to carry it out, why is it needed, when will it be initiated, and how will it be initiated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To the leaders of the America Express, training of the organizational workforce is needed in order to prepare its workforce for their corporate function, which is to communicate with and promote the company’s products and services to patrons of all ages, and from any part of the world and socioeconomic background.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This initiative did not come without any purpose or goal at all. The organization, in determining that such workforce training was necessary, conducted extensive study and even perhaps consequence-benefits analysis so to justify the carrying out of said training program. The executives of the training department of the company actually determined a number of years ago that they had to improve the workforce’s skills and capability to communicate and interact with costumers around the world. Upon realizing that â€Å"some representatives continued to struggle to master both content and communication ability,† based on the assessment of Ms Beth Harmon, the acting vice president of operations training, the training department decided to install a simulated environment for new recruits’ preparation and training.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The goal of the training is mainly to successfully prepare the company’s representatives for their organizational functions, which is to efficiently and effectively relay to and communicate the company’s products and services to prospective buyers from around the globe. As a result, new recruits were trained on how to handle time efficiently, how to ensure quality service, how to execute costumer treatment and how to observe availability. The challenge here is to initiate a different â€Å"philosophy†, which is the result of the transformation from an academic to a professional model.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The goal of the training is basically to ensure and achieve quality performance on the part of the company’s representatives and productivity and profitability on the part of the company. But it does not just end there. In may be inferred then based on the corporate acts that the company’s executives wanted to provide for its costumers of any age and socioeconomic background that American Express does not just mean business— in that it cares for and considers the costumers’ interests, satisfaction, and contentment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Some of the special attributes of the training situation lies on the fact that every aspect of the costumers’ satisfaction and even standpoint is taken into account. The integration of information technology makes it effective and reliable in ensuring that the following goals may be achieved— simulations, role play, speech recognition, and close instruction and coaching support. The employment of the simulated call environment— SIMON (Simulated Online Network)— made the training program more effective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The training was developed by way of involving a â€Å"holistic solution† that infuses or enmeshes an assortment of IT-based technologies into the training system, which includes those goals already mentioned above such as simulations, role play and so on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   E-learning or virtual learning is part of the solution mainly because the tool by which the representatives communicate with and relay the company’s products and services to costumers is essentially virtualized. As what Harmon said, technology is just the means or instrument to get to the issues of the costumers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The training was implemented by starting with a pilot program, a way of considering the performance metrics. A two-day training was conducted and it was observed that two weeks hence, results were positive as there was substantial increase in Easy to Understand, Listening, Courtesy, which had 55 percent, 13 percent, and 8 percent ratings, respectively.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The intended result of the training is to brace the representatives for these increasing functions of relaying to and communicating the company’s products and services to its target market. But one of its purposes, particularly in the aspect of e-learning, is to know the issues of the costumers and the way to get it is through virtual learning. There is only one goal of this training— to further establish American Express in the globalized market, thereby ensuring productivity and profitability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In measuring the effectiveness of the program, the company conducted a pre-assessment and post-assessment method in order to know whether the training resulted in positive changes. It then leveraged the training efforts and expanded the effects of learning in both globalization and work purpose.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Overall, my impression of the organization’s solution is that it fits well for the organizational goals and objectives, as well as the nature of its business. For being a company engaged in selling, it has to hone and improve the selling and communication capabilities and skills of its representatives. This training initiative only means that global competition is getting stiffer and stiffer and corporate organizations, in order to survive, must not only need to brace their strategies and acquire new technologies, but must prepare and train their representatives as well.

Bipolar Disorder in Islam Essay Example for Free

Bipolar Disorder in Islam Essay If your pancreas couldn’t produce insulin, you wouldn’t have much trouble accepting the deficiency and then taking the necessary meds or treatment. Well, think of your brain in the same way. Right now your mind is not in balance. It is missing certain chemicals that control your mood. And you are simply taking meds to fix the balance of chemicals. Blame no one for the Bipolar. It’s not your fault that you got sick. As Randy Pausch says, We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. You are simply being tested with this illness. Some people have high cholesterol, some have diabetes and some have a missing leg. It’s all a test from Allah. And no one is spared from it. This test is here to bring out the best in us. Accept Bipolar as one of your tests from Allah. This will distance you from the disorder and make you see it for what really is: an illness. Once you separate yourself from the illness, you will start to detach yourself from the illness. . Being sent to the hospital doesn’t mean no one cares for you; it doesn’t mean you have failed. A hospitalization can often be the best thing during a severe mania episode. , look at the hyper sexuality objectively. See it as part of the disorder and not as your personality. Look for the good in it. As one Prophet passed the donkey’s carcass, all his companions commented on its ugliness. But he praised it for its white teeth. During depression, your   brain is low on the hormone that makes you feel good. That is why you are feeling down. It has nothing to do with what kind of a Muslim you are and how much you pray or don’t pray You must see depression as a disease, with a biological cause that can be treated and not a character flaw. That is 80% of your work: distancing yourself from the depression. Then you can love yourself for who you are and work on treating the depression. 1) Pray on time. 2) Take meds on time. 3) Sleep, exercise and eat healthy. Meds do 20% of the work and exercise is a big part of the other 80%. It’s not all about losing pounds. Jogging or swimming or lifting weights keeps you sane. So don’t follow a workout routine that makes you go insane. Yes Allah will run to you but you have to walk to Him first. Your family, doctors and the meds can only do so much. The rest is in your hands. I will leave you with one question: How will your Bipolar bring you closer to Allah?

Diversity and Structure of the Construction Industry

Diversity and Structure of the Construction Industry 1.1 Introduction: This chapter illustrates how unique, huge, diverse and enormously complex is the construction industry. This industry generally constitutes of enterprises and professionals whose primary objective is to build communities, roads, schools, homes, business, hospitals and including its maintenance. The construction process consists of many activities, right from the onset of the project design and right through its implementation, maintenance, refurbishment, and goes up to the eventual disposal of its buildings or in other words, the whole life cycle of the project. This industry therefore require a wide range of suppliers, contractors and including manufacturers of materials and components to carry out its activities. The industry had changed a lot in its complexity over time, but the objective of the industry remains basically the same as it was 100 years ago. However, the construction industry has a unique structure; with very few large establishments that dominate the infrastructure by carrying out works, that produces the majority of the turnover of this industry on a whole. Sears et al. 2008, p.2 state that contractors who vary widely in size and speciality accomplish the construction works. Some contractors choose to concentrate on a particular task or aspect of the construction project and are therefore referred to as specialty contractors. Others assume broader responsibility for a comprehensive work package and are referred to as main contractor. Due to the diversity present in the industry, the industry is fragmented which is a reality, the reason might be due to the adversarial short-term relationships which causes dissatisfaction within the industry and is therefore a project focused relationship. Moreover, lack of effective communication and implementation may also contribute to the fragmentation of the industry as it leads to significant negative impacts, low productivity, cost and time overruns and finally end up in conflicts and disputes. The industry also now faces new levels of complexity as it moves forward trying to keep pace with the increasing energy, material and labour costs which are to a great extend mitigated by the other industries by adopting the new technologies especially communication and information technology and also advanced management strategies. 1.2 Overview: The industry is considered to be one of the major economic sectors, which contributes a lot to the gross domestic product of the nation in respect to other industries. Cooke, and Williams, 2009, on p.3 states that the annual output of the UK construction industry is approximately  £114 billion, which represents almost 9% of gross domestic product. This industry also underpins the remaining sectors of the economy by providing the essential infrastructure and facilities on which all sectors of the economy depend. According to Potts, 2008, on p.3, this construction sector with 11.8 million operatives directly employed makes it Europes largest industrial employer accounting for 7% of total employment and 28% of industrial employment in the EU. There was also a report of the government policies, which was published by BIS (Department for Business Innovation and Skills business group sector document), stating that the UK construction industry consists of over 250,000 firms employing 2.1 million people in a multitude of roles. The sector is defined as one which embraces the construction materials and products; suppliers and producers; building services manufacturers, providers and installers; contractors, sub-contractors, professionals, advisors and construction clients and those organisations that are relevant to the design, build, operation and refurbishment of buildings. However, construction industry is very different from other manufacturing industries and therefore difficult to achieve similar performance, mainly due to its degree of uniqueness in its use, in the size, its location and complexity due to the varied non-uniform working conditions from one project to another. Therefore, it appears to be underperforming when compared to many other industries. Jones, Saad, 2003, on p.12 state that, the diversity of the construction and the variability in the production process has to be reorganised with each new construction project. For each project, a series of decisions has to be taken which take into account the clients specific requirements and the context in which the tasks are to be executed. This can make project outcomes difficult to predict and can result in short and often adversarial relationships. Cox, Townsend, 1998, on p.21 states that the productivity, value for money, and overall client satisfaction in the construction industry are fairly low compared to other industrial sectors. The factors being: low and discontinuous demand; frequent changes in specification; inappropriate (contractor and client) selection criteria; inappropriate allocation of risk; poor quality; inefficient methods of construction; poor management; inadequate investment; an adversarial culture; and a fragmented industry structure. In order to improve the performance of this industry, government had taken initiatives and had produced many reports but had not made any impact. 1.3 Reports and recommendations: The publication of major notable reports namely Lathams Report Constructing the Team (1994) and two Egan Reports Rethinking Construction (1998) and Accelerating Change (2002) produced a considerable impact in UKs construction industry and started changing its working culture. Constructing the Team by Sir Michael Latham was published in July 1994, the key issues as summarised by Holroyd, 2003, on p.39 are as follows: Clients have a role in promoting good design which provides value for money Clients should select the most appropriate procurement route on the basis of the type of project Effective design is crucial A modern contract should include: A specific duty for all parties to deal with each other Firm duties of teamwork so all can share in success A clear definition of the roles and responsibilities of all parties Easily understood language with guidance notes A choice of risk allocation Avoid variations if it is required, price it in advance Ensure fair, prompt and secure payment to all parties Avoid conflict on site and disputes if any to be resolved speedily When selecting suppliers or tenderers, consideration should be given to: Quality as well as price A lead manager Sensible tender lists No burdensome qualification procedures Value for money Cost in use Factors which determine performance include: Adequacy of safety consideration Ability of operatives Improved training Relevant professional education Adequate RD, which is properly funded Teamwork on site depends on fair treatment for all parties The liability for defects post-completion should be properly addressed Rethinking Construction by Sir John Egan delivered the report in July 1998 for the success of the construction industry. He opined that while UK construction at its best is excellent, substantial improvements can be made, and it is vital that they are made. The key issues of this report as summarised by Holroyd, 2003, on p.40 are as follows: The UK construction industry needs to improve there should be: Less fragmentation Increased profitability More capital investment More investment in RD More and better training Differentiation between price and cost Set targets for improvement and give commitment to the needs of the customer, to quality, and to people the team and the process should be integrated around the product, and management should be committed to improvement throughout the organisation The construction process should be improved by: More process repetition on projects Integrating all team members to use their skills to deliver value to the client Focus on the end product how best to achieve the desired result Continuous product improvement Implement projects correctly, suiting the site and the customer Partnering through the supply chain Once improvement starts, maintain it Improvement could be accomplished by developing a better culture in the industry: Providing decent working conditions More and better training Produce designs which considers the projects end use Standardise components where possible Improve regulatory controls Implement long term relationships The National audit office report (2001) Modernising Construction as stated by Cooke, Williams, 2009, on p.11 that a major contributory factor to the poor performance of this industry was the adversarial relationships that existed between the construction firms, consultants and clients and between contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. The report also identified that government departments and agencies to ensure collaboration, integration and value for monies in the procurement of construction services. Further, it also suggested that the entire supply chain be integrated and that risk and value must be managed in order to reduce accidents, drive out waste and improve buildability. McGeorge and Palmer 2002 on p.54 cite CIRIAs definition of buildability as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"the extent to which the design of the building facilitates ease of construction, subject to the overall requirements for the completed building. These reports produced during the various periods had contributed a lot to the growth of the construction industry. Since these reports were published, a changed performance could be clearly noticed in the activities of this industry. The findings of the report had tried to build up a challenge in the construction industry to procure projects that could achieve best value and also help in understanding the balance between quality and whole-life cost of the project. Many more studies on the performance of the construction industry were also conducted subsequently, which had identified the areas of strength and weakness of the construction industry. According to Jones, Saad, 2003, on p.2, the strength of the industry includes its flexibility and adaptability and its persistent weakness include its fragmented structure and project processes and its adversarial relationships. Furthermore, deficiencies in its performance in relation to customer focus, learning and leadership were revealed when benchmarked against other industries. 1.4 Material use: The construction industry is considered one of the major consumers of natural resources mainly the virgin materials from its surrounding environment. This will give rise to many environmental issues, which are unsustainable such as depleting natural resources, diminishing the earths biodiversity, and even cause extinction of habitat if we continue the present rate of consumption. As stated by Kelley et al. on p.298 that materials used in buildings account for some 40% of natural resource use, 30% of CO2 emissions and 40% of waste. However, the environmental issues would certainly create a vital impact on the society and hence this industry should take earnest attempt to develop a strategy to provide low carbon solutions by way of minimising its carbon footprint. In addition, the projects Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that voluntarily decides to contribute to a better society and a cleaner environment and along with its procurement policy, could contribute to the environmental success. Built environment: The paper presented by Natural Building Technologies, have quoted One Planet Living material of BioRegional and the World Wide Fund for Nature; have shown that if everyone in the world-consumed resources at the same rate that of UK, it would take the equivalent of three planets now to sustain this consumption. Hence, UK and the other western nations urgently need to take radical measures in order to reduce this present rate of consumption of resources. As we are aware that this planet has only a finite quantity of resources and therefore we in the construction industry should have a moral responsibility to ensure that industry is resourced using sustainable techniques. More over the construction industry should also insist on an environmental management system (EMS) accreditation for every project, which could help in continually, improving its environmental performance. An internal EMS audit if periodically conducted would help in checking the effectiveness and delivery capability o f the management system. The strategy paper of the UK Government, Building a Better Quality of Life: A Strategy for more Sustainable Construction by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (2000 b) as summarised by Kelly et al. 2002 on p.296 recognises the importance of sustainable construction and had challenged the construction industry to provide built assets which: Cause minimum damage to natural and social environments Minimise the use of resources Enhance the quality of life Will be acceptable to future generations 1.6 Needs: The working pattern of the society is changing quite fast and construction industry is known for adapting to change at a faster pace than other industries. Nowadays many people tend to work from home since jobs functions can be remotely performed and is quite feasible. The benefit from working at home helps in the reduction of transport movements, thereby considerably reducing pollution and traffic congestion especially during the peak hours. It is an eco-friendly option and is to be encouraged. Hence, this working culture would require housing to provide a higher quality of life and greater flexibility of adaptable living and space requirements. Therefore, in majority of existing homes, a need for up gradation would be necessary and a lot more of new homes constructed to accommodate this new culture in the coming years; for which a huge quantity of materials are required by the industry. This results in a heavy material flow. In addition, while designing a sustainable project, selec tion of materials should be made based on locally and easily available material, in order to reduce the embedded energy cost of transportation. This option would also decrease the carbon footprint of the project. 1.7 Regulations: A government publication by energy saving trust on the Code for Sustainable Homes New build housing (Relevant to: England and Wales), states that the government intends that all new build homes should be zero carbon by the year 2016. Code level 3 is proposed to become the new standards for Building Regulations in England in 2010 and by 2050; the nations entire housing stock will be virtually zero carbon. Clients, who desire to increase value of their project, could insist on the use of sustainable materials in order to acquire higher sustainability rating as mentioned in the BREEAMs code for sustainable homes. These regulations create a lot of pressure on the project management team if a proper supply chain management technique is not available.. As mentioned in the Code for Sustainable Homes (Annex B Category 3, Materials on p.37), the supply chain management and material stewardship are essential elements of responsible sourcing. Hence, the supply chain manager is to consider the consequence and impacts of using materials by analysing its life cycle (right from the point it was mined or harvested,through manufacture and processing of the material, including its use, reuse and disposed off as waste with no further value), before the material is actually used in the project. However, all timber used in the project should be 100% legally sourced and 80% for all other assessed materials. 1.8 Sustainable sourcing code: For the London 2012 games, London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) had prepared a Sustainable Sourcing Code in consultation with industry leaders, sponsors and non-governmental organisations. It had been reviewing how its sponsorship and procurement activity could achieve the highest possible standards to ensure that the goods and services it procures comply with this code in meeting the sustainability objectives for the 2012 games. This code could be used as a benchmark in the preparation of a similar code of practice by the construction industry. The four core principles of the LOGOs Sustainable Sourcing Code and supporting guidelines on packaging and carbon emissions of products and services originally published in November 2007 and updated in December 2009 are as shown below: Responsible sourcing: Labour practices Health and Safety Diversity and inclusion Animal welfare and Testing Animal and plant products Timber and timber products Use of secondary products materials: Reducing waste Recycled content Packaging Waste electrical and electronic equipment Minimising embodied impacts: Environmental management Supply of products Transport Low carbon Games Healthy materials: Restricted substances and materials Heavy metals and brominated fire retardants 1.9 Controlling material resources: A material at site is money and is to be prudently handled. The cost of materials constitutes a major portion of the project cost. March 2009, p.139 states that the value of the materials incorporated into a building represent anything from 40 to 60 per cent of the final cost. Therefore, control of materials at site is a crucial element. Materials are not be wasted or lost. For proper control an effective communication between all involved for the project success namely the planning department, purchasing department, the site and the supplier is important. Responsibilities are to be clearly defined especially in buying of materials within the estimated amount since efficient buying results in savings, which in turn contributes to the profitability of the contract. Similarly hoarding of materials at site should be discouraged by initiating just in time delivery, but care is to be taken in the selection of material supplier so that the availability of bulk materials is ensured. Therefo re, materials management in construction projects is essential for its success. As Cooke and Williams 2009 on p.401 states that an essential component of materials management begins with site layout and planning. Designated areas must be allowed for material storage in order to reduce waste and damage to materials. Excessive stock of materials is a problem need to be controlled. March 2009, p.139 enumerates the reasons as to why excessive stock is to be controlled; Excessive stocks take up capital which could be better used Takes up space and absorb further capital for protection against weather Likely to be damaged resulting in unnecessary expenditure and possible delay incurred in replacement May be necessary to double handle stock to elsewhere on the site and missing the opportunity to have just in time delivery Site efficiency can be increased by effective material handling and result in costly waste reduced. Every project worth more than  £250 000 effective from April 2008 should have a Site waste management plan (SWMP), without which it would be a serious criminal offence as mentioned by Cooke and Williams 2009 on p.403 quoting The Clean Neighbourhood and Environment Act 2005 (Section 54 of Part 5). 1.10 Whole-life thinking: In addition, the construction industry need to consider the aspect of whole life costing during the procurement as the project not only consumes sustainable resources, but also generates waste in construction and demolition activities. The procurement of materials for the industry is strongly affected by environmental issues. Greater use of modern methods of construction and off-site prefabrication could be a solution in reducing the total amount of waste generated at site. Hence, the construction industry should strive to develop and implement the new paradigm of the triple bottom line namely environmental, social and economic sustainability. Green building is an innovative technology and is good to be adopted by construction industry. This approach creates a positive environmental, social and economical impact over the entire life cycle of the project. It is a holistic approach of design and considers its impact on the wider environment and community around it. This technology procures homes, which are durable, save energy, reduce waste and pollution, and promote health and well-being. 1.11 Procurement methods: One of the main problems in this industry says Cooke Williams, 2009, on p.4, is that it separates design from production far greater than other industries and is still common despite the deficiencies of traditional procurement and the benefits offered by the newer and more flexible approaches. In traditional method of procurement, the design stage is separated from production by a tendering period. McGeorge and Palmer, 2002 on p.54, also support this view and quote by comparison with other industries the separation of the process of design and construction is unique to the construction industry. Construction industry provides successful projects, the outcome of which is increased efficiency, greater borrowing capacity and payback long-term worth. The business objectives should always drive the selection of an appropriate procurement strategy, so as to procure a project to the complete satisfaction of the client. The procurement strategy so selected would depend on many factors; namely the client, the risk profile of the client, the cost certainty needed, accountability, flexibility, the type of project, time, funding, market condition, the industries capacity and capability. 1.11.1 Projects priorities: Moreover the factors that are to be considered while analysing a business objectives requirements and their relative priorities as pointed out by Kelly et al., 2002 on p.178 are as listed below: Factors outside the control of the project team Client resources Project characteristics Ability to make changes Risk management Cost issues Timing Quality and performance The choice of the strategy should ensure that control is maintained over those factors that are important to the clients perspective of the project. 1.11.2 Procurement strategy: The authors also state that the choice of the strategy should ensure that control is maintained over those factors that are of most importance to the client. After a selection is made, a strategic brief will need to be produced defining the clients project and the parameters within which the project must be realised to take the project to a success. Often less importance is imparted to the projects objectives as compared to the primary criteria of time, quality and cost. These three primary parameters form the key criteria in the selection mechanism and are interdependent of each other. Therefore, procurement strategies adopted for the project would not be able to deliver all of them as high priority. For example, fast-track solutions for a project deliver speed and time certainty, whereas the other criteria such as cost certainty and quality may be less achievable. Similarly, in projects where quality or costs are considered to be of top priority, then the other criteria are affected. Hence, if a high priority is imparted in defining the project and especially linking of the prioritisation of objectives to the business case, greater then are the chances of a successful procurement of the project to the entire satisfaction of the client. However, from the clients perspective of a project, time, quality, cost and functionality are important criteria for the success of a project. The client generally prefers the highest quality at the lowest cost and the project being completed in the shortest possible time. As earlier mentioned it is not possible to attain all these parameters together for a given project. Depending upon the clients business objectives, a suitable selection of the procurement strategy should be chosen. 1.11.3 Procurement option: If according to the client, a signature building is required for the project, then a traditional or design-bid-build strategy is an appropriate option for the project. For this project, quality would be very essential but this procurement technique adopts a sequential nature of activities, and therefore has no parallel working activity, which means that, construction could actually begin only after the design is completed as fully as possible. Hence is not suitable option for any fast track projects. However, this option fairly provides with cost certainty and time predicted. The delay experienced in completion of the project might be because considerable time is allowed for the design to take a full shape and thereafter in the preparation of detailed brief and also in the tendering procedures required to be completed before the start of the work. Therefore, an early start of the project would not be possible until the letter of intend is issued, which in turn have a knock on effect on the overall cost of the project (price escalation, inflation etc.). Sometimes the client might go in for a functional building where cost implication is to be the lowest and had to be completed before a fixed date. Here in order to meet the business objectives, a design-build procurement technique is quite appropriate, since early certainty of the overall contract price could be obtained. Moreover, as this strategy facilitates overlapping of design and construction, a faster start on site is possible resulting in shorter project duration with greater certainty of meeting the targeted date. Hence, this option is quite suitable for fast track projects but is not suitable for any complex infrastructural projects and also in projects wherein the clients brief is uncertain or inadequate. Alternatively, the client would require procuring a huge and complex infrastructural project with an emphasis on the targeted date of completion. Considering the clients business objective, the appropriate procurement route would be construction management, which is best-suited option for fast track and complex construction projects. In this procurement route, the construction work is divided into several packages, which are tendered separately to different experienced and qualified contractors. Hence, in this procurement method design, tendering and construction over lap thereby reducing the overall time of the project whereas there could be price uncertainty until the last package of the work had been awarded to a contractor. Due to the speed in completion, quality of the work would probably be effected and therefore a total quality management team would be required to ensure the quality of work during its progress. Therefore, this procurement route is not suitable for inexperience d clients and for those clients trying to transfer risk to the contractor. Therefore, the procurement strategy developed should strike a balance between risks that could cause an impact on the clients business and the projects objectives. Some projects could adopt more than one procurement option for the successful completion of the project as per the clients perspective. Traditional approach may be used in the construction of the shell and core, whereas construction management would be used for the final works. The choices made might differ between clients of various projects depending upon their knowledge and experience of the industry. The scale and diversity of those involved in this industry is too enormous and hence this contributes to enormous pressures on the project teams, to ensure that the project completion is on time, budget and quality. 1.12 Risk: The diversity of those involved in the industry namely design engineers, architects, consultants, main and subcontractors, suppliers and constructional managers is huge. However, all those who are involved in this industry throughout the world strive together to establish a strategic framework to meet the budgetary and scheduling goals of the project. Time is one of the critical factors in construction industry, which has significant legal consequences. The client sets up rigid start and finishes dates for the project and if the contractor must comply with this period, barring any delay caused due to natural calamities, or lose money by paying the liquidated damages as laid down in the contract document. During the construction process delay in receiving of materials, equipments and services may erode profits. For a successful completion of a project, lot depends on the quality of the subcontractors and suppliers. Therefore, construction organisations should ensure that an appropriate subcontractor is selected. The subcontractors selection process involves many important factors including the evaluation of their capacity and also in performing a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. The risk faced in construction industry is different from that of other industries. This is quite evident while analysing the difference between manufacturing risks and construction risks as indicated by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.2 as shown below: Risk versus reward for the manufacturing sector Risk versus reward for the construction sector In construction industry, the potential for committing mistakes is high and facing problems is magnified by the poor interrelationship that exists between all the entities involved namely, the client, architect, consultant, project manager, contractors and suppliers. The risks, if not mitigated in time, would prove disastrous and hence, recommended to be avoided at an early stage. Construction risks as mentioned by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.3 are as narrated below: Internal financial problems Working capital problems Slow payment from the client Inferior plans and specifications Inadequate technical capabilities Insufficient information technology Lack of communication between the entities Productivity inefficiencies Work quality problems Work method problems Delivery reliability problems Bulk materials quality problems Another notable difference between the manufacturing and construction industry is the probability of failure while considering the labour element. This can be clearly understood if an improvement curve technique is performed as explained by Benton and McHenry 2010, on p.4 and p.5 for both industries, the figures of which are as shown below: Probability of failure for the manufacturing industry Probability of failure for the construction industry The improvement curve is exponential and depicts a constant-percentage reduction of labour, which means that, the workers learn how to do their job better as they produce more and more units at a lower production cost. This advantage is accomplished due to the impact of cumulative learning by experience, which is possible in the manufacturing industry. Now considering the construction industry, which is constantly changing its complexity over time, we can observ