Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Sixteen

â€Å"We're looking for Joe Loong,† Jane said, to the assembled search team, at the edge of the forest by Joe's house. Dad, who was standing with her and Savitri, was letting her run the show. â€Å"He's been missing for the last two days. Therese Arlien, his companion, tells me that he was excited about the return of the fanties to the area and told her he was thinking of trying to get close to one of the herds. We're working under the assumption that's what he did, and then either got lost, or perhaps got injured by one of the animals.† Jane motioned at the line of trees. â€Å"We're going to search the area in teams of four, spreading out in a line from here. Everyone in a group stays in voice contact with the group members on either side; every one at the left or right of a group also stays in voice contact with your opposite number from the next group over. Call to each other every couple of minutes. We'll do this slow and careful; I don't want any of us adding to the number of the lost, understand? If you lose voice contact with the other members of your group, stop and stay where you are, and let your group members reestablish contact. If the person next to you doesn't respond when you call, stop and alert those you are in contact with. Again, let's not lose anyone else, especially when we're trying to find Joe. Now, you all know who we are looking for?† There were general nods; most of the hundred and fifty or so folks who'd showed up to look for Loong were friends of his. I personally had only the vaguest of ideas of what he looked like, but I was going on the idea that if someone came running toward us, waving his hands and saying, â€Å"Thank God you found me,† it was likely to be him. And joining the search party was getting me a day out of school. You can't argue with that. â€Å"All right, then,† Mom said. â€Å"Let's organize into teams.† People started grouping together in fours; I turned to Gretchen and figured she and I would be a team with Hickory and Dickory. â€Å"Zoe,† Mom said. â€Å"You're with me. Bring Hickory and Dickory.† â€Å"Can Gretchen come with us?† I asked. â€Å"No,† Jane said. â€Å"Too large. Sorry, Gretchen.† â€Å"It's all right,† Gretchen said to Mom, and then turned back to me. â€Å"Try to survive without me,† she said. â€Å"Stop,† I said. â€Å"It's not like we're dating.† She grinned and wandered off to join another group. After several minutes three dozen groups of four were spread out over more than half a klick of tree line. Jane gave the signal and we started in. Then came the boring: three hours of stomping through the woods, slowly, searching for signs that Joe Loong had wandered in this direction, calling out to each other every few minutes. I found nothing, Mom to my left found nothing, Hickory to my right found nothing, and Dickory to its right found nothing either. Not to be hopelessly shallow about it, but I thought it would be at least a little more interesting than it was. â€Å"Are we going to take a break anytime soon?† I asked Jane, walking up to her when she wandered into visual range. â€Å"You're tired?† she said. â€Å"I would think that after all the training you do, a walk in the woods would be an easy thing.† I paused at this comment; I didn't make any secret of my training with Hickory and Dickory – it would be hard to hide, given how much time I gave to it – but it's not something that the two of us talked about much. â€Å"It's not a stamina issue,† I said. â€Å"It's a boredom issue. I've been scanning the forest floor for three hours. I'm getting a little punchy.† Jane nodded. â€Å"We'll take a rest soon. If we don't find something in this area in the next hour, I'll regather people on the other side of Joe's homestead and try over there,† she said. â€Å"You don't mind me doing what I do with Hickory and Dickory, do you?† I asked. â€Å"It's not like I talk about it to you much. Either with you or Dad.† â€Å"It worried us the first couple of weeks, when you came in covered with bruises and then went to sleep without actually saying hello to us,† Jane said. She kept walking and scanning as she talked. â€Å"And I was sorry it broke up your friendship with Enzo. But you're old enough now to make your own choices about what you want to do with your time, and we both decided that we weren't going to breathe down your neck about it.† I was about to say, Well, it wasn't entirely my own choice to do this, but Jane kept talking. â€Å"Beside that, we think it's smart,† she said. â€Å"I don't know when we'll be found, but I think we will be. I can take care of myself; John can take care of himself. We were soldiers. We're happy to see that you're learning to take care of yourself, too. When it comes down to it, it might be the thing that makes a difference.† I stopped walking. â€Å"Well, that was a depressing thing to say,† I said. Jane stopped and came back to me. â€Å"I didn't mean it that way,† she said. â€Å"You just said I might be alone at the end of all this,† I said. â€Å"That each of us will have to take care of ourselves. That's not exactly a happy thought, you know.† â€Å"I didn't mean it that way,† Jane said. She reached over and touched the jade elephant pendant she had given me years ago. â€Å"John and I will never leave you, Zoe. Never abandon you. You need to know that. It's a promise we made to you. What I am saying is that we will need each other. Knowing how to take care of ourselves means we are better able to help each other. It means that you will be able to help us. Think about that, Zoe. Everything might come down to what you are able to do. For us. And for the colony. That's what I'm saying.† â€Å"I doubt it's going to come to that,† I said. â€Å"Well, I doubt it too,† Jane said. â€Å"Or at least I hope it doesn't come to that.† â€Å"Thanks,† I said, wryly. â€Å"You know what I mean,† Mom said. â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"I think it's funny how bluntly you put it.† To the left of us there was a faint scream. Jane swiveled in its direction and then turned back to face me; her expression left very little doubt that whatever mom-daughter bonding moment we'd been having was at a very abrupt end. â€Å"Stay here,† she said. â€Å"Send word down the line to halt. Hickory, come with me.† The two of them sped off in the direction of the scream quietly at what seemed like an almost impossible high speed; I was suddenly reminded that, yes, in fact, my mom was a veteran warrior. There's a thought for you. It was just now I finally had the tools to really appreciate it. Several minutes later Hickory returned to us, clicked something to Dickory in their native tongue as he passed, and looked at me. â€Å"Lieutenant Sagan says that you are to return to the colony with Dickory,† Hickory said. â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Have they found Joe?† â€Å"They have,† Hickory said. â€Å"Is he all right?† I asked. â€Å"He is dead,† Hickory said. â€Å"And Lieutenant Sagan believes there is reason to worry that the search parties may be in danger if they stay out here much longer.† â€Å"Why?† I asked. â€Å"Because of the fanties? Was he trampled or something?† Hickory looked at me levelly. â€Å"Zoe, you do not need me to remind you of your last trip into the forest and what followed you then.† I went very cold. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"Whatever they are, they appear to follow the fantie herds as they migrate,† Hickory said. â€Å"They have followed those herds back here. And it appears that they found Joseph Loong in the woods.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. â€Å"I have to tell Jane.† â€Å"I assure you, she has figured it out,† Hickory said. â€Å"And I am to find Major Perry now, so he will know presently. This is being taken care of. The lieutenant asks for you to return to Croatoan. As do I. Dickory will accompany you. Go now. And I advise silence until your parents speak of this publicly.† Hickory strode off into the distance. I watched it go, and then headed home, fast, Dickory matching my strides, both of us moving quietly, as we had practiced so many times. The fact that Joe Loong was dead spread fast in the colony. Rumors of how he died spread even faster. Gretchen and I sat in front of Croatoan's community center and watched a revolving cast of rumormongers offer up their takes. Jun Lee and Evan Black were the first to talk; they had been part of the group that had found Loong's body. They were enjoying their moment in the spotlight as they told everyone who would listen about how they found Loong, and how he had been attacked, and how whatever had attacked him had eaten part of him. Some people speculated that a pack of yotes, the local carnivores, had cornered Joe Loong and brought him down, but Jun and Evan laughed at that. We'd all seen the yotes; they were the size of small dogs and ran from the colonists whenever they saw them (and for good reason, since the colonists had taken to shooting at them for bothering the livestock). No yote, or even a pack of yotes, they said, could have done to Joe what they'd seen had been done to him. Shortly after these gory tidbits had gotten around, the entire colony council met in Croatoan's medical bay, where Loong's body had been taken. The fact that the government was being pulled into it made people suspect it might actually have been murder (the fact that the â€Å"government† in this case was just twelve people who spent most of their time hoeing rows like everyone else didn't matter). Loong had been seeing a woman who'd recently dumped her husband, so now the husband was a prime suspect; maybe he'd followed Loong into the woods, killed him, and then yotes had at him. This theory made Jun and Evan unhappy – their version with a mysterious predator was much more sexy – but everyone else seemed to like it better. The inconvenient fact that the presumed murderer in this case had already been in Jane's custody on a different charge and couldn't possibly have done the deed seemed to escape most people's notice. Gretchen and I knew the murder rumor had nothing to it, and that Jun and Evan's theory was closer to reality than not, but we kept our mouths shut. Adding what we knew wouldn't make anyone feel less paranoid at the moment. â€Å"I know what it is,† Magdy said, to a bunch of male friends. I nudged Gretchen with an elbow and motioned with my head at Magdy. She rolled her eyes and very loudly called him over before he could say anything else. â€Å"Yes?† he said. â€Å"Are you stupid?† Gretchen asked. â€Å"See, this is what I miss about you, Gretchen,† Magdy said. â€Å"Your charm.† â€Å"Just like what I miss about you is your brains,† Gretchen said. â€Å"What were you about to say to your little group of friends, I wonder?† â€Å"I was going to tell them about what happened when we followed the fanties,† Magdy said. â€Å"Because you think it would be smart at the moment to give people another reason to panic,† Gretchen said. â€Å"No one's panicking,† Magdy said. â€Å"Not yet,† I said. â€Å"But if you start telling that story, you're not going to help things, Magdy.† â€Å"I think people should know what we're up against,† Magdy said. â€Å"We don't know what we're up against,† I said. â€Å"We never actually saw anything. You're just going to be adding to the rumors. Let my parents and Gretchen's dad and the rest of the council do their jobs right now and figure out what's actually going on and what to tell people without you making their job harder.† â€Å"I'll take that under advisement, Zoe,† Magdy said, and turned to go back to his pals. â€Å"Fine,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Take this under advisement, too: You tell your pals there about what followed us out there in the woods, and I'll tell them the part where you ended up eating dirt because Hickory dropped you to the ground after you panicked and took a shot at him.† â€Å"A really lousy shot,† I said. â€Å"One where you almost blew off your own toe.† â€Å"Good point,† Gretchen said. â€Å"We'll have fun telling that part.† Magdy narrowed his eyes at both of us and stomped off toward his pals without another word. â€Å"Think it'll work?† I asked. â€Å"Of course it'll work,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Magdy's ego is the size of a planet. The amount of time and effort he puts into doing things to make himself look good is astounding. He's not going to let us mess with that.† As if on cue, Magdy glanced over at Gretchen. She waved and smiled. Magdy surreptitiously flipped her off and started talking to his friends. â€Å"See,† Gretchen said. â€Å"He's not that hard to understand.† â€Å"You liked him once,† I reminded her. â€Å"I still like him,† Gretchen said. â€Å"He's very cute, you know. And funny. He just needs to pull his head out of a certain part of his anatomy. Maybe in another year he'll be tolerable.† â€Å"Or two,† I said. â€Å"I'm optimistic,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Anyway, that's one rumor squashed for now.† â€Å"It's not really a rumor,† I said. â€Å"We really were followed that night. Hickory said so.† â€Å"I know,† Gretchen said. â€Å"And it's going to come out sooner or later. I'd just rather not have it involve us. My dad still doesn't know I did all that sneaking out, and he's the sort of guy that believes in retroactive punishment.† â€Å"So you're not really worried about avoiding panic,† I said. â€Å"You're just covering your own tail.† â€Å"Guilty,† Gretchen said. â€Å"But avoiding panic is how I'm rationalizing it.† But as it happens, we didn't avoid panic for long. Paulo Gutierrez was a member of the colonial council, and it was there he found out that Joe Loong had not only been killed, but that he'd been murdered – and not by a human being. There really was something else out there. Something smart enough to make spears and knives. Something smart enough to turn poor Joe Loong into food. The council members had been ordered by my parents not to talk about this fact yet, in order to avoid a panic. Paulo Gutierrez ignored them. Or, actually, defied them. â€Å"They told me it was covered by something called the State Secrets Act, and that I couldn't tell you about it,† Gutierrez told a group that surrounded him and a few other men, all carrying rifles. â€Å"I say to hell with that. There's something that's out there right now, killing us. They have weapons. They say they follow the fantie herds, but I think they could have just been in the woods all this time, sizing us up, so they would know how to hunt us. They hunted Joe Loong. Hunted him and killed him. Me and the boys here are planning to return the favor.† And then Gutierrez and his hunting party tromped off in the direction of the woods. Gutierrez's declaration and news of his hunting party raced through the colony. I heard about it as kids came running up to the community center with all the latest; by that time Gutierrez and his crew had already been in the woods for a while. I went to tell my parents, but John and Jane were already off to bring back the hunting party. The two of them were former military; I didn't think they would have any trouble bringing them back. But I was wrong. John and Jane found the hunting party, but before they could drag them back, the creatures in the woods ambushed them all. Gutierrez and all his men were killed in the attack. Jane was stabbed in the gut. John chased after the fleeing creatures and caught up with them at the tree line, where they attacked another colonist at his homestead. That colonist was Hiram Yoder, one of the Mennonites who helped save the colony by training the rest of us how to plant and farm without the help of computerized machinery. He was a pacifist and didn't try to fight the creatures. They killed him anyway. In the space of a couple of hours, six colonists were dead, and we learned that we weren't alone on Roanoke – and what was here with us was getting used to hunting us. But I was more worried about my mom. â€Å"You can't see her yet,† Dad said to me. â€Å"Dr. Tsao is working on her right now.† â€Å"Is she going to be okay?† I asked. â€Å"She'll be okay,† Dad said. â€Å"She said it was not as bad as it looked.† â€Å"How bad did it look?† I asked him. â€Å"It looked bad,† Dad said, and then realized that honesty wasn't really what I was looking for at the moment. â€Å"But, look, she ran after those things after she'd been wounded. If she had been really injured, she wouldn't have been able to do that, right? Your mom knows her own body. I think she'll be fine. And anyway, she's being worked on right now. I wouldn't be at all surprised if she's walking around like nothing happened by this time tomorrow.† â€Å"You don't have to lie to me,† I said, although per the previous comment he was actually telling me what I wanted to hear. â€Å"I'm not lying,† Dad said. â€Å"Dr. Tsao is excellent at what she does. And your mom is a very fast healer these days.† â€Å"Are you okay?† I asked. â€Å"I've had better days,† he said, and something flat and tired in his voice made me decide not to press the matter any further. I gave him a hug and told him I was going to visit Gretchen and would be over there for a while, in order to stay out of his hair. Night was falling as I stepped out of our bungalow. I looked out toward Croatoan's gate and saw colonists streaming in from their homesteads; no one, it seemed, wanted to spend the night outside the walls of the colony village. I didn't blame them one bit. I turned to head to Gretchen's and was mildly surprised to see her striding up under full steam. â€Å"We have a problem,† she said to me. â€Å"What is it?† I said. â€Å"Our idiot friend Magdy has taken a group of his friends into the forest,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Oh, God,† I said. â€Å"Tell me Enzo isn't with him.† â€Å"Of course Enzo's with him,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Enzo's always with him. Trying to talk sense to him even as he's following him right off a cliff.†

Pierre Frankel in Moscow: Unfreezing Change Essay

The case describes the conundrum of Pierre Frankel, a devoted employee of H-IT which is a global IT company. He was sent to the Russian subsidiary of H-IT in Moscow, to improve the subsidiary’s performance and increase profitability. The environment that greeted Pierre on reaching the Moscow office is not at all welcoming: (i) Lebedev, who is the MD for the Russian subsidiary tried to hire a number two for himself but his move was rejected by the upper management. He knew that Pierre was the replacement and considers him a threat. (ii) The subsidiary’s 450 odd workforce considered Pierre as an outsider who is trying to bring with him a lot of structural changes and break the status quo. (iii) Many guidelines were in place, to ensure efficient functioning of the organization and were followed globally. But they were hardly ever implemented here, in the Russian subsidiary. (iv) The atmosphere that had been a result of Lebedev’s micromanagement discouraged teamwork and expression of new ideas. Not a single file could move from one desk to another without the knowledge of the MD. (v) All this can also be seen as a direct cultural implication of the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, as a result of which, the â€Å"Trust, but verify† ideology had been instilled into the Russian way of thinking. Essentially, Frankel had to act as a change catalyst and unfreeze the current state of affairs at the Russian subsidiary. If he is able to change the status quo, he will be able to reveal the drawbacks of the current situation. This is necessary because if the Russians were to improve their ways, it was necessary for them to believe that change is needed. Some constructive steps that he took to learn the Russian ways were: (i) In the first few weeks, he met all the relevent leaders in the organization including the line of business leaders to learn more about the subsidiary’s operations and laying the ground work for change. (ii) He tried to get into the good books of Nadia Abramova, the head of HR and who was rumored to be very close to Lebedev. (iii) He tried to identify people who were open to learn and willing to change. (iv) He tried to hire a native Russian to assist him with his agenda for change. He was opposed by Lebedev in this endeavor but  Frankel managed to get some resumes with the help of Nadia Abramova. Suggested Solution: The priority areas identified by Frankel were: increasing business predictability, improve sales efficiency and focus on strategic internal processes. To bring about a change in the organization, he had to change the way the employees thought and worked. He had to make the work environment full of energy, collaboration and trust for each other. To bring about this, Frankel had to change himself because the Russians were not going to mould their ways at the command of an outsider. It was just how they had become culturally. To do this, Frankel was correct in looking to hire a Russian guy who could help him connect with the other employees better. He should then try and communicate with Lebedev with a clear-cut agenda and get him on board. Lebedev’s change of outlook is key if productivity is to be increased at H-IT’s Russian subsidiary, otherwise, his services can be done away with. However great his connections may be and however good his communication skills may be, if his management style is proving detrimental to the company, he is no good.

Lab 3 Determinates of Water Hardness

Determination of Water Hardness Using a Titrator Heather Crall Chemistry 1 SMT- 271044 10/17/2012 Abstract From seeing all of my results and conclusion I now see that I didn’t understand this lab very well and that its not easy when others try to help. Since I have hard water it tells me that my water flows over and through rocks and minerals, like limestone. Purpose The purpose of this lab is to become familiar with the concept of water hardness. We learn that hard water contains high levels of dissolved minerals that are in the form of metallic ions.Most of Ohio which is the state I live in either has moderately hard water or hard water. For as my town the city is moderate and the country is hard. Procedure 1) Put safety things on 2) Place the stopcock in the closed position on the end of the titrator and fill with 10 mL of EDTA solution. 3) Put a crumpled up paper towel under the titrator and allow a few drops of the solution to fall into the towel. This way it fills the ti p of the titrator then close and throw the towel away. Then place the 100 mL beaker under the setup. 4) Use the graduated cylinder to measure exactly 10 mL of tap water from your sink. ) Pour the tap water into the beaker then add 5 drops of pH 10 buffer solution. Swirl carefully the mixture in the beaker. 6) Read the volume of EDTA in the titrator and record the initial volume. Then slowly open the stopcock and add 1 drop at a time while swirling the mixture.7) Once the solution turns a pale blue-gray color turn the stopcock off then record the final volume in the titrator. 8) Repeat steps 4-7 and fill in Table 1. 9) Pour the rest of the contents down the drain Data Data Table 1: EDTA titration volume| | Initial EDTA Volume (mL)| Final EDTA Volume (mL)| Total Volume of EDTA Used (mL)| Trial 1| 9 mL| 7. mL| 1. 6 mL| Trial 2| 8 mL| 6. 6 mL| 1. 4 mL| Trial 3| 7mL| 5. 2 mL| 1. 8 mL| Average Volume of EDTA Used (mL): 1. 6 mL | Data Table 2: Water Hardness| Average Volume of EDTA Used (m L)| Concentration Ca^2+ ions per Liter of Water (mol/L)| Water Hardness (ppm CaCO3)| 1. 6 mL| 0. 015 mol/L| 1,500. 9 ppm CaCO3| Results A) Based on the analysis of your local water, would you classify its hardness as soft, moderate, hard, or very hard? Explain your answer. My water is moderately hard even though it’s the city we still have plumbing problems due to our soil and the minerals in our town.The country all has hard water so the deal with rust and bigger clogs than the city. B) Approximately how much calcium would you ingest by drinking eight 8-oz glasses of your local water? HINT: 1 oz(fluid ounces) =29. 57 mL 8oz= 236. 56 236. 56*8= 1,892. 48 mL Conclusion In conclusion it seems as though my results have come to show that I have very hard water when looking at the last graph but to have it say 1,500 tells me that my results is potentially incorrect. From what I understand it shows that the calcium carbonate is very high in my town.

Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Philosophy - Essay Example Culture, is a dynamic process subject to change in response to internal contradictions and critical social thought. There exist numerous positions within a culture, as well as distinctive values shared by members of a culture. The price of toleration, George argues, of serious deviance from a society’s constitutive morality is the loss of a distinctive form of interpersonal integration in community understood as something worthwhile for its own sake. (1993: 65). It is perhaps in the nature of humans that they look for someone metaphysical and supernatural for the solution of their problems and difficulties whenever they feel themselves unable to do the same. It is therefore the both philosophy of ethics and institution of religion came into being.  Looking into the history of the world at large, it becomes evident that religion existed in all human societies from the most primitive to the most modern ones. â€Å"Humans have formed their own beliefs (called probability belie f in mathematics and science) about the set of unknowable elements of the universe.   They have branded their beliefs about the unknowable as religion.† (Acharya, 2006) The questions of life after death and reincarnation exist among almost all religions of the world at large the concepts of virtue and vice are also based on the teachings of the religions. The philosophers and spiritualists strongly believe that there is always present the representative of virtue in the form of the moral voice that forbids man from indulging into malpractices and doing harm to others. Moral voice refers to the call of conscience that regulates mans activities of everyday life and controls him from wandering astray on the one hand and involving in any type of deviant behaviour. It is indeed the warning from the powers of virtue based on religious beliefs and practices. The concept of distinct moral voice is the outcome of distinct behaviour of the members

Connected the Education in Technology essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Connected the Education in Technology - Essay Example This revealed that the technological changes are taking place at a faster rate compared to the previous years and its integration in to the education system is something that cannot be delayed or postponed. This because integrating technology into the educational system has a number of advantages including providing access to more information sources, makes it relative easier to supervise learning processes and results in reduced costs when compared against traditional forms of education. The main aim of writing the essay was to explain the manner in which technology should be integrated into education and the advantages that this can provide for educational processes. The essay mainly dwelled on the advantages and benefits that are associated with integrating technology into educational processes. Some of the advantages that were identified in the essay included the fact that it can lead to reduction in costs, it can result in changes and new patterns for library services and the fact that it can result in change in vision and awareness of users of the system among other benefits. Additionally, the essay also mentioned some of the ways through which technology can be integrated in to the educational system and the ramifications for students after when they enter the job market after going through the education system. On the other hand, there are also some views of people who do not consider technology to be beneficial to education that are also included in this ess ay. Even though there are clear advantages to integrating technology in educational practices, the views developed by the critics are also compelling since they explain explicitly the manner in which they fail to be beneficial. The Ethical Reasoning: Technology in Education was intended for a complex audience that included college students as well as college professors as it dwelled with the ethical quandary of technology in regards to education and future career preparation.

Team Working Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Team Working - Essay Example In this chapter, I will reflect and narrate the experiences in working in a team. Our team had five members, so a cross-cultural diversity was present since I and another person is from Qatar while the rest are from Egypt, Seychelles, and China. Next sections provide a discussion of various issues that we faced when we had to work together and participate in an exhibition for organization change. One of the first tasks for the team was to distribute various duties and activities that each had to take up individually, and contributions from each individual would form the contents for the exhibition. Thrust (2012) speaks of the importance of having a clear structure for the team, identifying resources and tasks and the need to have a team leader. Some of the identified tasks were appointing the team leader, schedule meetings, writing down the minutes of the meeting, identifying resources needed for the exhibition, taking up research to collate the content and integrating all the result s from the individual efforts. I was elected as the team leader, and we decided on various subjects and themes needed for the exhibition. Since conducting research was the main activity, we distributed the research topics among ourselves. The team member from Seychelles was given the task of writing down the meetings while the member from Egypt was given the task of coordinating with other members. Next sections present my reflections on different issues and challenges.

ASDA Case Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ASDA Case Analysis - Assignment Example The company had acquired loans to facilitate its expansion and it was therefore necessary for the organization to develop new measures to ensure profitability. The management was unable to ensure that the new stores were profitable. Communication between employees and the management is a serious issue for any organization. There was a breakdown in communication between the management and lower level employees in the organization. The management structure in an organization can limit communication and ASDA had placed a structure that prohibited effective communication. 2. The organization faced serious management issues ranging from lack of motivation for workers to poor financial decisions. According to the motivational theory, employees can only perform when they are given flexibility and the chance to succeed. At ASDA, creativity from the employees was continuously repressed and they lacked the ambition to succeed in the work place. In addition, leadership theories such as transactional theory suggest that leadership is about focusing on the set goals and motivating employees to achieve these goals. At ASDA, these problems created a vacuum, which in turn brought about uncertainty. The financial crunch at the time and bad management were therefore responsible for the issues at ASDA. The goal setting theory states that organization should set goals. The management should therefore have set clear goals to avoid the issues. Strategies adopted by Hardman introduced a dictatorial culture in the organization that inhibited creativity from the employe es. 3. It was clear to Norman that the culture in the organization needed an overhaul so that it could accommodate all employees and attract new customers. In addition, the shareholders needed to trust the organization once more. To achieve this, it was important to change employee attitude at ASDA. This should have been

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing Essay

Discuss the ethical issues of using GM golden rice in the developing world - Essay Example Vitamin A is found in butter, milk, liver and kidney, green and yellow vegetables, but only very little in conventional rice. Today, much of Vitamin A can be supplied by the genetically modified rice that offers beta-carotene, a metabolic precursor to vitamin A. In year 2000, researchers in Zurich and in Freiburg, Germany succeeded in creating the yellow rice that has both beta carotene and iron content (GMO Compass). The GM rice research, which was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation by $100 million, took 10 years to produce the genetic strain. It will take million dollars more and another decade of development at the International Rice Research Center before it can reach the fields of farmers. (Shiva, 2000) Genetic engineering is the deliberate, controlled manipulation of the genes in an organism with the intent of making that organism better in some way (What is.com). This is a thoroughly new technology that alters the characteristics of the living organisms by inserting genetic materials manipulated through artificial means. Union of Concerned Scientists said that advocacies of genetically modified food should proceed with care, alternatives examined, and case to case evaluation of genetic engineering applications be done. GM rice has been a source of complex issues. A group of 22 international scientists and experts, in 2009, questioned this issue in an open letter to Professor Russell at Tufts University School of Medicine, who is in charge of the clinical trials of GM Golden Rice testing to adults and children (GM Watch). This group asserted that â€Å"golden rice is inadequately described in terms of biological and biochemical makeup†¦has not been shown to be stable over time†¦.has never been through regulatory approvals process anywhere In the world†. Researchers from Ban GM food worry on the safety of GM rice as it has not been tested to animals. They argued that when pharmaceutical drugs are tested for safety, it should be first tes ted to animals. When no harmful effect is seen in the animal, it is only then that it should be tested to human volunteers. GM rice defenders said that it is intended for humans, so animal test is no longer needed. Same research group argued that since GM rice is engineered to overproduce beta carotene, they are worried that some retinoid derived from beta carotene are toxic and cause birth defects, as studies would show (GM food.org) As controversies grow, research findings conclude that there are many opinions on the negative effect of GM food, but lacks data to support the claim on the potential risks to health (Arpad, et al.) Potential harm of GM foods can be acute to the young, elderly and those suffering HIV, hepatitis or other viral diseases. Those suffering from gastrointestinal tract, allergies and other disorders are further advised not to consume GM food as there is possibility of unforeseen irreversible consequences. For this reason, GM food labeling should be mandatory, research suggested. The emergence of genetically produced crops has generated various policy reactions from different countries as well. Discussion has reached international level, particularly, the World Trade Organization (Nielson & Anderson). Accordingly, both exporters and importers of GM rice will be affected by the biotech policies of the countries within which they operate. Trade relations are affected by the consumer confidence

China and Japan's environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

China and Japan's environment - Essay Example In 2005, China was the top emitter of the greenhouse having a 16.4 percent emission rate while Japan had 3.1 percent emission rate (Jin, Dong & Chen, 2012). Historically, China and Japan has been involved in various policies in effort to reduce various forms of pollution including the Kyoto protocol that committed state parties to reducing emission of greenhouses gasses. Recently, China and Japan invested heavily in financial as well as policy resources in action to ensure that the reduction of greenhouse gas emission is achieved. The climatic change policies of both countries have been driven by domestic consideration including economic restructuring, energy demand as well as smog (Wiener, 2004). In efforts to reduce emission, both countries agreed to budget towards a low carbon society. In achieving this objective, both countries developed ample policy frameworks designed to control individual activity emissions, as well as corporate investment emissions. A low carbon society can also be developed by introducing a market-based reduction scheme such as cap and trade system, carbon taxes among others. Fundamentally, China and Japan’s environmental policies benefited public health. Various health issues are related to emission of greenhouse gas. Emission of greenhouse gas causes destruction to the Ozone layer. Destruction of the Ozone layer can cause various health issues including skin diseases, eye problems, and cancer among others. The Chinese and Japanese policy was also appealing to the general moral obligation regarding the emission of the greenhouse gas. Considering the potential differences between Japan and China in terms of their norms, there was need to join necessarily to ensure that the universe is safe from harmful gas (Wiener, 2004). One of the main challenges in addressing the problem of greenhouse gas emission is policy implementation follow up. Follow up is very

Managing Projects Essay Example for Free

Managing Projects Essay This is an individual assignment-please complete both tasks 1 and 2 Both tasks relate to the units in the module guide and the attached case study. It is advised that you read the case study thoroughly before attempting the tasks. Task 1 (40% marks) 600 words (+/- 10%) each short answer question requires a response in a few sentences for the questions awarded up to 4-6 marks and a paragraph for questions awarded up to 8-10 marks. 1. What are the core principles/characteristics of any project and why are they important? (8 marks). 2. How would you have defined the scope of the project in the case study (6 marks). 3. Using the information below, plot out a full project Gantt chart and identify the critical path? How many days does it take to complete the project? (6 marks). 4. Define one of the following cost appraisal methods; NPV, Payback or IRR. What are the benefits of your chosen method? (4 marks). 5. How would you have assessed and managed the risks on the project in the case study (6 marks). 6. What quality methods (project evaluation, monitoring and control) would you introduce to ensure this project is completed successfully (10 marks). Task 2 (60% marks) A case study report of 2500 words (+/- 10%) Please read the case studies of ABEK Limited. You are required to prepare a report concerning the main issues to be addressed from a project management perspective (2,500 words). From a project management perspective outline the activities required to successfully implement this new initiative, ensuring that it can open on-time, and within budget. Assignment guidelines: The assignment should be written as a formal academic report with a clear introduction and logical presentation of points (2500 words +/- 10%). The Harvard referencing style is required for citations; a word count must be noted. Fictitious Case Study: ABEK Limited. ABEK Ltd is a company specialising in the manufacture and supply of specialist auto parts to the automotive industry. The organisations they supply includes: regional, national, and international companies. The company has been particularly successful since it started trading in 2007. They trade from a single manufacturing site (25,000 square metres) that also includes office accommodation. At present the company employs a General Manager, managing 250 staff. Their product is manufactured and then delivered to a distribution centre. As part of a strategy of expansion, ABEK Ltd has employed you as a Project Manager to manage a one off special project. This project is concerned with the opening of a new building that  ABEK Ltd has recently acquired alongside their present site. This new building will allow the company to target and respond to large global organisation’s demands for more products, especially in Europe. This project is concerned with ensuring the operational requirements of the new facility are addressed and that there are no delays in continuing to supply present customers. As Project Manager you are responsible for ensuring the initial opening and operational requirements of the new facility are identified, ensuring that the facility can open on-time, and within budget. Again you should note that you are taking possession of a purpose built building and have to address the issues that would allow the building to be operated by your client. You should note that the emphasis on the report should be concerned with you communicating your knowledge of project management. You are required to prepare a report concerning the main issues to be addressed from a project management perspective (2,500 words). From a project management perspective outline the activities required to successfully implement this new initiative, ensuring that it can open on-time, and within budget. Your analysis should include the skills and competencies required by the Project Manager, along with the project management process. Use examples of the concerns, stages, processes, leadership, and administration and control problems associated with managing the lifecycle of this major project.

Single Phase To Three Phase Converter Engineering Essay

Single Phase To Three Phase Converter Engineering Essay Several solutions have been proposed where the objective is to reduce harmonic distortions in a generating system. It is now the renewable power utilization that is growing more, thus a small scale Wind Energy Conversion System is concentrated which needs harmonic reduction. The wind energy unit that we are planning to install is single phase so we go for a single phase to three phase ac-dc-ac converter designing to reduce harmonics. Parallel converters have been used to improve the power capability, reliability, efficiency, and redundancy. Usually the operation of converters in parallel requires a transformer for isolation. Here a single-phase to three-phase drive system composed of two parallel single-phase rectifiers and a three-phase inverter is proposed. Compared to the conventional topology, the proposed system permits: to reduce the rectifier switch currents; the total harmonic distortion (THD) of the grid current with same switching frequency or the switching frequency with s ame THD of the grid current; and to increase the fault tolerance characteristics. Also the loss of the proposed system is lower. The aforementioned benefits justify the initial investment of the proposed system, due to the increase of number of switches. Index Terms- Converters, IGBT, MOSFET, Renewable Energy, Single Phase to Three Phase, Wind Energy. Introduction The paper deals with the enhancement of the usage of renewable energy and improvement of its utility. Wind energy is one of the most promising alternative energy technologies of the future. Throughout recent years, the amount of energy produced by wind-driven turbines has increased exponentially due to significant breakthroughs in turbine technologies, making wind power economically compatible with conventional sources of energy. One of the limitations of wind energy is Harmonic distortion that hinders the utility of the wind generation. Harmonics is referred as the disturbance or the deterioration of the purity of current or voltage after undergoing several changes or transformations. Since power quality is very important it is mandatory to discover methods to reduce harmonics and retain purity. As corrective action is always expensive and unpopular solution more thought and investment are devoted at the design stage on the basis that prevention is better than cure. The sources of harmonics can be divided into 3 categories: Large numbers of distributed non-linear components of small rating. Large and continuously randomly varying non-linear loads. Large static power converters and transmission system level power electronics devices. Harmonics Reduction Technique In general there are many techniques to reduce harmonics like usage of harmonic filters [13] PWM technique [4], [5], [13] Filter is a device that is designed to suppress harmonic current and voltages from being injected into the power system since these causes damaging effects to the devices being used in the system. The harmful and damaging effects of harmonic distortion can be avoided by the usage of filters. There can be two types of filters that are used in order to reduce the harmonics distortion i.e. the active filters and the passive filters. Active harmonic filters are electronic devices that eliminate the undesirable harmonics on the network by inserting negative harmonics into the network. The active filters are normally available for low voltage networks. In order to control power and reactive power, it is essential to control the magnitude and phase angle of the injected voltage by the converter [1], [4], [5], [7]. At the same time, it is desirable to regulate the DC bus voltage. Another requirement is to minimize the injection of the lower order harmonics by the converter. The pulse width modulation (PWM) is utilized to achieve the following objectives: To control the output AC voltage for a constant DC voltage. To minimize the harmonics subject to the constraints on the switching losses, generation of noise etc. Circuit Design The project deals with a converter design as an attempt to reduce harmonic distortions in wind energy conversion system. We design a converter circuit for a single phase three phase conversion with two single phase rectifiers connected in parallel and a three phase inverter. The experiment is simulated using MATLAB Simulink software and the results are compared for the effectiveness of the converter circuit [9]. Also the selection of switch for the converter is very essential thus we compare two different switches- MOSFET and IGBT and analyze its characteristics for the suitability and effectiveness. Process of Switch Selection The below table shows the comparison of different parameters considered in the course of selection of switch for the converter thereby helping us to justify our selection. The Table below shows the comparison between different possible switches that are used in converters. We can see the characteristics and parameters based on which the switches are selected. TABLE I. SELECTION OF SWITCH FOR THE CONVERTER CIRCUIT Device Comparison area diode rectifier Thyristor [SCR] GTO IGBT MOSFET Inverter switch X X AC-DC conversion X X X X X Inverter types Current source X X Voltage source X X X Efficiency High High Low High High Gate control signal NA current current voltage voltage Gate current NA < 2 Amps 400-1000 Amps 0.1 Amps < 0.01 Amp Voltage rating High High High To 1200 Volts 4000 volts Current rating 6000 Amps 5500 Amps 1000 Amps 1000 Amps 600 Amps Switching losses NA Medium High Low Low Switching speed NA Low Low Very high Very High From the comparison it is evident that MOSFET, IGBT are the two most suitable switches for the Inverter section of converter as MOSFET and IGBT showed good efficiency, voltage and current ratings. Also the switching speed and switching losses are satisfactory. And it doesnt need a special switching angle control mechanism. Thus the MOSFET, IGBT rectifier/inverter system is the proposed converter for the small scale wind energy conversion system. Also comparison between MSOFET and IGBT operation in Single phase Three phase conversion as well as Three phase Three phase conversion is done. Technology used for switching The maximum achievable efficiency of any practical system is 0.93. However due to design considerations and operational constraints, the percentage drastically reduces to a maximum of 0.5, in the case of a wind energy system. The aim of this project is to improve the normal operating mean efficiency of 0.29. Various techniques have been instrumental in reducing the overall losses in the system, and also particular interest is streamlined in the domain of reduction of harmonics in the system. A lot of techniques by which, losses, and particularly, harmonics can be reduced have been figured out by analyzing various IEEE projects. Apart from circuit element modifications, design modifications have also been analyzed. The Circuit Design Here as per the circuit diagram we can see 14 switches totally i.e. 4 for each single phase rectifiers and 6 for the three phase inverter. Now when the single phase supply is given to the system the rectifiers convert the AC single phase supply to DC supply then it is fed to the inverter for further conversion into a three phase AC supply. Here as we can see the rectifiers are connected in parallel to each other, as we know the working of the rectifier. The converter can either use MOSFET as a switch or IGBT as a switch. FIGURE 1. CIRCUIT DESING FOR SINGLE PHASE_ THREE PHSE CONVERTER Here as per the circuit diagram we can see 14 switches totally i.e. 4 for each single phase rectifiers and 6 for the three phase inverter. Now when the single phase supply is given to the system the rectifiers convert the AC single phase supply to DC supply then it is fed to the inverter for further conversion into a three phase AC supply. Here as we can see the rectifiers are connected in parallel to each other, as we know the working of the rectifier. The converter can either use MOSFET as a switch or IGBT as a switch. Rectifier is a device that converts AC to DC signal. In a single phase controlled rectifier there are 4 switching devices two in each leg. Two switches at a time namely alternate switches of the legs are on at a time. Thereby converting the AC signal into DC signal. Then it is fed to the inverter which has 6 switching devices two per leg, thus a 3 phase inverter has 3 legs with 2 switches per leg. The working mechanism is almost similar to the rectifiers. Simulation using MATLAB/Simulink MOSFET Based Converter Simulation The MATLAB simulation model clearly depicts the no of switches used, also the parameters involved in the analysis of the circuit. Simulation results help us clearly conclude the difference in the performance based analysis of MOSFET and IGBT converters. C:Documents and SettingsBIRDDesktopchithra simulationmosfet singlemosfet single.bmp FIGURE.2 MOSFET based Single phase three phase converter using MATLAB Simulation MATLABÂ  is a high-level language and interactive environment for numerical computation, visualization, and programming. Using MATLAB, you can analyze data, develop algorithms, and create models and applications. The language, tools, and built-in math functions enable you to explore multiple approaches and reach a solution faster than with spreadsheets or traditional programming languages, such as C/C++ or Java. Here we simulated converter circuit with MOSFET switches and IGBT switches and compared the difference in the capacity of reducing harmonics. FIGURE.3 RECTIFIER OUTPUT FOR MOSFET BASED SINGLE PHASE THREE PHASE CONVERTER USING MATLAB SIMULATION. This graph represents the rectifier output. The voltage amplitude is 310V i.e. the harmonics in the voltage causes spikes which reaches this value, where as the original voltage is around 230V. The graph is plotted for a time period of 20 milliseconds. The positive half wave is rectified better than the negative half wave. We can clearly see the spike occurrence in the positive half wave due to harmonics. . FIGURE. 4 FINAL OUTPUT OF THE MOSFET BASED CONVERTER SYSTEM USING MATLAB SIMULATION The output is around 220V with reduced harmonics. The inverter output by itself has reduced harmonics distortion found in the rectifier output. The spikes that were found in the rectifier are not present in the inverter output waveform. From this its evident that the single phase to three phase voltage converter design helps in reducing the harmonics. The MOSFET switch used is a voltage controlled device and has a high switching frequency that enhances the rectification as well as inversion of the generated voltage. The single phase to three phase configuration is helpful in reducing the harmonics is hence proved from the graphs above. IGBT Based Converter Simulation C:Documents and SettingsBIRDDesktopchithra simulationigbt singleigbt single.bmp FIGURE 5: MATLAB SIMULATION DIAGRAM FOR IGBT BASED SINGLE PHASE-THREE PHASE CONVERTER The simulation model diagram for the IGBT single phase to three phase converter is given above. We can see that the topology is similar to that of the MOSFET based converter except for that the IGBT block contains a diode connected parallel to it. C:Documents and SettingsBIRDLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.Word230r1.bmp FIGURE.6 RECTIFIER OUTPUT WAVEFORM OF IGBT BASED SINGLE PHASE THREE PHASE CONVERTER WITH 220V SUPPLY This graph is the rectifier output for a 220V input supply. In this graph the magnitude of output is around 220V which means the input is completely rectified. The occurrence of spike is at the junction of two half waves. Thus the completeness of the half waves is affected by the harmonic distortions in the case of IGBT based converter. C:Documents and SettingsBIRDLocal SettingsTemporary Internet FilesContent.Word220op.bmp FIGURE.VII FINAL OUTPUT WAVEFORM OF THE SYSTEM WITH 220V SUPPLY The output graph shows the reduction in harmonics to some extent the magnitude of harmonics is reduced and is evident in the output graph. ANALYSIS OF HAMONIC REDUCTION WITH VARIATION OF INPUT INDUCTANCE Initially we analyzed the system effectiveness for various input voltages like 230V, 220V, 200V etc., where we found a prominent result only for 220V input supply. Now that changing in voltage is not producing enough difference thus we try to change the input inductance and realize the effectiveness of the MOSFET and IGBT based conversion systems. FIGURE. 8 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF VARIATION OF HARMONICS WITH VARIATION OF INDUCTANCE IN A MOSFET BASED SINGLE PHASE THREE PHASE CONVERTER In the single phase to three phase conversion topology of converter using MOSFET, the inductors L2 and L4 (corresponding to the negative cycle of supply) are varied from 0.1 mH to 0.4 mH under a varying operating voltages between 220 V and 230 V. The results that are thus obtained are represented in the graph. For operating voltage 220 V, the output voltage peak varies between 214.4 V and 206.1 V corresponding to the change in input inductance values between 0.1 mH and 0.4 mH. Similarly, for operating voltage 230 V, the variation in peak voltage is between 224.2 V and 215.4 V for the same change in input inductance. FIGURE.9 GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF VARIATION OF HARMONICS WITH INDUCTANCE IN AN IGBT BASED SINGLE PHASE THREE PHASE CONVERTER. In the single phase to three phase conversion topology of converter using IGBT, the inductors L2 and L4 (corresponding to the negative cycle of supply) are varied from 0.1 mH to 0.2 mH under a varying operating voltages between 220 V and 230 V. The results that are thus obtained are represented in the graph. For operating voltage 220 V, the output voltage peak varies between 219.4 V and 216.5 V corresponding to the change in input inductance values between 0.1 mH and 0.2 mH. Similarly, for operating voltage 230 V, the variation in peak voltage is between 229.8 V and 226.3 V for the same change in input inductance. In the above graphs we see the variation of harmonics with the variation of input inductance thus choosing the input inductance wisely can affect the harmonics reduction process. CONCLUSION As per the above result and discussion we saw the variation of harmonics with variation of voltage magnitude and input inductance accordingly, with the result we observe that single phase three phase MOSFET based converter reduces spikes to a great extent without any loss in the voltage magnitude when the input inductance is of 0.1mH each. But when the inductance is changed to L1, L3= 0.1mH and L2, L4=0.4mH the output consists of negative peaks without loss in voltage magnitude. Coming to IGBT based converter, the single phase three phase converter has low harmonics in the rectifier as well as the inverter outputs when the inductance in L1, L3=0.1mH and L2, L4=0.2mH.when the inductance is changed to 0.1mH all the rectifier output has little heavy spike at the junction of the half waves which are reduced without voltage loss.

Causes of the Construction Defects

Causes of the Construction Defects Construction defects are very common and often arising or spot in the construction project, especially in the project which has poor management or supervision in the construction site. Construction defect can be known as a major problem in the construction industry that could cause the value of a building decrease eventually. For the question of what is construction defect there is no direct or short answer or explanation to answer the question of what is construction defect. Construction defect in the construction project normally can be arise from two mains factor which is defect cause by workmanship and land movement. Some of the example for the common construction defect can be defective concrete of frame, cracking of slab; wood structural attack by termite, leaking in the building and etc. other than that, construction defects in construction project due to the reason of land movement could be underground water, settlement, improper compaction during earthwork stage and inadequa te of drainage. Every construction project is always involved and appears the term of construction defect for the reason of there is no a building or project without defect occurs. In order to study the further detail information of causes, effects and methods to minimize construction defects in construction project, this dissertation would be carry out for the purpose of study in deep of construction defect. 1.2 Research Background Climatic of Malaysia are change aggressively, therefore all of the buildings in Malaysia are expose to the aggressive environment all the time. Because of this, majority of the building in Malaysia will have the defects occurs in the buildings after the building is occupant a period of time. The purpose of conduct this research is to study the common construction defect in the construction project. Once the defects study, it is also necessary focus on the effects of the construction defects that will occur, since defect is precedent of effects of the construction defects. In additional, in order to minimize the construction defects, an evaluation on methods to minimize the construction defect will also be focus on this research. 1.2.1 Causes of the construction defect A construction defect can be known as a component in the building are built by the contractor or design by professionals not according to the specification, plan, not comply with the construction code that established by the authority( Calvin Cal E. Beyer, 2011). Construction defects can be also defined as that will make the project dangerous, unsafe, causes the user of the building to be injured or dead (Michael S. Poles, GC, CM, RCI, DABFET, ACFE, 1995). It can be occurs during the construction process and cause the project costly rework, project not complete in time and affect the overall performance of the building. Construction defect can be classified as 2 types, which are Patent Defects and Latent Defects. Patent Defects can be detected by the normal inspection or testing and apparent to naked eye, for example roof leak or a foundation crack. However, Latent Defects are hidden and cannot discoverable by normal examination or testing which will appear itself after a period of time (Anon 1, 2007). According to the researcher from the University of Florida, construction defects can be various types and influenced by many factors in the construction industry. The common types and the causes of the construction defect can be included (Calvin Cal E. Beyer, 2011): Improper design Poor workmanship that leads to poor finishing quality Improper means or methods of installation Improper or poor quality of the materials Defective material or poor material performance Missing or inadequate protection from weather or environmental condition in the construction site. Soil subsidence, movement and settlement Base on the few studies of researcher, the effects of the construction defect can increase the overall construction cost and the final quantity of the project (Zietsman, R., 2004) and a survey conducted by the Building Research Establishment in the United Kingdom, it found that 35% of the defects were arise from faulty construction(Assaf, Al-Hammad, Al-Shihah, 1995). It can be  due to the reason of bad workmanship, inadequate supervision and substitution of poor material, components or fixings. Beside those common type and the causes of the construction defect has stated above, the 35 most frequent defects was identified by the Building Research Establishment. The causes of defects that were identified which is (Assaf, Al-Hammad, Al-Shihah, 1995): Lack of inspection Making use of inexperienced, unqualified inspectors Avoiding and ignoring inspection completely Non implementation of corrective actions during the construction process Inaccurate measurement Making use of defective or damaged formwork Excavations to close to an existing building and exposing the foundations Non-conformance with waterproofing specifications Inability to read and understand/interpret drawings Insufficient concrete cover Improper construction of cold joints Loss in adhesion between materials Stripping formwork too early Unacceptable soil compaction procedures Inadequate curing procedures Lack of communication Non-compliance with specifications Inability to read and understand/interpret drawings Insufficient site supervision Lack of communication between the owner, architect/engineer, project manager Employing unqualified supervisors Speedy completion of certain activities specifically where equipment is on hire Unqualified labor force Multinational construction experience Defects resulting from the wrong selection of materials Using materials unsuitable for the climatic conditions Using cheap materials Making use of expired materials Inadequate storage facilities Misuse of equipment Equipment not performing to specification Lack of the proper equipment Cross referencing and detailed referencing on drawings lacking Conflicting details on drawings Details of sections on drawings lacking According to Marianne (2005), these 35 defects listed above can be grouped in to 4 categories which are: Design deficiencies Material deficiencies Construction deficiencies Subsurface/geotechnical problem 1.2.2 Method to minimizing the construction defect In construction industry, there is varying of the methods to minimizing or reduce the construction defects. According to Alice M. Noble-Allgire (2008), improving quality control can be known as a method to minimize the construction defects occurs. A quality control programs can be set up by the builder and use to reduce the construction defects. Besides that, structuring their contract with certain of the rules that can ensures that the parties take responsibilities on the defects that created under his works. Construction defects can be also minimizing by the improved oversight, for example builder can improve their building inspection practices in all the way. Other than that, if there is insufficient for improve the quality control, it also can through licensing, certification, and education requirement to improved the quality control. For example, a contractor which intended to select, the contractor must be register with the Construction Industry Development Board know as CIDB. With the registration, that can ensure the quality of contractor and the works. 1.2.3 Effect of the construction defect Construction defect can decrease and affect the value of the buildings. According to Atkinson, (1999), defects are developments in construction that reduces the project`s value instead of adding to it. Other than reduces the project value, where the construction defect apparent, It also can cause the project totally delay which mean not complete with in the period state in the contract. Cost overrun can be known as one of the effect when the construction defects happen in the construction site. Construction defect will also affect society at large due to possible danger posed and result in direct and indirect cost in repairs, abnormally high maintenance dispute and possible loss of building. 1.3 Problem Statement Construction defect in the construction project is very common. It is because buildings are exposing to the inclement weather especially in the climatic country such as Malaysia. Construction defects can be arising due to inadequate design, poor workmanships in the construction and lack of maintenance. The defects that in the construction project can become worst and worst due to the reason of invisible defect that not discover by the builder or the occupants. Construction defect can be also bringing negative impact to the occupant, builder, and country. Therefore it may affect the appearance of the building, health and safety of the occupant, country economic, reputation and etc. Thus, this problem can cause occupant unhappy eventually. 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives 1.4.1 Aim This research was aimed at identifying and studies the causes and effect of construction defects in the construction sector. Besides that, the other aim of this research is to study the methods of minimizing the construction defects in construction projects. 1.4.2 Objectives In order to achieve the aim of this research the objective has been listed as follow: To determining and understand various types of construction defects in construction projects. To identify the causes and effects of the construction defects in construction projects. To analyze the methods used to minimizing the construction defects in the construction projects. 1.4.3 Key Question What is construction defect? What are the effects of construction defect can be occurs in construction projects? What is the solution or methods to minimize the defect? 1.5 Importance and Benefits of Study This research will have benefits of to prevent the construction defects occur. Thus, this thesis will study the causes, effects and the methods to minimize the construction defects. Besides that, this study can also enhance the knowledge of the builders or any participants involve in the construction in order to increase the quality of the buildings. 1.6 Scope of Study Various types of construction defects will be study for the purpose of understanding the construction defects. The main scope will be the causes of the construction defects will be study in depth and identify the most common causes that cause the construction defects occurs in the construction project. Followed by the effects from the various construction defects that occur in the construction project will be study. For the last, the method to minimize the construction defects will be analyzes. 1.7 Methodology of Research In order to obtain the useful information for this dissertation study purpose, there is few methods to collect the data and information. Since the type of the data to be collecting having not been deciding therefore there is a consequence stage to follow. Stage 1: Literature Review Literature review is the Initial stages of the methodology, because some of the information that is useful for setting out the questionnaire. There is numbers of way or method for carry out literature review to obtain information for this dissertation: Magazines Journals Articles Books Newspaper Internet (www.google.co www.yahoo.com) Stage 2: Choose of suitable data collection method There are 2 types of the methods to collect the data had been choose for this dissertation, which categories in 2 types. Only one of the methods will choose for this research to collect the data among the 2 methods. Quantitative Questionnaires A set of questions will be form base on aim, objective of this study and the information that I found in the literature review. Target groups: experience contractor and the site supervisor. Reason: personal financial and able to obtain the data in short period. Qualitative Case study Observation and investigation (site visit). Targeted Place : construction sites, occupied buildings Identify the common defects in the construction project and some of the photo will be taken. Stage 3: Data analysis Once the data collected, in this chapter will analysis the data that collected from the questionnaire and case study by either method of SPSS, table method or bar chart. Analysis will include: Respondent age Collected data for Cause of defect in construction project Find out the major cause Collected data for the effect of defect in construction project Find out most worst effect Collected data for the method to minimize the defect in construction project Analysis which method most effective Details of the construction site or building Comparison of site or building Major defects arise in construction from the case study data Stage 4: Conclusion and Recommendation Conclusion Result of analysis will be conclusion. Judgment for the result will be including in the conclusion. For example which common cause of the defect in the construction project. Most effective method to reduce the defect in construction project will conclude. Recommendation A further scope of study will be recommended. Most effective methods as remedial action for construction will be recommended. Some of the field for study in depth will recommended. 1.8 Summary of chapters 1.8.1 Chapter 1 Introduction In chapter 1, information regarding the research topic will be discussed in brief in the introduction. Other than that, background in this chapter will further study in depth the causes, effects and method to minimizing the construction defects. For example, defects can be categorized in 2 types, which is patent and latent defect. In additional, the research aim and objective will also include in this chapter follow by research methodology, which is how the data be collect and analyze. 1.8.2 Chapter 2 Literature Review In chapter 2 Literature Review, the causes of the construction defects will be discussed. Once the causes of the construction defects is discussed, the effects of the construction defects will also be discuss follow by the methods to minimize the construction defects. In additional, ways of obtain information for the purpose of conduct Literature Review will be from the articles, journals, internet, reference books and etc. 1.8.3 Chapter 3 Research Methodology In Chapter 3 Research Methodology, structure of questionnaire will be form and the procedure of the case study will be plan. (If case study method is choose). Once the information obtains from the questionnaire, it will be listed in this chapter. Example for the structure of questionnaire: Improper design Poor workmanship that leads to poor finishing quality Improper means or methods of installation Improper or poor quality of the materials Defective material or poor material performance Missing or inadequate protection from weather or environmental condition in the construction site. Soil subsidence, movement and settlement This questionnaire is base on the Likerts scale of 5 ordinal measures from 1 to 5 according to level contributing. For example: = strongly Agree (4) = Agree (3) = moderate (2) = Disagree (1) strongly disagree Example of the case study procedure: Step 1: Selecting the sites Step 2: Meet up with sites manager and get approval Step 3: Conduct case study Observation Take necessary photo Step 4: Gather all the data Step 5: Analysis the data 1.8.4 Chapter 4 Data Analysis Once the data successful collected from the questionnaire or case study, the following step is to analysis the data in this chapter 4. The methods use to analysis the collected data can be SPSS, Bar Chart or table method. For example the data can be analysis included: Respondent age, collected data for Cause of defect in construction project, collected data for the effect of defect in construction project, details of the construction site or building, major defects arise in construction from the case study data. 1.8.5 Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation In this chapter a conclusion will be conduct to conclude the whole research including the result from the analysis that carry out through the SPSS, bar chart. Besides that, most effective methods to minimize the construction defects will be recommending base on the result of analysis in order to fulfill the research aim and objective. 1.9 Summary In Chapter 1, general information regard this Research will be discus in the introduction such as definition of the construction project and defects. Some of the further information from other resource such as internet, articles, books, magazines and etc will be discuss in further in the Research Background. For example, causes of the construction defects, methods to minimize the construction defects and effects of the construction defects in the construction project will be discuss in more detail. Identifying and studies the causes, effects and methods to minimize the construction defects is the aim and objective for this Research. In additional, the Methodology of this research will include literature review and data will be collect from either questionnaire or case study. In this chapter, the aim and objective include identifying and studies the causes and effect of construction defects in the construction sector, and the methods to minimizing the construction defects in construction project.

A Life Foolishly Lived :: Personal Narrative Essays

A Life Foolishly Lived I've never quite understood the whole racism thing. I grew up in suburbia, but in the part of town considered the black neighborhood. When I was younger black kids were no different from everyone else, and I was happy that way. It wasn't until middle school and my encounters with Joey that I became aware of a difference. I was young and impressionable, and totally bought into what anyone who would consider me "cool" was saying. Joey was a 30-something-year-old quadriplegic man who lived near me. I was considered a nerd and felt desperate for guidance of some sort. Joey became my mentor. Before the accident that left him in a wheelchair, he was a rocker, and I spent hours by his side listening to his stories. "I tell you, Owen, I had it all. And the girls loved me," he would tell me, while I emptied the bag of urine strapped to his leg. Even though he never graduated from high school, had no job, would get drunk and stoned all the time, and lived with his parents, I wanted to be just like the person he used to be. He'd had girlfriends and lived the rock-and-roll lifestyle, but that ended when he was pushed off a porch and snapped his neck. He attempted to continue his old life through kids in the neighborhood. Joey would tell us how he used to make pipe bombs, so naturally we had to make a bomb and blow up a chunk of the street. But we didn't have the know-how or the supplies to make a pipe bomb, so a gallon of gasoline would have to do the trick. Sadly, we picked a bad place and set a man's lawn on fire. The police and firemen were on my street that night, putting out seven-foot high flames and asking questions. Even though nobody knew exactly who blew off the gas bomb, most had an idea. I'm sure people in that neighborhood could think only of Wheelchair Joey and his gang of misled youth. Joey listened to heavy metal and sported Charles Manson and Confederate flag t-shirts. Before I knew it, I was doing the same. He convinced me to wear the flag shirt in school the day we watched "Roots" for Black History Month. We laughed when I told him about the reactions I got, and then he congratulated me with a beer and some vodka mixed with juice.

I Once Was Blind, but Now I See :: Personal Narrative

I Once Was Blind, but Now I See A sunrise has the power to free us from the dull shade of night. Like clockwork, the sun rises every morning bringing golden rays of light that illuminate the world around us. It provides life to objects that surround us everywhere. The deep green needles of a pine, the crystal blue sky, or even the rich black surface of pavement all owe their color to the trillions of tiny rays that pour down from the sun everyday. Many people go about their everyday lives without even looking at the world around them. Everyday people take for granted what they are able to see. People don’t think about what it would be like if they woke up one morning and the sunrise wasn’t there. What would it be like if all the light from the world was taken away and all that was left was cold lonely darkness? Most people couldn’t answer this question, but I can. When I was in ninth grade, my top concerns in life were things like whom I was going to ask to the dance, making the varsity wrestling team, and hanging out with my buds. I had no real conception of the world around me, except that I was in it. From the second I woke up until the second I went to sleep, I took everything I saw as a given routine. My mother’s emerald green eyes, a fresh red apple, and even the eye-catching sparkle of Nikki Melousky’s braces were some the little things I took for granted every time I saw them. On a chilly January day, one wrestling practice would change my life. The ground was blanketed with a thick sheet of white snow, and it was so cold your fingers went numb after five seconds in the chilly air. I was at wrestling practice and everything was running as usual, except we were sweating bullets. See, the object of a wrestling practice is to sweat weight off, and that’s difficult to do when it is below zero outside. My coach’s solution was to make it hot: ninety-nine degrees hot! When it’s that hot, you sweat so much it makes a puddle. This puddle of sweat would open the window that let me see our world in a different light or, better yet, no light at all. I was a hard worker, but my friend Devon liked to push my buttons when we wrestled.

Daphnia Ecotoxicology Lab Report Essay

Introduction Ecosystems have a way of maintaining themselves under ordinary conditions but when a new factor is added that will most likely threaten the environment action needs to be put forth. Our environment is affected by many pollutants on a daily bases forming a threat to natural stability. For example some of the most polluted parts of the environment are bodies of water like that explained in our lab. Once pollution occurs animals can be affected in many ways even to the brink of death. In the lab the stream is getting pumped with salty potassium filled water that can kill daphnia, habitants of the stream, if the concentration gets too high. To prevent this a real-time assay can be performed. This is a short timed test that we use to measure the effect of pollutant on organism by finding the smallest concentration possible that could still be a bother. This is a valuable tool because we can get direct results from a living organism by detecting stress signals all in a short period of time allowing us o fix the problem quicker. Using an organism for the assay is the best choice because there are many variables that can be used to identify stress on the subject because of a specific input. Materials and Methods Everything is kept the same in every experiment except when concentration differences need to be changed. Meaning all lighting, heating, vibration daphnia numbers will not change to make sure there are minimal changes and differences in the experiments. The sizes of the daphnia are also better to be kept around the same. Daphnia are really quick so picking something to measure in a two-hour interval made it easier to narrow it down to heart rate. Since we can control their space, meaning less area of movement we can see their heart better. This also meant it wouldn’t allow us to measure other things that require a larger area of movement which were the majority of the variables. Chasing down the critters is very hard. Week one was the period of observation where all materials were used while looking at the daphnia so that the variables to be measured are chosen and the methods in how they will be measured are ruled out. Before the lab a handout with information on daphnia should be read to familiarize oneself with the little organisms. For observation we are given a regular microscope, to use with it regular shallow white well plates and a dissecting scope, to use with it a see through 24-well plate. A small amount of water should be added to the both the white wells and about three or four of the clear wells. Now that everything is ready for the daphnia they are to be transferred to the wells be using a pipet that has had its tip cut of to a diameter of about 2-3 mm so the critters aren’t damaged. Write down any observations you see such as variables and movements and any ideas for a possible assay. Week two an assay system will be created using the variable that is chosen versus the concentration of KCl. The concentration we started with, was given, a 1:1 ratio of KCl to pond water meaning that half of the mixture is KCl and half is pond water. To perform this experiment we also need a control that would be 100% pond water. Two regular microscopes are used with the three well white trays. In one tray pond water is added to the three wells, half of the group will look at these and in the other the mixture of 1:1 KCl : pond water is added, the other half of the group will look at these. Daphnia are then transferred using a transfer pipet that has the tip cut to a diameter of 2-3 mm. The experiment needs to start after a 15-minute exposure period maybe shorter because they may start reacting to the different concentrations. Once the slides are in focus view the daphnia to see if there are any changes in the variable if so one partner should start counting while the other is keeping time and writing down results. Every once in a while to keep thing consistent switch who counts and switch around the wells. After the observation period make sure the lights are off so the daphnia aren’t heated and they have enough water, and make sure they don’t get moved around too much. Once the experiment is compare results of KCl concentration versus the control. If something did occur to the daphnia do the KCl concentration experiment but half it, If nothing happened double the concentration. Once you are done take our results and plot them using a T-Test in excel. Week three the daphnia are tested under different concentrations of an herb to see if the herb causes any types of stress on the variable. All of the same methods are done as in week one and two except in preparing the herbal solutions. To prepare the herbal solution the herb needs to be grinded mixed with methanol and left to sit for a few minutes so it can react and separate the important contents of the herb out. In large clear wells the mixture is measured in microliters of 500, 50 and 5, we also measure out 500 of methanol and all of these are left to dry out. Then 5ml of water is added to 5 wells the four including the substances and one without. The methanol only and water only wells are our controls once this is finished the variables are measured like in the previous experiments. Results (on graphs and tables) Discussion Daphnia are very easily affected by even the smallest amount of KCl slowing down their heart rate compared to our controls. Our 1:4 ratio of KCl still slightly affected the heart rate of our daphnia. The daphnia give a clear and quick report on the environmental condition this is why they are good to experiment on.

Blood Brothers Evaluation Essay

In June 2004, myself and the rest of my GSCE Drama group travelled to London to watch a performance of the play ‘Blood Brothers’ by Willy Russell. Having studied the play in great detail four weeks previous to that day, we eagerly awaited seeing the play on stage. A workshop with the narrator beforehand gave us an insight to what it was like to be a member of the cast and helped us further in relating to the characters themselves. I shall now evaluate the performance I saw discussing the medium and elements of drama used in the play, and themes and symbols noted throughout. The play began with a still image placed behind a gauze curtain. The still image was that of the death scene between the two brothers at the end of the play, and the image was distorted slightly by red and blue ripples of light that were shined on the curtain itself. These ripples of light can be thought of on many levels and can represent many different things. When I thought about it the first thing that came to my mind was the saying ‘looking through the ripples of time’ which, in effect, was what we were doing. We were looking through the curtain and the ripples, and looking through time – seeing an event that had not yet come to pass. The still image was constructed by each actor in turn walking on stage and taking up their positions, this was effective in building up tension in the audience as we were left wondering what the final picture would look like. Once the actors had taken up their positions, the gauze curtain lifted so we could see the image properly, and then having waited a while the actors left the stage, one by one, in much the same way they entered. The narrator, however, did not leave the stage and proceeded to deliver his lines, explaining the image we had just seen. The beginning of the play, in contrast to the ending, built up an atmosphere of mystery and tension. The ending was much more of a sudden burst of shock. The begging of this play is not unlike that of the famous play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Both plays begin with the end, as it were, with the opening lines telling us the events in the play and, indeed, the way it ends. This line describes how Romeo and Juliet’s fate was ‘written in the stars’, as if it were their destiny. This theme is very significant in both plays. The ending of the play was very tense, due to a number of factors, and the climax to the final gunshots was successfully moving. The way that the policemen entered through the audience gave the play a much more real feel to it. The audience went from sitting and observing something, to being involved in it, and suddenly the audience found themselves right in the middle of all the action. This was a very effective technique to use, as it meant that the audience could relate more to what was happening. Mickey’s body language built tension. They way he shifted his weight, constantly, from one foot to the other and his in-ability to find any words to say, showed his conflicted emotions and also made the audience feel nervous and anxious. After this sudden build up in tension, it seemed from the audience’s point of view that the ending was clear. Both men, now knowing who they truly were would accept things and get on with their lives, living happily ever after. Even knowing what the end would, in fact, be, the thought still crossed my mind and when the gunshots went off, it was so unexpected that it took some time to realise exactly what had taken place. This scene was extremely well portrayed, as it really made the audience feel what the characters were feeling and the fact that the audience just did not expect what was to come made it even more effective still. In the play the narrator played a very important part. It was he who took on the role of fate and destiny. Throughout the play it seemed, on occasion, that it was he who was controlling the events that were taking place. For example in the scene where the mothers made their pact the production showed it was the narrator who introduced the idea of the bible. It was he who passed it to Mrs. Lyons, had he not done this then she may never of thought of the idea. This is not unlike that of a Greek chorus. In the olden times a chorus was used to narrate plays and the leader of this would often interact with the characters on stage. The mere presence of the narrator was incredibly foreboding as his body language and facial expressions were very sinister throughout the play. The fact that the narrator never left the stage also added to the feeling that he was controlling the story and watching over everything that happened. Symbolism played a huge part in the play, so much so that it would take days to interpret it all. Props were used well as symbols throughout the play. A significant prop that was used in the play was the locket Mrs Johnstone gave to Eddie to remember her and Mickey as she thought they were never going to meet again. This prop consequently had the opposite effect. Another prop was the sweets Edward gave to Mickey as a gesture of friendship. This showed the audience that Edward was a character who used his personal belongings that he thought little of, to make friends. A prop that was used in different ways throughout the play was a gun. This prop went through the stages of firstly being a child’s finger, then to an air gun and finally to a real gun. Another thing in the play that progressed as the play went on was the ages of the characters, the children especially. One thing that the director chose to do was to keep the same actors all the way through. There was not a 7year old playing the part of Mickey at 7. Nor was there a 14year old playing the part of Mickey as an adolescent. The actors stayed the same meaning they had to adapt to portraying children of different ages. This was done superbly and the actors really did pull off the transitions from child to adult. The different ages were shown mostly by change in costume, however the actors had to adopt a certain balance between maturity and naivety. When they were young, the latter was more prominent but the characters were forced to grow up too soon and maturity took over. This was clear in the way the actors came across on stage. Another very symbolic part of the play was the pact itself, made by the brothers. Making the pact meant spilling their blood – sealing their fate or merely tempting it – it is hard to tell. Much of the symbolism seen in the production was not always that which was written in the script. For example in the production, as I have already mentioned, the narrator handed the bible to Mrs. Lyons, this was not written anywhere in the script in fact in the script, the narrator enters after the pact has been made. It was the director’s choice to have this happen, and I believe it was a very good choice as it really brought across the narrator’s role as fate/destiny in the play. The director of the production I saw, made many more slight changes to the script, each one emphasised the role of destiny and fate more, and overall achieving the desired effect of leading the audience to believe we were being told the story, rather than seeing it as it happened. The play was set in eighties Liverpool and addressed many social and cultural aspects of that time. Class was an obvious issue in the play, separating the two families and the two brothers. This separation was shown by the costumes worn, the way the characters spoke and the set used. Eddie’s smart school uniform was in complete contrast to that of Mickey’s baggy jumpers and scuffed up muddy shoes. The production showed the two houses quite separately with two different backgrounds that would be lowered down whenever a scene was taking place inside a house. The Lyon household consisted of a background of pale flowery wallpaper, a large window, one or two pictures on the walls, and nice furniture. The Johnstone house, however, portrayed an over-crowded, small and very cluttered kitchen, with very brightly coloured wallpaper that looked many years old, as bits were damp, scribbled on, or had been picked off of the wall. This difference in the way the two houses looked showed how the two families were of very separate classes. The Lyons were able to afford a large house, nice sofa and wallpaper still attached to the wall, however the Johnstones could not afford any of these things. Unemployment was a big problem in these times and this issue arose in the play, at one point we saw Mickey waiting to collect the dole with his brother. This was shown in the performance by lots of ‘For sale’ signs descending to position themselves outside the houses, including that of the Johnstone’s. We also saw a change in the attitude of the characters there was a feeling of depression coming from the stage as the characters came to terms with their situations. The way unemployment was portrayed in the play was very effective it made the audience feel sorry for the characters, for Mickey’s poor upbringing and also for Eddie, as his sheltered lifestyle left him very naive and vulnerable when eventually he was thrown into the ‘real world’. In conclusion I feel that the play was incredibly successful in stuffing itself full of as many hidden meanings, symbols, themes and feelings as it possibly could. The way that the play took on another dimension, as it were, involving the audience to such a great level was incredible, heightening emotions and making itself memorable to say the least. Overall a very successful play that used the medium and elements of drama to its advantage in the greatest way possible.

Social Network, Knowledge Management and Innovation at Unilever

SOCIAL NETWORKING AND EXPLOITATION OF INNOVATION THROUGH THE SOCIAL DYNAMICS MODEL Company in Focus: Unilever 1 . INTRODUCTION Unilever is an Anglo–Dutch multinational consumer goods company. Its products include foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products. With over 400 brands sold in more than 190 countries, it is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast-moving consumer goods (Unilever, 2013). Such a global organisation needs to remain innovative so as to maintain its competitive advantage.The social dynamics model (which analyses four steps- capacity building, pilot mode, integration mode and leverage mode) would be used would be used in this report to show how social media can be developed and integrated into Unilever and ultimately how innovation can be utilised. 2 . USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN UNILEVER Social media is defined as â€Å"a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2. 0, an d that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content† (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010, p. 61).Social media has been asserted to be a source of new profits though access to new markets, a more engaged workforce and improved customer relations (Mangold and Faulds, 2009; Waters et al. 2009). The implementation of social media within the organization is viewed as a way to leverage organizational knowledge and improve knowledge management initiatives (Barbagallo, 2011). Unilever utilises the social network platforms of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and YouTube. Their Facebook page is used to share recipes, run adverts, and get feedback on products and other relevant information from customers.With their Twitter account, they are able to share news about programmes in different countries and engage on topics about business, marketing and sustainability. There are several LinkedIn profiles to suit the needs of their stakeholders such as alumni and management trainees. The You Tube account is for careers purposes only and there are no much subscribers. YouTube is a platform that Unilever still needs to exploit as they can post videos and use it for mass campaigns and adverts as well as receiving comments from customers which can be a source of useful information.Havas EHS also connected Unilever brands with consumers using social media by developing a global consumer data strategy (Unilever, 2012). Social media enables companies to talk to their customers, it enables customers to talk to one another and it also enables customers to talk to companies (Mangold and Faulds, 2009). Social networks like Twitter and LinkedIn could help the company to maintain their awareness of current business trends and innovative ideas (Jarahi and Sawyer, 2013). There is the need for Unilever to integrate social media with other traditional media like television.Furthermore, to effectively exploit social media, the company needs interactive technology and marketing skills (Pe nny Power, n. d. ). 3 . ORGANISATIONAL LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Organisational learning is â€Å"the process of change in individual and shared thought and action, which is affected by and embedded in the institutions of the organisation (Vera and Crossan, 2005, p. 123). Organisational learning system is rooted in human resources, structure, process, policy and culture. The process of organisation learning takes place through nine steps (Lytras et al, 2008).The first and second are discovery and innovation which involves building up a system enabling it to make the right choices among innovative ideas. The third step is selecting process and activities so a better decision can be made. These three steps of learning involve changing one’s perception and thinking but learning also includes changing behaviour which leads to the fourth step which is executing ideas which were discovered. The fifth step is transferring the experience and ideas achieved by the team/depart ments to the rest of the organisation.In reflecting, which is the sixth step, the organisation learns from past experience both good and bad. There is the need for the organisation to acquire knowledge from outside environment and build its knowledge base and also contribute by sharing knowledge with its business partners; these constitute the seventh and eight step. Finally, as the organisation continues in its learning process, there is the need to build an organisational memory so that learning can be constantly upgraded and to avoid loss.This is also consistent with the seminal work by Huber (1991) who elaborates four constructs linked to organisational learning-knowledge acquisition (the process by which knowledge is obtained), information distribution (process by which information from different sources is shared and thereby leads to new information or understanding), information interpretation (process by which information that has been distributed is commonly understood) and organisation memory (means by which knowledge is stored for future use). Knowledge can be considered as information which has been acted upon; it adds understanding and retention to knowledge.Our perceptions of knowledge are based on our ontological and epistemological beliefs about reality (Jashapara, 2010). There are two types of knowledge -descriptive knowledge which is the knowledge of things and productive knowledge which is the knowledge of changes in things. Knowledge is the application of expertise, it can be manipulated i. e. it can be stored and replenished and it can also influence action (Hemsley and Mason, 2013). It is therefore imperative to understand how this knowledge can be used in achieving the goals of the organisation. This therefore leads us to the concept of knowledge management.Knowledge management is the process of generating, acquiring and using knowledge to improve the performance of organisations; thus it is to understood to be ‘managed learningâ⠂¬â„¢ (Vera and Crossan, 2005). Knowledge management is not a technology but a consolidation of strategy, technology and people (Mullins, 1999). The business strategy of an organisation must reflect the requirement to capture knowledge. Knowledge exists in people, not technology; technology helps to retain knowledge but it cannot create it. Transforming information into knowledge requires classification, analysis and synthesis of the information.The knowledge which has been captured should then be effectively communicated. In reality, knowledge cannot actually be captured; it is the information which has been captured that is easily transformed into the knowledge (Mullins, 1999). Managing knowledge effectively involves the protection, leverage and accumulation of new knowledge. The resource based view of the firm attributes the competitive advantage of the firm to the unique knowledge it has over its competitors (Barney, 1991). According to Chakravarthy et al (2012), two broad types of knowledge often trigger a firm’s competitive advantage-resource conversion and market positioning.Resource conversion knowledge refers to the capability of a firm to use common resources to create unique products through innovation. The patents, copyrights and trade secrets that a firm owns are the most conveyed aspects of its resource conversion knowledge (Friedman et al, 1991). Market positioning knowledge is the ability of a firm to see opportunities in its environment and avoid threats. An organisation like Unilever may not have access to any special information over its competitors but may be able to see patterns in information that others are unable to.Social media can be of great value to Unilever as it would enable them capture new knowledge from internal and external sources such as employees and customers on the platform of social networks. This knowledge can then be applied to solving problems. Knowledge may be valued in groups based on its usefulness in achiev ing the group goals. Unique knowledge gained from social media is useful in the attainment of the groups or departments’ goals. This ultimately leads to a learning organisation which imitable knowledge which then becomes a source of competitive advantage (see figure 1). pic] Figure 1 Link between social media and knowledge management. (Source: Value tensions, 2012). Unilever has a knowledge management group which promotes it as a learning organisation in which activities are integrated. The company focuses on contributions towards its strategic goals and objectives through the creation, sharing, acquisition, capturing and transfer of knowledge (Unilever, 2013). Their knowledge management database is provided by Astute Solutions RealDialog. It has proved effective in their customer centre nsuring that end users receive current, high quality information; it also maintains and updates information for multiple touch points and end users (Astute Solutions, 2010). 4 . EXPLOITATION OF INNOVATION AT UNILEVER The social dynamics model can provide an understanding of how innovation can be utilised in Unilever. The first phase is the Capacity building which involves setting up extensive internal and external audit. In carrying out this audit, an environment scan would have to be conducted to know what is being said about the company and its brands, how employees use social media to promote the interests of the organisation.Organising training programs to enlighten staff on social media, also creating a platform where employees can share knowledge. Employees should be provided with access to social networks so they can communicate effectively with customers. As part of adapting the overall HR strategy, there is the need to hire people based on the social capital they possess as a result of their influence level and network. It is important to recruit people who are open to change and are customer-friendly. Unilever can do utilise LinkedIn as it supports expert loca ting practices though its communities and profile search (Jarahi and Sawyer, 2013).Pilot mode-The purpose of this phase is to have projects that can implement social media in a structural way. This would involve setting up a centre of excellence which would gather knowledge, guide pilot projects and provide internal consultancy and support local and regional teams. They have to determine the strategy for incorporating social media within the organisation. For a global company like Unilever, this centre would be implemented on three levels. The first is on a global level where the centre supports the regional and local teams as well as reports to the board.On a regional level, each region would have a mediator between the global strategy and local implementations. On a local level, the teams would be responsible for the translation of the approach to the languages. They would in turn report to the regional representatives. Integration mode- In this phase the knowledge acquired and an y new beliefs are integrated into the heart of the organisation. In order to make use of all the opportunities that social media brings, there is the need to ensure the employees and customers are happy.There is the need to co-create using social media and online communities as it is crucial to the development of new products and services. Unilever currently does this particularly in their use of open innovation. However, it is advisable that they opt for an incremental co-creation which implies that they have to start in closed community to enable the organisation to see how things work, sharing insights about certain products or experiences and ask collaborators to search for solutions and ideas based on that and co-create with their biggest fans.Unilever did this by publishing a list of ‘wants’-areas in which they need solutions. These are opened up to the global audience through social media (Unilever, 2013). To excel in social media, there is the need for the right content strategy to be developed. This should be done on four levels –content around the different products and brands, content about the different categories the company is in, content about the company in the form of compelling stories worth sharing and content about the advancements and future of the industry.Unilever has the right content strategy on their website but there is the need to have the right content particularly as it relates to content about the company and their future outlook. Leverage Mode- In this phase, the company is ready to take full advantage of the new philosophy. It is vital to leverage on marketing as information is spread quickly and new target groups can be reached. It is useful for Unilever to assign someone to be an internal trend watcher who is able to spot changes in the field of social media. This ensures that the company moves faster than its competitors.Substantial gains could arise from additional applications, particularly in marketing and sales, where a company like Unilever spends an average of 15 to 20 per cent of their revenues. They can do this by substituting insights from extensive online communities for more traditional marketing panels and focus groups. Interactive product campaigns that deploy social technologies can increase the productivity of advertising expenditures by as much as 30 to 60 per cent. New, collaborative forms of engagement with customers too can improve product development, both in speed and level of understanding (Bughin, Chui and Manyika, 2012).Unilever partnered with an agency called ‘We are social’ to create a society for lovers of their products, enabling the company to organise product launch mainly through effective social media marketing and communications. Through a campaign program, bloggers were able to vote on the design of a Unilever brand-‘Marmite’ (Moseley, 2012). Unilever Vietnam also partnered with Jana to create social media focus groups to g enerate brand awareness of its Clear shampoo line. They were thus able to leverage on the knowledge gained from social media (Jana, 2012).Unilever’s innovation is becoming a competitive strength and is critical to their growth. They try to understand what their customers want, relating with them to understand their diverse tastes, needs and market trends and ultimately developing new products and improving tried and tested brand, enabling customer-led innovation. They also have partnerships with suppliers and investors, thus encouraging open innovation which is a system where people can come up with ways to improve existing products and create new ones through designs and technologies.Social media hastens the open innovation process and offers the foundation for engagement, enabling effective co-creation with the partners (Unilever, 2013). Unilever also has a new business unit (NBU) which exploits innovation around its core competencies. There is also a Unilever Corporate Ven tures (UCV) group which explores opportunities outside the core categories. It identifies technology assets inside and outside the company that inspires new businesses (Decter, Mathe and Garner, n. d. ). Unilever invests around 2. 5% of its annual turnover in R &D, continuous product innovations and filing of patents each year.It takes learning and knowledge seriously and believes that transferring this knowledge into its products and services is a key source of competitive advantage (Unilever, 2013). Unilever partnered with Siemens to create a global specification management system that serves as the first major component of its Product Life Cycle Management (PLM) technology. Innovation is therefore not limited to its products, they extend to design processes and package design (Siemens, 2011). 5 . CONCLUSION Innovations require a communication/learning channel that facilitates easy sharing of knowledge which can be transferred using social media.Applying the social dynamics model to Unilever should have a positive impact on their customer, suppliers, employees and eventually the shareholders. 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